By Daniel Cherny
The adulation was coming in thick and fast on Twitter. "Japan 2 Cahill 1," one tweeter mused. Others were aiming high. "Life goals: take a selfaimingim_Cahill," another tweeted. "in 100 years Tim cahill's heart will be in a glass box in a museum with some weird interactive display where u can watch the passion flowing," was the tweet that perhaps summed it up best.
The love for Tim Cahill's metronomic goalscoring feats, and fears for what on earth might become of the already struggling Socceroos when he retires, has been palpable since he scored late against the Blue Samurai in Osaka on Tuesday night - his eighth goal for the national side in the 12 months since Ange Postecoglou took over as manager. The rest of the Socceroos combined have four.
Tim Cahill celebrates after scoring a consolation goal late in the game.Credit: Reuters
With that in mind, let's take a look at some other great sporting lone hands:
Brian Lara
Brian Lara was all the West Indies could be proud of.Credit: Reuters
The Trinidadian maestro was West Indian cricket through the back-end of the 1990s through first half of the 2000s. Lara's batting consistency could waver at times, but his 14 centuries, 22 fifties and average of 42 in the 63 Tests lost by the Windies during his 131-match career is testament to his ability to dazzle even when the chips were down.
Gary Ablett
In Gold Coast's first four seasons in the AFL, Gary Ablett has accumulated 97 Brownlow Medal votes. The next best Suns player - Dion Prestia, has 22. Ablett claimed the first three Gold Coast best and fairest awards, and led the 2014 count before his season-ending shoulder injury against Collingwood in round 16 this year. But perhaps his importance to the team could be told by coach Guy McKenna. The finals-bound Suns crashed out of the eight in the final third of the year - winning just one game without their captain - and McKenna was duly sacked.
Vijay Singh
LeBron JamesCredit: AP
If you start typing "famous Fijian" in a Google search, it recommends "famous Fijian artists, famous Fijian quotes," and "famous Fijian musicians." But enter "famous Fijian g", and you only get "famous Fijian golfer." That's because there is only one. The former world number one and two-time major winner is surely one of the great sporting anomalies of all-time.
LeBron James
Lydia Ko of New Zealand.Credit: AP
Like with Ablett, the numbers tell the tale with James. The season before the NBA superstar arrived in Cleveland (the first time), the Cavaliers won 17 games. Their regular season win tallies then went 35, 42, 50, 50, 45, 66, 61. Then he made his nationally televised "decision" to move to Miami. The Heat made the NBA finals every year - winning two championships. In those same four years sans James, the Cavs won 19, 21, 24 and 33 games.
Kaia Kanepi
Think Estonian tennis, and unless you work within the Estonian Tennis Association - and possibly if you do - you think of Kaia Kanepi. The journeywoman has never been a household name in Australia, but with five grand slam quarter-final appearances to her name, she's done a fair bit more than any other Estonian tennis player you've never heard of.
And also:
Nick Riewoldt - An All-Australian in a pitiful 2014 St Kilda team, central to all four of the side's victories.
Jeremy Cameron - An All-Australian with 62 goals in 2013 despite his Giants winning just one game for the year.