Soccer: Cahill makes most of Fifa about-turn

By TERRY MADDAFORD

ADELAIDE - At 24 years old and with film star good looks, few would see Tim Cahill as a revolutionary.

Yet, unwittingly, the baby-faced assassin was responsible for one of the biggest about-faces by soccer's governing body.

Fifa had long decreed that once a player turned out for any country, at whatever age, that die was cast.

For Cahill the ruling meant the only international team he could ever play for was Samoa.

Less than four minutes playing time as a substitute for then Western Samoa against Fiji almost 10 years ago pitched Australian-born Cahill into the international wilderness.

"That one game penalised me for nine years," said Cahill whose mother is Samoan. His father is English and his sister lives in Auckland.

Cahill, who was desperate to play "with the lads" - his Australian mates - became the subject of an on-going wrangle between Soccer Australia and Fifa.

Late last year Fifa relented and amended its rules (it now allows a player who has played at only age group level for one country to switch to another).

Cahill was free to wear green and gold.

He made his debut for the Socceroos with 15 minutes as a substitute against South Africa in London earlier this year.

But, he admits, it is playing at the Oceania Nations Cup that has made him realise how much he had missed international football.

"Because of the Fifa ban I didn't play at any of the age group tournaments," said Cahill, who is a cousin of former All Black Joe Stanley.

Now he is determined to make the most of every opportunity.

While some of Australia's best have stayed away from the Nations Cup, Cahill, who had a better reason than most to opt out, could not wait to get here.

Just days after playing for first division Millwall in the FA Cup final loss to Manchester United in front of 80,000 fans, Cahill had his first start for Australia on Monday against Tahiti at Hindmarsh Stadium - with just 800 watching.

Cahill did not disappoint. The wait was worthwhile as he scored twice. He added a hat-trick, all headers, against Fiji two days later to quickly emerge as the tournament's leading goalscorer.

Not bad for a midfielder who has never played a club match at senior level in Australia.

Cahill left Australia at 16 bound for Millwall, making his first team debut against Bournemouth in 1997.

With six seasons of football at that level behind him, Cahill is keen to move on.

"I have a year left on my contract at Millwall," said the comeback kid as he prepared for another match here. "If they want me to stay I will but I am keen to play in the premier league, preferably for one of the bigger clubs."

Averaging 10 goals a season - he scored 12 in the just-finished season - Cahill is regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the game.

He has shown out as an exceptional talent and one who will obviously be a key member of the Australian team for years to come.