Soceroos united

| June 8th, 2010

That moving moment ... Josh Kennedy, right, with Tim Cahill as they pay tribute to Brad Jones with Cahill cradling his arms. Photo: Toby Zerna

NOBODY quite understood the significance at first. It seemed just another one of those countless post-goal celebrations. The ball hit the back of the net and Socceroo Tim Cahill turned and cupped his arms, as if to cradle a baby.

Across the field, nobody understood why Luke Wilkshire gestured towards the sky, either. Few noticed the subtle difference in the players coming together and, not high-fiving as they usually do when goals are celebrated, but embracing.

Nobody knew, because at the time nobody knew that Brad Jones already had his bags packed, ready to return to France where his four-year-old son Luca had just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Yet Cahill's cradle for a sick son might be the moment that galvanised this team.

The Socceroos stand united, brought together by extreme sorrow.

Jones, 28, is in St Tropez with his family to deal with his son's illness. In Johannesburg, the Socceroos are setting about the business of finding some meaning in something that has no meaning, and to them that means beating Germany in Monday morning's World Cup opener.

"We're here for him," said Harry Kewell.

"We consider ourselves a family," said team captain Lucas Neill, "and therefore the news that we heard was as an extended part of the family, and it was devastating."

"It's not been the easiest time," said Mark Schwarzer. "Everyone understands it's a bit of a shock, but we pull together and, even though Brad's not with us at the moment, he's in our thoughts."

The Australians were told, as a team, by Neill at the team hotel on Saturday morning.

By then, Jones had received confirmation of the bad news he received the day before and he was beginning to pack for France where Luca was with his mum, Jones's ex-wife Julie.

The news devastated the players so much some cried. It is, after all, just a small boy who is seriously ill.

"It was amazing just how hard it hit everybody," said Neill. "It makes you appreciate just how good it can be one day and how bad it can be the next. It makes football completely irrelevant, even a World Cup," "

In a strong sign of solidarity the players have vowed not to talk about what happened, or what was said, in that room.

"That's a thing that's done in-house, that's between us," said Schwarzer.

The silence provides its own strength.

The only clue came from coach Pim Verbeek.

"What Brad did tell us," he said, "and told the players, 'Keep on going, and do what you have to do'."
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/06/08/225791_gold-coast-lead-story.html