Tag: Andrew Redmayne

Australia qualified for the World Cup by subbing in a dancing goalkeeper for penalties

The dancing worked!

It’s difficult to imagine a more nerve-racking way to qualify for a World Cup than a penalty shootout in the intercontinental play-off. You have two teams that just traveled across the world to Qatar and one was going to head home on the longest, saddest flight imaginable.

That team happened to be Peru.

Peru and Australia met on Monday in Qatar at Al Rayyan Stadium with the winner advancing to Group D of the World Cup. The match needed to go beyond 120 minutes to decide the winner, but it was a bold strategic move from Australia coach Graham Arnold that had the soccer world buzzing.

Late in extra time, Arnold subbed in backup goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne to take over during penalties. The 33-year-old from the Australian league was in there for one reason and one reason only: Distract Peru with dance moves.

And it worked! Redmayne flailed around the goal, shuffling and kicking out his legs just to throw off the focus of the Peru players. A miss on the Peru’s sixth attempt was enough to clinch Australia’s trip to the World Cup.

You have to feel so bad for Peru there. It’s the worst way to miss out on a World Cup by far, but the soccer world could not get enough of Redmayne. He stole the show.

Australia and its meme-generating dancing goalkeeper are going to the World Cup

Don’t just beat them, entertain them too!

Australian goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne became a national hero and instant meme on Monday, as his flailing dance moves on the line during a shootout against Peru helped his country reach the World Cup.

Redmayne was brought on in the 120th minute of a scoreless match as the World Cup intercontinental playoff inevitably lurched toward a shootout to determine a spot in Qatar.

We’ve seen goalkeepers subbed on as penalty specialists before but the interesting thing about Redmayne is that … he isn’t even that good at saving penalties?

No matter! Because what Redmayne lacks in penalty saving skills, he makes up for with comical dance moves designed to delight, distract, intimidate and entertain.

Prior to every Peru penalty, Redmayne hopped back and forth across the goal line, flailing his arms and kicking his feet from side to side, apparently convinced that his opponents wouldn’t be able to handle how ridiculous he looked.

And he was kind of right! Redmayne saved two penalties, including a final stop in sudden death from Alex Valera, sending Australia to the World Cup.