The bar erupted when Tim Cahill kicked the equalizer for Australia, then again minutes later when Cahill put Australia ahead. The euphoria was even louder when John Aloisi scored a third in injury time.

"I thought it was all over, I was putting my Socceroos flag away and I was going to slink home," said Adam Taylor, a graphic artist from Sydney. "But now, it's whoa! Go us!"

The game was the first at the World Cup for Australia since 1974, when the Socceroos lost to host West Germany, East Germany and drew 0-0 with Chile in their only other trip to the tournament. They failed to score a goal and were eliminated after the first round.

Soccer has become the latest sporting fad in Australian, where it competes with three other major football codes as well as cricket, swimming, surfing and golf as national obsessions. Many Australian fans only jumped on the bandwagon when Australia qualified for the World Cup by beating Uruguay last November.

Among those who watched from the comfort of their homes were Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley, who said he expected a less than productive day by lawmakers in federal Parliament on Tuesday.

Employers were expecting workers to be less productive Tuesday after late night celebrations _ if they turned up at all. The Telegraph cited a survey of businesses that said 75 percent of managers expected 25 percent of their staff might call in sick on days after Australia plays.

Some workers were unrepentant.

"I'm going to make sure I celebrate as hard as I can tonight," Sydney resident Jason Denham was quoted as saying in the Telegraph. "It's my duty as an Australian."