I left Hanover very early on 4 November. I travelled through Vienna and Kuala Lumpur, and I arrived in Sydney on 5 November. John T picked me up and we went to his place which was to be my headquarters during my time in Sydney. I started slowly during my first few days, because I had some
jet-lag. 1974 Coach Rale Rasic welcomed me with a barbecue. Once more, this trip was a football mission: Australia has the chance to go to the World Cup. Just like 32 years ago, this time the World Cup Finals will be in Germany again. There are just two games to determine whether Australia
qualifies.

My time to relax finished early. SBS Radio Melbourne was the first station which asked for an interview. Julia, also from Germany, working for the German-language program, was the interviewer. The next day I had a photo session and another interview for the national newspaper The Australian
at Rale Rasic's house. Ray Gatt - The Australia's chief football writer - was the interviewer. It was not for the first time he had interviewed me. That day was a very busy one for me.

The Sydney newspaper The Daily Telegraph also wanted me for an interview. For that they needed to take some photos, and they came up with the idea to take them inside Telstra Stadium - the venue for the Australian leg of the qualifier.
I drove to this fantastic stadium. When I walked through the players' tunnel, I felt as if I was a Socceroo.
When I came onto the field, I grabbed a ball, ran across the field and scored Australia's first goal: 1-0

There were only a few workers watching when I the dived along the grass in celebration. Crazy German! I hoped it was the right goal.

I had a couple of free days so I went to see some long-time friends and went to the beautiful places in and around Sydney.
On Saturday, before the first-leg game in Montevideo, I went to the city with Rale Rasic. We had a fantastic dinner at Vieri's Restaurant in Darling harbour. Later we met Jimmy Milisavljevic, one of Australia's keepers back in 1974. Sydney FC paid for that night's accommodation in a hotel for us. I shared a room with Jimmy. It struck me: these guys were my heroes when I was a kid, now I am sharing a room with them.

Sydney FC had put us up because the next morning there was breakfast at Star City Hotel which Sydney FC had organised, so's fans could gather to watch the first leg from Montevideo.
I was at the table with the 1974 Roos, and it was good to see them all again. After the match which Australia narrowly lost 0:1, we had a party at the hotel bar.
There were many discussions about the game and we all said that everything is still open after that result.

We then went to the Sydney Football stadium for another function. The host was Andy Paschalidis, and I was asked to make a speech about my passion.
The game between Sydney FC and Queensland Roar followed the function and the 1974 team and I all walk onto the field and were introduced to the large crowd. It was as in honour of the boys, and I was with them. The crowd gave us an ovation, and some Japanese took photos.

Short after that, we drove to yet another function - this one was one of the highlights of my trip. It was the Socceroo 1974 player function. What a night! I knew most of the boys and it was great to see them all.
Jimmy Fraser, Jimmy Rooney, Col Curran, Harry Williams, Max Tolson, Johnny Watkiss, Gary Manuel, Doug Utjesenovic, Alan Maher, Ray Richards, Ray Baartz, Malcom Mackay - son of the late Jimmy Mackay, Col Bennett, Bobby Hogg, Terry Butler and many more were all there. What a night it was for me.

I made a ten-minute speech in front of them. I again told them my story, and I got a lot of respect and applause. Later the perfect organiser Rale Rasic, had a made plaque for me, in honour for my support. Ray Richards got up and gave it to me, with tears in his eyes, in the name of Club 74.
All the players got up to say thank you. My heroes, when I was a kid, saying thank you to me! That was an unbelievable moment. Whilst all this was going on I also had an live interview to Sunday night Soccer Radio. At the end of the function we all gathered for a 74 team photo, with me included.
I am one of them. I will never forget this night and I was very tired when I went home very late that night.

I then went to stay a few days at my friends' Mark and Nicole place in Milsons Point. It is a great place and has a magnificent view.

I read in the newspapers that John Forgety, ex-front man of Creedance Clearwater Revival, had a gig at the Sydney Opera house. I had never been to the Opera House, but I had always wanted to go there some day. CCR is my all-time favourite band, so I bought a ticket.
What a rocking night I had: Rocking All Over the World (originally by Fogerty, not Status Quo) and I wish that's the way it would be for my Socceroos too.


On Tuesday morning I went to Rebel Sports to sign the big Australian Soccer shirt made by Nike in front of the TV cameras. Later, I went to Mitchell Library to search for old football stuff. Oh how I love this place! And I had a coffee with my long time mate Ted Smith, an Olympian from the 1956
Melbourne Games.

In the evening, there was a party for some of the active OzFootball List members. It was great the see guys, like Andrew, who had travelled from the USA for the match; Ted and David, the Queenslanders; Andy, Tony, Thomas, Big Pete, Paul, and Kevin just to name a few; and of course lovely Bonita
who had organised the evening and arranged the venue.
I was very happy to see may old (but he is still young :-)) friend Alan from Melbourne. He helps with the English-language work this fantastic website. We had a good night.

The morning of the game, I had another long interview with Julia for SBS Radio. I was very nervous as I started to prepare myself for the match. Will Australia go back to Germany? I can't count the number of people who recognise me on the way to the ground. I was wearing my Socceroo shirt with my name on the back. I was shaking countless hands, giving endless autographs, and everyone wants a photo with the German guy. "Thank you for supporting our country all these years, Andre," is what most of them said. But guys, this is also my country.

There was a big party going on in the forecourt of the ground. I shared a drink with fan legends Donny Parks and Mad Macca, then I left for a few minutes to go to another Socceroo function nearby. I met some of the old players like Bill Henderson, Col Bennett (and his twin brother), John Kosmina, Paul Wade, Murray Barnes, and a lot of the 1974 boys. When Harry Willliams saw me he said, "It's unbelievable! You are everywhere!" After I had done some radio interviews, I went back to the stadium.

Once I was inside, I saw how huge the crowd was. It was fantastic. There was green and gold everywhere. What a moment listening to the national anthem with all the people at Telstra singing. I am sure you could have heard it all the way to Uluru in the centre of this huge country. The game
was a thriller, as everyone now knows. Guus knew how to play Uruguay (more on my new Socceroos 2006 site).

After extra time, my nerves were close to collapse. The penalty shootout was hard to watch, but the moment when Aloisi scored washed away all the pain of the intervening years. The fans went crazy. We made it! We are going back to Germany! Hugs, kisses, screaming, a never-to-be forgotten
moment. I took the time for some quiet reflective moments, the tears were running down my face. Australia had made it and I was there. And days before I scored in the right goal. This time I was the man who made it. No more Voodoo.
Thousands of fans then travelled back to the city and the party went on. Sydney went football crazy.

The next day Sydney was still in green and gold. A big football flag flew over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. But for me, I thought, it was now time to relax. I left Milsons Point and returned to Fairfield. In the evening, my friend the goalkeeping legend Jimmy Fraser picked me up and drove me to the South Coast. I arrived late in the evening at the house of my close friends Ronnie and Kath Lord. I was happy to get back to see them and I was also proud to be their guest for a couple of days. Kath is
like a mother to me, and I had a great time there. She made some bloody good sandwiches and biscuits for me. We went to some nice places and it was good to slow down a little bit after the previous hectic days.

I spent a day with my friend Olga driving around in a cabriolet in the sunshine, going to visit some nice people and beautiful places at the Coast. We went to the man in the mountains, had some great meals, all in all a fantastic day.

But everything comes to an end. I decided to go back to Sydney by train. I said goodbye to Olga, Kath, and Willie. My mate Ron Lord, who for me is Australia's best goalkeeper ever, travelled with me, only "So you don't have to travel alone, Andre." What a guy! After this brilliant trip along the coast to the Sydney railway station, we had to say farewell. I watched him when he left to return home. It's always hard to leave friends. But I hope I get to come back some day.

Then I went with my friend Rale Rasic to a special function. It was hosted by a jewellery company and it was a real VIP party. The place was looked after by big bodyguards and the visitors arrived in Rolls Royces and Maseratis. It was a strange feeling walking along the red carpet being filmed by a lot of photographers. The function began with a speech by Alan Johnes, who introduced the three star guests to the crowd. They are Kostya Tszyu, the thunder from Down Under, former IBF/WBC/WBA 140 pound world champion; Dwight Yorke, captain of the Trinidad & Tobago football team which also qualified for the World Cup; and ... myself, Andre Krueger from Hanover. The people thought I was a superstar from Germany. Maybe I am ! I hope they all are happy with the many autographs I gave until late that night.

Time was running out fast and my trip soon came to an end. I had visited Australia three times in four years. Now it's time for Australia to come to Germany to visit me, and they will, bringing with them a lot of fans. The Socceroos are coming to Deutschland just in seven months, but I have to go back now. I went to the airport with some close friends to say farewell for a time to my real love, the land down under. It was hard to get into the plane. I flew back the same as I had come, but I returned to the depths of winter when I landed in Vienna.
Back to the cold, back to reality, but - we made it. My football mission was a success.
The Socceroos are back in town

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