Soccer's cruellest moments reveal its bravest players

I’ll never forget the noise the ball made when it hit the post.

Our captain, Kevin Muscat, stepped up in the 2010 A-League grand final by scoring 19 penalties in a row.

But then, he hit the post with a loud ping and there was no way back from there.

I’ve never watched that shootout again. I couldn’t even tell you who else missed, but there were others.

I didn’t take a penalty that night and losing such a big match on penalties is something that’s hard to let go.

You work so hard to be in those positions but in sport, your ‘goal’ is always to be in the big dance with the opportunity to have a crack. And there’s no bigger dance than the FIFA World Cup.

Penalty kicks are such a cruel way to lose and people only remember who missed.

Last week I spoke about my first World Cup memory when Roberto Baggio skied a penalty over the bar as Brazil went on to claim the 1994 final in the US.

I have nothing but admiration for the Socceroos who stepped up for Australia last Saturday morning. It doesn’t get any bigger and the pressure is extraordinary.

We shouldn’t sit here and blame the coach. We shouldn’t sit here and blame the players for letting an 18-year-old step up.

We should sit here and celebrate what they achieved and admire an 18-year-old for having such courage.

We are allowed to be devastated. But trust me, as a player, you feel it a million times more than as a fan.

Football isn’t easy, sport isn’t easy. But Lucas Herrington won’t be a name that’s remembered for missing a penalty at a World Cup as an 18-year-old.

Lucas Herrington will be the next Socceroo captain and a mainstay in our national team for the next 15 years.

You don’t have courage like that and not succeed over time. He should be proud and so should we.

Closer to home, my under-12 Surf Coast FC girls lost a state final on Sunday afternoon on penalties.

There were tears and heartbreak but there was an immense amount of pride, especially for those that had the courage to step up.

No matter the level, they all hurt.

The World Cup knockout rounds are just starting to heat up and there will be more heartbreak for players and fans. There will be more penalty loses and painful defeats.

But without the lows there can’t be the highs and that’s why we love this game so much.

See you on thI’ll never forget the noise the ball made when it hit the post.