Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill
Personal information
Full name	Timothy Joel Cahill
Date of birth	6 December 1979 (1979-12-06) (age 29)
Place of birth	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	17
Youth clubs
1996	Sydney United
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1997–2004 2004–	Millwall Everton	217 (52) 106 (31)
National team2
1993 2004–	Samoa U-20 Australia	029 (14)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:09, 1 November 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 22:21, 20 October 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Tim Cahill [Kay-hill] (born 6 December 1979)^[1] is an Australian football player who plays as an attacking central midfielder for the Australian national team and Everton. Since Australia joined AFC, Cahill has become one of the most prominent footballers in Asia. Cahill scored the first goal by an Australian at a FIFA World Cup. In 2007, he also became the first Australian player to score at an Asian Cup.

Life and early career

Cahill was born in Sydney to a Samoan mother and an English father, of Irish descent, and was encouraged to play football as a child. He attended Bexley North Primary school, Tempe High School and Kingsgrove North High School, where he ended his high school years. Cahill paid a visit to Bexley North following his World Cup exploits where, despite the fact that the school holidays had started, almost the entire student body turned out to welcome him back.^[2][3] As a youngster Cahill played football for Balmain Police Boys Club and the Marrickville Red Devils Soccer Football Club.

Professional career

Millwall

In 1997, Cahill asked his parents to allow him to travel to England to play professionally, where he was signed by Millwall on a free transfer from Sydney United. He made his Millwall debut on 22 May 1998. In the 2003-2004 season, Cahill was the workhorse in Millwall's heroic campaign which led them to the FA Cup final for the first official time in their history, scoring in the semi-final against Sunderland, and a UEFA Cup place. Cahill polled over 100,000 votes to win the FA Cup ‘Player of the Round’ award for his performance during the semi-final victory in that competition.^[4] Cahill made 241 overall appearances for The Lions, scoring 58 goals. Before the start of the 2004-2005 season, Cahill's contract was transferred to Everton Football Club for a fee of £1.5 million,^[5] after he turned down a move to Millwall's South East London rivals Crystal Palace.

Everton

Cahill's transition into the Premier League was very successful; in his first season Cahill finished as the club's top goal scorer and assister. He finished the 2004-2005 campaign as fan's player of the season as Everton reached the Champions League qualifying stage ahead of cross-town rivals Liverpool. One of his best efforts came via a low angled volley against local rivals Liverpool, in a match Everton lost 2-1.^[6]

Before the 2005-06 season Cahill's contract at Everton was extended with a salary increase reflecting the impact he had made at the club.^[7] The third round of that season's FA Cup drew Cahill's former club, Millwall against Everton at The New Den. He scored the winner in the replay at Goodison Park, but chose not to celebrate his winning goal, stating, "They gave me my big break, it would have been like kicking them in the teeth."^[8]

In October 2006, Cahill was named as one of 50 nominees for the Ballon D'Or. He was the first Everton player in 18 years to be nominated and was also the only player on the list from the Asian Football Confederation or from Oceania. A month later he was out of action for 8 weeks with a knee injury sustained by colliding with teammate Lee Carsley in a home game against Aston Villa on 11 November. Cahill returned on 14 January 2007, in place of the suspended Mikel Arteta, in the 1-1 home draw against Reading. However, Cahill sustained a second serious injury of 2006-07, breaking his 5th left metatarsal in a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United, on 3 March 2007, which ended his season. On 29 June 2007 he signed a contract extension at Everton that will see him stay at the club until 2012.

Cahill returned from injury partway through the 2007-08 season in the club's first UEFA Cup Group match, a home match against Greek side Larissa on 25 October 2007. He scored from a diving header after 14 minutes and playing a major part in Everton's second goal, scored by Leon Osman. Everton subsequently won the game 3-1.^[9] He scored yet another vital goal on 31 October when he grabbed an extra time winner for Everton to beat Luton Town 1-0 in the Football League Cup, to send Everton into their first cup Quarter Final in over 5 years. In the league Cahill scored a spectacular bicycle kick against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to earn a 1-1 draw for Everton in the dying minutes of the match, and twice in a 7-1 victory over Sunderland.

Cahill is popular with the Everton fans and they chant his name to the tune of "Tom Hark", by Elias and His Zig Zag Jive Flutes. They have also given him the nickname "Tiny Tim" after the Charles Dickens character due to being quite short and slim.^[10] He has made a corner flag goal celebration his trademark. The celebration, where Cahill pretends to trade punches with the corner flag while putting the Everton badge between his teeth (showing his devotion to the club), was first seen in the 2005-2006 season. It was inspired by Melbourne Victory player Archie Thompson who performs a similar routine whenever he scores.^[11] On 2 March 2008, Cahill celebrated his goal in the 3-1 home defeat of Portsmouth by crossing his wrists as if he had been handcuffed. This was in reference to the recent jailing of his brother, Sean, for GBH. The potentially controversial action was defended by Everton, though Cahill has since apologised, but The FA has thus far refused to comment on the incident.^[12] His 100th league appearance for Everton came in the 1-0 victory over Sunderland after which Cahill mentioned Duncan Ferguson and Alan Stubbs as the two biggest influences on his Everton career.^[13] It is a testament to Cahill's importance to Everton that the club often try to wrap him in cotton wool to avoid injuries, especially when playing for Australia.^[14] On the 14th of September he made a return to the scoresheet with a header against Stoke City.

Cahill scored his second goal of the season in a 2-2 draw at Hull in which he shot against the top of the bar and over the line, creating a bit of controversy with Hull City manager Phil Brown calling for his team to be awarded the 3 points. Cahill's next match, the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, saw him sent off in 80th minute for a late tackle on Xabi Alonso in a 2-0 loss. On September 30th, a subsequent appeal to have the red card rescinded was rejected.

On November 25 2008, Cahill announced that he may be leaving at the end of the 2011/12 season to goback and finish his playing career in his homeland, A-League.^[15]

International career

Cahill warming up before a World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Brisbane.

The midfielder only made his debut for the Australian national team in 2004, as a result of his having played for Samoa at Under-20 level at the age of 14. In 2002 Cahill expressed desire to play for Mick McCarthy's Republic of Ireland 2002 World Cup team, and even considered taking legal action against FIFA for the association's refusal to allow his change of nationality.^[16] His Australia debut was in a friendly against South Africa on 30 June 2004 at Loftus Road, London.^[17] He participated at the 2004 Olympic Games. Tim was named Oceania Footballer of the Year for 2004, joining Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton, Christian Karembeu and Mark Bosnich among some of the past winners of the award, which has existed since 1988. On 16 November 2005 at Sydney's Telstra Stadium, Cahill played a full game as the Socceroos defeated Uruguay and qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Cahill is commonly referred to as "the super-sub" after two World Cup goals coming off the bench against Japan, and after saving Australia from an embarrassing defeat against Oman in their 2007 Asian Cup opener with a stoppage-time goal. On Wednesday 6 February 2008, Cahill scored in a 3-0 defeat of Qatar at the Telstra Dome, Melbourne, to kickstart Australia's 2010 World Cup Qualifying campaign.
He scored another goal against Qatar in the 4th round of 2010 World Cup Qualifications, at Lang Park in Brisbane. The Socceroos won 4-0. After this game former Australian coach Rale Rasic described Cahill as the best Australian footballer he had seen in his lifetime.^[18]

World Cup 2006

After Japan led 1-0 for the majority of the game through a controversial Shunsuke Nakamura goal, Cahill, who was a second half substitute for Mark Bresciano, scored Australia's first ever world cup goal to bring Australia level in the 84th minute. He slotted home a low swivelled drive after a long throw had caused confusion in the penalty box. However, moments later, with Australia driving forward, Cahill curled in a second goal from outside the box in the 89th minute to put the Socceroos in the lead, hitting both posts in the process, before beating Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. John Aloisi capped off the victory with a goal in the 92nd minute off an assist from Cahill. This made Cahill the first Australian to score in a World Cup Finals game, the scorer of Australia's second ever World Cup Finals goal, and thus the scorer of Australia's first brace. He is also Australia's first Man of the Match at a World Cup.^[19]

Cahill also played in the Brazil game, which was lost 2-0,^[20] and the Croatia game, which was drawn 2-2^[21] ensuring a place in the 2nd round. Cahill played the entire match when Australia faced eventual winners Italy, but his team was eliminated by a very controversial late penalty kick.^[22]

Asian Cup 2007

In the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, Cahill only appeared as a substitute as he was recovering from an injury. He agitated through the Australian press for a starting berth but failed to secure one. He provided 3 assists in the last 3 goals in Australia's 4-0 win in their crucial last group match against Thailand. In the quarter-final against Japan, Cahill featured as a substitute for Mark Bresciano (the other substitutes used in the match being Harry Kewell and Nick Carle). Australia lost that match (1-1 at full time and after extra time) through a penalty shootout and were eliminated from the Asian Cup.

Career stats

==Honours/Achievementsfirst Man Of The Match at the World Cup Finals.

• First Australian to score at the Asian Cup Finals.
• Nominated for the 2006 Ballon D'Or.
• Oceania footballer of the year 2004.

Soccer Academies

Cahill will become involved with two football academies in 2009, one based in Wollongong, Australia in partnership with Wollongong Police and Community Youth Club^[23] and another in partnership with 'Elite Sporting Academy' in Dubai^[24]. He is heavily involved with the Unicef children's charity.^[25]

References

External links

• Tim Cahill FIFA competition record
• Tim Cahill career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile at official Everton site
• Profile at ESPNSoccernet.com
• Yahoo World Cup Profile

Australia squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Muscat • 3 Moore • 4 Neill • 5 Vidmar • 6 Popovic • 7 Emerton • 8 Skoko • 9 Viduka • 10 Cahill • 11 Chipperfield • 12 Petkovic • 13 Wilkshire • 14 Colosimo • 15 Aloisi • 16 Zdrilic • 17 McKain • 18 Kalac • 19 Čulina • 20 Miličević • 21 Elrich • 22 Thompson • 23 Sterjovski • Coach: Farina

Australia squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Neill • 3 Moore • 4 Cahill • 5 Culina • 6 Popovic • 7 Emerton • 8 Skoko • 9 Viduka • 10 Kewell • 11 Lazaridis • 12 Covic • 13 Grella • 14 Chipperfield • 15 Aloisi • 16 Beauchamp • 17 Thompson • 18 Kalac • 19 Kennedy • 20 Wilkshire • 21 Sterjovski • 22 Milligan • 23 Bresciano • Coach: Hiddink

Australia squad – 2007 AFC Asian Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Neill • 3 Kisnorbo • 4 Cahill • 5 Čulina • 6 Beauchamp • 7 Emerton • 8 Wilkshire • 9 Viduka • 10 Kewell • 11 Thompson • 12 Jones • 13 Grella • 14 Holman • 15 Aloisi • 16 Thwaite • 17 Valeri • 18 Petkovic • 19 Carle • 20 Burns • 21 Sterjovski • 22 Milligan • 23 Bresciano • Coach: Arnold