Sydney | Qantas Airlines had a backstage role in Australia’s ultimate victory over Uruguay, in penalty kicks, at Telstra Stadium in the Wednesday World Cup qualifier. A charter with amenities such as massage and “relaxing videos ^[1]” allowed the Socceroos to travel from Montevideo in relative comfort. Uruguay, lacking Football Federation Australia’s resources, had to take a commercial flight.

Another serendipitous, Qantas-inspired moment occurred in the Aussies’ locker room following the Wednesday match, when John Travolta, in Sydney to shill for the koala-linked air carrier, personally blessed the Australian side. Australia players, led by goalie Zeljko Kalac, sang,

You’re the one that I want, wooh, ooh, ooh ^[2].

Sydney media added some perspective to the giddy aftermath. Tim Lane, writing in The Age, says that soccer must expand to the indigenous population ^[3], but Geoffrey Blainey said he was “less elated than [he] should have been ^[4]” in watching Australia’s qualification. Blainey fears that Australia Rules football will cede some of its hold on the public given soccer’s rapidly expanding resources (see Nov 13 ^[5]).

The once-powerful [Australian Rules] football teams in farming districts from the Wimmera to Tasmania’s north-west have declined dramatically. If Australia’s national soccer team performs well in the World Cup …, the publicity for soccer here will be voluminous.