The Socceroos well and truly united the nation with their World Cup run.
Going up against Argentina in the Round of 16 over the weekend the passion and excitement across the country were palpable.
With thousands upon thousands packing Federation Square in Melbourne for the group games, the country knew the turnout would be tenfold.
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Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, with a bit of forward-thinking, decided to open up AAMI park in Melbourne to put the game on completely free for Aussie fans.
And even at 6 am in the morning, 20,000 fans turned up to watch the game in ridiculous fashion.
Just as many did across the country, the thousands braved the early morning conditions of hangovers, tiredness, and the cold to catch the game.
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Although, some may have to feel for the fans at AAMI park considering just how tiny the screens they were provided to watch the game on.
Fair credit to the organisers as they put the event on at short notice, but wouldn’t be surprised if half of the supporters were watching the game on their phones in the stand.
However, it didn’t seem to faze those in attendance, just going to show how much Australians love the Socceroos and love football.
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The passion is undeniable.
There was even a hoard of Argentinian fans inside the stadium to provide a competitive atmosphere as well.
Fans online were impressed by the turnout.
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One tweeted: “This is bloody amazing.”
Another said: “20,000 at the second Melbourne site to watch Australia play… who were playing 12,000km away. Incredible.”
A third wrote: “No other sport in Australia could attract 20,000 people to a stadium to watch TV.”
Have to agree with that one, let alone at 6 am in the morning.
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However, other supporters simply couldn’t get over how tiny the TV screens were.
One wrote: “Christ I’d be pissed off turning up to that. Surely they could’ve put bigger screens up ffs. Most pubs have bigger screens.”
Another said: “You would need binoculars to see anything on those screens from the back row.”
Regardless, it was a fantastic effort by the Aussie supporters who didn’t let the size of the screens deter their passion for the game.
The Socceroos, unfortunately, fell 2-1 to Lionel Messi’s Argentina, but they put up a valiant effort and left the rest of the country proud.
Featured Image Credit: @AAMIPark/Twitter. @neal_symons/Twitter.Topics: Australia, Football, Football World Cup, Qatar
