Timothy Filiga CahillAO (Samoan:[fiˈli.ŋa];/ˈkeɪhɪl/; born 6 December 1979) is an Australian former professionalsoccer player who played as anattacking midfielder but also played as astriker on many occasions. A box-to-box midfielder, Cahill became recognised for "his aggressive and powerful approach and his ability to head the ball in thepenalty area".[3] Cahill has scored 50 goals in 108 caps between 2004 and 2018 and is regarded as one of the greatest Australian soccer players of all time.[4][5][6][7] He currently works as a pundit forBBC Sport andSky Sports.
Cahill was the first Australian to score at aFIFA World Cup, scored in three World Cups (2006,2010, and2014) and has scored the most goals by any Australian in the men's World Cup with five goals.[8] In 2007, he became the first Australian player to score at anAFC Asian Cup. Cahill is known for his adept heading ability and highvertical leap, having scored many of his goals with his head. He is famous for his regulargoal celebration of shadow boxing around the corner flag.[9][10]
Cahill was born on 6 December 1979 inSydney, Australia.[11][12][13] He is the third child out of four children, with an older brother, Sean, an older sister, Dorothy, and a younger brother,Chris.[14] His father, Tim Cahill Sr, is of English and Irish descent and worked as a merchant seaman before settling in Australia, where he worked as a rigger and trawler.[15][16] Cahill's mother, Sisifo, primarily has Samoan ancestry and was born in the small village ofTufuiopa, Apia, where his grandfather and great-grandfather held chief positions.[12][17][18] His mother took on two jobs as a hotel employee and a factory worker to support the family financially after his father suffered a hip injury and was unable to work. Their financial position meant that Cahill and his family had to move frequently due to rent increases.[19]
Growing up in a soccer-loving family, Cahill developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his brothers, Sean and Chris, and watchingPremier League matches on TV with his father, who is aWest Ham United fan from his upbringing inLondon.[20] However, during the holidays, Cahill frequently visited family in Australia and Samoa where he playedrugby with his cousins, includingFrank Winterstein andBen Roberts, both of whom became professional rugby players.[note 1][12][17] His father took him and his brothers, Sean and Chris, to soccer training in a local park every week, where Cahill developed a discipline and a perfectionist personality over time.[15][24] Though his biggest influence came from his maternal grandmother, Asofa, who taught him the Samoan culture and beliefs of discipline, hard work, and perseverance – something Cahill would carry throughout his life.[17] At the age of seven, Cahill started participating in private coaching underJohn Doyle, a retired Irish-Australian footballer, who he considered played a pivotal role in transforming his game.[25]
As a junior player since the age of four, Cahill had played for Balmain Police Tigers, Marrickville Red Devil, and Lakemba SC.[12] He had always played in an older age group due to his older brother who was a year older; playing together meant his parents would spend less on petrol.[26] He also played futsal with his friends, creating a team named Banshee Knights, who his father named, after drawing inspiration from the Celtic legend's banshee screams.[27] In his school years, Cahill enrolled in Bexley North Public School, Annandale North Public School,Tempe High School, andKingsgrove North High School.[note 2] During these years, he has represented the public school select team, Metropolitan East before representing the NSW PSSA team, which went on to win the school tournament.[31] Measuring up to 1.65m in high school, teachers doubted Cahill's dream, saying he could not become a professional soccer player due to his small stature which he later said was the best thing he was ever told, saying, "To the people who said I couldn't do it, I say thank you."[32][33]
Cahill joined NSL clubSydney Olympic, a club heavily influenced by theirGreek ancestry, inBelmore.[34] He began in their youth ranks and also became a ball boy for the first-team games, which fuelled his aspiration to play for the club's senior team.[35] After spending five years at Sydney Olympic, where he embraced the Greek culture and even learned someGreek, Cahill was released by the club in the same year after failing to pass the annual trial, as a coach believed he was too small and slow.[36] Disheartened by the setback, he joined theNSW Institute of Sport inLidcombe to improve his speed and physicality. The same year, he joined Belmore Hercules, a club that played three divisions down from Sydney Olympic.[37] Cahill impressed in the under-18 team, resulting in him being promoted to the first team. Cahill became the youngest player at the age of 15 to ever play for the club, making his senior debut as a substitute and scoring his first goal with a header. By the end of the season, he emerged as the club's top goalscorer across the under-18, under-21, and senior squads, netting a total of 30 goals.[38] Cahill then joinedSydney United, another club influenced by theirCroatian heritage similar to Sydney Olympic's Greek origins. He became part of their under-21 team, where he received significant playing time under manager Phil Pavela.[39] He eventually made his senior debut as a substitute atSt George Stadium on 22 March 1997, in a 0–0 league draw againstSt George.[40]
As the Cahill family had relatives in England, Cahill's parents offered him an opportunity to move to England to pursue his soccer career after his father phonedAllen Batsford, a talent scout from Nottingham Forest, for trials. After much thought, he accepted and his parents took out a $10,000 loan in order to pay for his trip.[41] The loan made his family nearly broke and in debt, forcing his older brother to stop playing soccer and pull out of school to work full-time as a mechanic to repay the debt.[42][43] Cahill arrived in England in late-1997, meeting his relatives, Glen and Lindsey Stanley, and their kids.[44]
He was part of the Millwall side that won theFootball League Second Division championship with a club record 93 points in the2000–01 season. He also reached two play-off semi-finals with Millwall in2000 and2002. Cahill was a central part of Millwall's run to the2004 FA Cup Final, their first appearance in the showpiece in club history, scoring the winning goal in the semi-final againstSunderland, and securing aUEFA Cup place in the process. Cahill polled over 100,000 votes to win the FA Cup "Player of the Round" award for his performance during the semi-final victory.[46] His last game for the club was againstManchester United in the final, which Millwall lost 3–0. Cahill made 249 overall appearances forThe Lions, scoring 56 goals in the process.[47]
Before the start of the2004–05 season, Cahill was transferred toEverton for a fee of £1.5 million,[48] after Millwall'sSouth East London rivalsCrystal Palace ended their transfer bid over a payment to Cahill's agents.[49] In his first season, he was Everton's top goalscorer[50] and was the fans' Player of the Season.[50] Before the2005–06 season Cahill's contract at Everton was extended with a salary increase reflecting the impact he had made at the club.[51] The third round of that season'sFA Cup drew Cahill's former club, Millwall against Everton atThe Den. He scored the winner in the replay atGoodison Park, but chose not to celebrate his winning goal, stating, "I decided not to go mad and just pay my respects to the club that gave me my start in the game. To celebrate would have been a kick in the teeth, it is all about respect."[52]
In October 2006, Cahill was named as one of 50 nominees for theBallon d'Or, becoming the first Everton player in 18 years to be nominated,[53] and the only player on the list from anAFC nation. He missed much of the 2006–07 season with injuries to his knee and foot, but signed a five-year contract extension at the season's end.[54]
Cahill returned from injury partway through the 2007–08 season in the club's firstUEFA Cup Group match, a home match against Greek sideAEL on 25 October 2007, scoring from a diving header after 14 minutes in a 3–1 win.[55] His extra time winner againstLuton Town on 31 October in theLeague Cup, sent Everton into their first cup quarter-final in more than 5 years. His 100th league appearance for Everton came in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland.[56] Due to injuries to all four of Everton's senior strikers Cahill was employed as a makeshift forward during December 2008. In this role he scored a late equaliser in theMerseyside Derby,[57] becoming the first player sinceDixie Dean to score for Everton in threeAnfield derbies.[58] His 100th career goal was scored againstArsenal atGoodison on 28 January 2009.[59]
On 15 February, Cahill scored the third goal in a 3–1 win overAston Villa and dedicated the goal to the victims of the2009 Victorian bushfires.[60] During the second half of the 2008–09 season, Cahill was used more as the "utility man" due to his versatility as Everton was plagued by injuries to playmakerMikel Arteta as well as strikersVictor Anichebe andYakubu and some other key players.[61]
Owing toPhil Neville sustaining a knee ligament injury early in the 2009–10 season, Cahill was named as the replacementcaptain of Everton. Later in the season he scored his 50th goal for Everton, in a 3–1 victory overCarlisle United in the Third Round of the FA Cup.[62]
Everton fans gave him the nickname "Tiny Tim" after theCharles Dickenscharacter because he is slightly short and slim.[63] He has made a corner flaggoal celebration his "trademark". The celebration, where Cahill pretends to trade punches with the corner flag while putting the Everton badge between his teeth, was first seen in the2005–06 season. On 2 March 2008, Cahill controversially celebrated his goal in the 3–1 home victory ofPortsmouth by crossing his wrists as if he had been handcuffed. This was in reference to the recent jailing of his brother, Sean; Cahill later apologised for the gesture.[64] Cahill dedicated his winning goal in aEuropa League game againstBATE Borisov to the victims of theearthquake and tsunami in Samoa, miming rowing a canoe after scoring in the second half of the match in Belarus.[65]
Cahill scored two goals againstAston Villa on 14 April 2010, both coming from headers to move his goal tally for the season to nine goals, all coming from his head.[66] Three days later againstBlackburn Rovers, Cahill scored a 90th-minute winner, to give Everton a 3–2 victory.[67]
Cahill made his 200th appearance for Everton on 25 April 2010 in a 2–1 against Fulham, and signed a new four-year contract the following month.[68] He scored his fifth goal in aMerseyside derby, in a 2–0 win over Liverpool in October 2010,[69] and his 50th Premier League goal a month later, in a game againstBlackpool.[70] The Aussie received a foot injury during the2011 Asia Cup finals which limited his appearances until the end of the season to only nine – eight league games and one in the FA Cup.
Following his participation in the 2011 Asian Cup, Cahill had the longest goal drought in his career. He scored his last league goal in December 2010 away to Manchester City and went the whole of 2011 without finding the net.[71][72] The run stretched to 34 games, but was finally ended when he scored the opening goal, a tap in from close range, in a 1–1 draw with Blackburn in January 2012.[73]
On 13 May 2012, during Everton's last match againstNewcastle United at Goodison Park, Cahill was sent off for violent conduct after the full-time whistle for an altercation withYohan Cabaye.[74] After eight years with Everton, Cahill thanked the club and fans saying, "I want to thank everyone at Everton, from the club to tremendous supporters. It has been a privilege to be an Everton player for the past eight years and it was a very difficult decision to leave. I will always support Everton and I wish the club the best of luck in the future."[75]
On 26 July 2012, Cahill signed for theNew York Red Bulls ofMajor League Soccer as aDesignated Player, for a fee reported to be approximately £1 million.[76][77] He made his MLS debut in a game against theHouston Dynamo the following month. On 19 May 2013 Cahill scored a goal which turned out to be the winner in the 91st minute against theLos Angeles Galaxy in a 1–0 win.[78]On 20 October 2013, Cahill set a new record (broken in 2015 byMike Grella) for the fastest goal in MLS history when he scored eight seconds into a 3–0 win against theHouston Dynamo.[79] Cahill replaced suspended forwardBradley Wright-Phillips in the second leg of the Red Bulls'MLS Cup semi-final against theNew England Revolution on 29 November 2014. Despite Cahill opening the scoring in the 26th minute to level the tie, the Red Bulls bowed out with a 2–2 draw in Massachusetts, losing 4–3 on aggregate.[80] On 2 February 2015, Cahill left New York Red Bulls by mutual agreement.[81][82]
On 16 February 2016, Cahill announced on social media that he had terminated his contract with Shanghai by mutual agreement upon being told that he was not part of new coachGregorio Manzano's plans for the2016 Chinese Super League season.[85][86][87]
On 22 February 2016, it was reported that Cahill signed withChinese Super League clubHangzhou Greentown.[88][89] On 6 March 2016, Cahill scored a penalty on his Hangzhou Greentown debut in a 2–1 win againstChangchun Yatai.[90] Cahill decided to come back to Australia for his family in the summer of 2016. On 14 July 2016, he had his contract terminated by mutual consent.[91]
On 11 August 2016, Cahill signed a three-year contract withA-League clubMelbourne City, with the plan to play the first two years and then take on a coaching role for the third year.[92][93][94] Cahill made his debut in theFFA Cup on 24 August as a 64th-minute substitute againstBrisbane Strikers.[95] In his second game for Melbourne City, he scored and got an assist in a 4–1 win in the FFA Cup quarter final againstWestern Sydney Wanderers.[96] Cahill made his A-League debut in aMelbourne Derby againstMelbourne Victory on 15 October. He opened the scoring with a spectacular volley into the top corner from 35 metres out after 27 minutes. City won the match 4–1.[97] On 30 November, Cahill scored a trademark header in theFFA Cup Final. The victory over Sydney FC was the club's first piece of silverware.[98]
On 4 February 2017, just as he was preparing to come on as a substitute againstMelbourne Victory FC, Cahill was sent off for using "insulting, offensive, abusive language towards a match official" after he angrily disputed a goal withChris Beath.[99][100] This is the first time in Australian soccer history in which a player was sent off before entering the field of play.[101][102]
On 6 December 2017, Cahill left Melbourne City after not getting enough game time, in a bid for more game time at club level to boost his chances to get selected for the Australian squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup.[103]
He was released by Millwall at the end of the 2017–18 season.[107] Cahill's ten appearances during this spell meant he retired having played one more league game for Millwall than Everton.
On 1 September 2018, Cahill signed withIndian Super League clubJamshedpur.[108] However, he could not make his debut in the first game of the season againstMumbai City due to suspension in the game.[109] He made his debut for the club in the next match, a 2–2 draw againstBengaluru.[110] He scored his first goal for the club in a draw withKerala Blasters,[111] and later scored in a 2–1 win overOdisha.[112] During February 2019, he was sidelined with a finger injury, and missed the rest of the season.
On 28 March 2019, Cahill announced his retirement from football.[113]
"They asked if I would take part, even though I was only 14 at the time and it was an under-20 tournament. I saw it simply as a chance to go on holiday because my grandmother was ill at the time in Samoa. It was a chance to go back and see her on expenses as the Samoans were paying for all my flights, accommodation and living expenses. I could not have cared less about playing for them. It was a men's tournament and I never expected to play."
—Cahill, speaking in 2002, on representing Western Samoa in 1994.[114]
Although born in Sydney, Cahill had lived in Western Samoa for three years before returning to Australia as a child. TheFootball Federation Samoa invited Australia-based Cahill to play for the country at the1994 OFC U-20 Championship. The competition winners would qualify for the1995 FIFA World Youth Championship. Cahill made his debut for the under-20 team at the age of 14.[115][116]
He made his debut for Western Samoa in a 3–0 loss against New Zealand coming on as a substitute. He also played against Vanuatu in another 3–0 defeat.[114] He played alongside his older brother Sean, who was a goalkeeper. His younger brotherChris later went on to captain the country at the top national team level.
In February 2002, Cahill received an offer to play for theRepublic of Ireland at the2002 FIFA World Cup byMick McCarthy, his former manager at Millwall. Cahill has Irish grandparents and McCarthy had hoped that Cahill would be interested.[117] However Cahill was not eligible as he wascap-tied to Samoa.
FIFA changed its eligibility rules in 2003, allowing players capped at junior levels to switch international allegiance, meaning that Cahill was then able to play forEngland,Australia, the Republic of Ireland orSamoa. He chose to represent the country of his birth (Australia), declaring it a "special moment".[118]
Cahill made his competitive debut for Australia at the2004 OFC Nations Cup. Cahill finished the competition as second-highest scorer in the competition with six goals, and was the top scorer in the final round. Australia went on to win the competition for the fourth time in their history. Having won the competition, Australia were drawn against Uruguay in theWorld Cup qualification play-off. Cahill played in the game as Australia beat Uruguay after a penalty shoot out to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in over 30 years.
Cahill helped Australia reach the quarter-final stage of themen's football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He scored his only goal of the competition in a 5–1 win over Serbia. Australia were knocked out of the competition by Iraq following a 1–0 loss. Following his performances in the OFC Nations Cup and Summer Olympics competitions Cahill was namedOceania Footballer of the Year for 2004.
Frank Farina named Cahill in his squad for the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. However the tournament was not a success for the Socceroos as they were eliminated at the group stage in a group that containedArgentina,Germany andTunisia. Tim played in all three games of Socceroos campaign.
Cahill played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and, in Australia's opening group game againstJapan, became the first ever Australian to score a World Cup goal.[121] Scoring a second goal in the same game, he earnedman of the match honours.[122]
Cahill also played in the group game againstBrazil, which Australia lost[123] and a drawn group game againstCroatia.[124] Cahill played the entire "round of 16" match against eventual World Cup winnersItaly, which Australia lost 0–1.[125]
Cahill was on the Australian team which reached the quarter-finals of the2007 AFC Asian Cup. As he was recovering from injury, Cahill was used as a substitute throughout the tournament.[citation needed]
Cahill was instrumental in Australia's qualification for the2010 FIFA World Cup, scoring goals in crucial matches againstQatar andJapan.[126][127] At this time, former Australian coachRale Rasic described Cahill as the best Australian soccer player he had seen in his lifetime.[128]
Despite earlier injury concerns,[129] Cahill played in Australia's opening group game at the2010 FIFA World Cup against Germany where he controversially[130] received a straightred card in the 56th minute,[131] which meant he missed the group match againstGhana in Rustenburg.[132]
Cahill played in the final group match againstSerbia, where he scored in the 69th minute.[133] After the tournament, Cahill had scored a total of three FIFA World Cup goals, which is a national record.
Cahill was named to the 23-man squad for the2011 Asian Cup campaign. The Socceroos made a bright start to the tournament by beatingIndia 4–0, with Cahill scoring twice.[134]
Thefinal was played betweenJapan and Australia which resulted in a 1–0 loss from a 109th minute volley byTadanari Lee.[135]
"It was the best goal of theWorld Cup and it's going to go down in history as one of the most beautifulWorld Cup goals."
—Ronaldo, on Cahill's World Cup goal against the Netherlands on 18 June 2014.[136]
Cahill scored three goals during the2014 World Cup qualifying campaign as Australia reached a third consecutive finals.[137]
On 5 March 2014, in a pre-World Cup friendly match againstEcuador, Cahill became Australia's all-time top goalscorer with 31 goals, scoring twice in a 4–3 loss.[138]
On 18 June, Cahill scored Australia's first goal against the Netherlands in their 3–2 defeat; a strike which has been considered by some experts[who?] as one of the best goals ever scored in a World Cup.[141] Cahill's goal was later nominated for the best World Cup goal in the tournament but fell short to the eventual winnerJames Rodríguez with his goal againstUruguay.[142]
Cahill was selected under managerAnge Postecoglou as part of his squad which competed in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. A campaign in which Australia was the host nation with matches hosted across four cities includingCanberra,Brisbane,Melbourne andNewcastle, Cahill competed well in what became his nation's inaugural Asian Cup title. He scored three goals in the tournament.
Cahill was chosen to start against Jordan in a top-of-the-group clash, in which he notched a brace on 29 March 2016. Cahill scored the winning goal for theSocceroos against theUnited Arab Emirates in a 1–0 away victory. He helped Australia reach theinter-confederation play-offs by scoring two goals, including the winning goal in the second half of extra time (in the 19th minute of extra time) in their 2–1 second leg victory againstSyria (3–2 on aggregate).[143] On 15 November 2017, he started in the 3–1 win overHonduras which saw Australia clinch a spot in the2018 FIFA World Cup.
In May 2018, Cahill was named in the World Cup squad by coachBert van Marwijk and made a single appearance in the tournament, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute of the 2–0 loss againstPeru.[144]
On 16 July 2018, Cahill announced his retirement from international soccer,[145] subsequently overturned with the decision to participate in one final home friendly againstLebanon in November 2018.[146] He retired with 50 goals (a national team record) in 108 games (the second highest, and just three behindMark Schwarzer).[147]
Cahill became involved with two soccer academies in 2009, one based inWollongong, Australia in partnership with WollongongPolice and Community Youth Club,[148] and another in partnership with 'Elite Sporting Academy' inDubai.[149]
In 2010 Cahill married his childhood sweetheart Rebekah Greenfield inLas Vegas, en route to Sydney. The couple have four children,Kyah (son, born 2003),Shae (son, born 26 April 2005), Sienna (daughter, born 2007) and Cruz[151] (son, born 2 September 2012).[152] As of 2015, the Cahills owned homes in Sydney, Florida, New York, Shanghai, and England.[153]
Cahill is heavily involved with theUNICEF children's charity.[154]
Has scored more post-war league goals againstLiverpool than any other Everton player[208]
Has the record for scoring the fastest goal inMLS history. On 20 October 2013, Cahill scored within the first 7 seconds of the game againstHouston Dynamo[209]
^Cahill's aunty and mother of Ben Roberts, Ruby Roberts, is married to Frank Winterstein's uncle, Toa Winterstein.[21][22][23]
^Cahill attended Bexley North Public School until 1991 before moving to Annandale Public School. He returned to theSt George region when he was a teenager, attending Kingsgrove North High School.[28][29][30]
^"This Week in MLS – October 21, 2013". Major League Soccer. 21 October 2013. Archived fromthe original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved1 September 2014.Tim Cahill scored just eight seconds into the Red Bulls' 3–0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Sunday – the fastest goal in MLS history
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