Packed pubs and skiving school: Australian fans nurse pints over laptops to cheer on Socceroos

They used to say Australia came to a standstill for a horse race. On Friday afternoon, the race that stopped the nation was the Socceroos’ battle to claim a win – or a draw – against Paraguay to sail into the knockout phase of the World Cup for the second consecutive time. And in the end, nil all was enough.

Pubs in major cities were packed to the brim from Friday morning with football fans donned in gold and green, some nursing pints with their work laptops.

It was the first time in history a Socceroos World Cup game was being played entirely within Aest working hours, and small business owners Jamie Hayman and his brother, Rick Hayman, were among revellers at the Golden Barley in Sydney’s inner west who wouldn’t let their jobs keep them from getting amongst it.

Rick owns a local construction company and was plugging away at work admin alongside his staff. He said he’d been supporting the Socceroos “forever” but noticed a shift in recent years.

“It unites the community,” he said. “That’s what you notice. Pubs get filled up, there’s all the talk around town, it’s really good to see.”

Alongside them were a group of four old friends, including Nick, who had been sitting in the television’s front row at the Golden Barley since it opened, Guinness in hand.

He was fitted out in an authentic 1974 Socceroos jersey – marking the historic first year the Aussies qualified for a World Cup.

Nick and his partner Robyn miss the age-old tradition for Australians of getting up at ungodly hours to watch the Socceroos play, thanks to punishing time zones.

“We were just saying this morning, we used to wake up in the middle of the night, it used to be really good,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a unique experience. A family experience.”

Down the road at the Vic on the Park pub, hundreds of fans were packed in like sardines, the atmosphere a mixture of jubilation and fear. When the rain came in during the first half, jackets and Socceroos scarves were despairingly thrown over heads and ponchos unfurled from bags.

After a goalless 80 minutes, a few “Aussie, Aussie, Aussies” rang out, accompanied by the howl of a dog in the front bar. As the extra time ticked down, cheers echoed through the pub. A bald man with a stick-on Australian flag tattoo hugged his friends.

Some said they had booked leave as soon as the schedule came out, while others had not planned so far ahead. Sophie and her son Orson, in year 11, were also at the Vic when Australia went down 2-0 to the USA early last Saturday morning. He was ditching school for the last day of term, and she was quietly working away from her phone.

“This is of national importance,” she said, “I really want Oscar to hear a goal in the pub, just to hear us lift.”

Oscar hopes to be a football coach one day, and said Australia was showing it could be a big footballing country.

“Football’s growing,” he said. “It’s been brilliant, so cool to see so many people supposed to be working coming to support their country.”

At Melbourne’s Federation Square, a crowd of 7,500 turned out, Victoria Police estimated. All had arrived hours early to secure a spot, with the square reaching capacity by 10am.

Multiple high-stakes games of flip bottle broke out, complete with tearful cheers when a successful flip was completed. Others loudly boasted about how they “wagged” to be there, or received permission from their parents to miss classes. The national anthem was played to an explosion of seven flares, resulting in the arrest of a 16-year-old.

Occasionally, some unseen force sent a wave of people stumbling. Once the crowd regained their footing, it turned in the masses to the culprit, shouting “wanker” in unison. Three teenagers were issued penalty notices for riotous behaviour and moved on, police said.

Former footballer Craig Foster, who was at Federation Square, said it was a “near perfect game” for Australia.

“The squad depth has been demonstrated,” he said. “They’ve done exactly what was required … Australia is managing well, learning very quickly, and it’s a beautiful day anytime the Socceroos get through to knockout rounds.

“We are here. We’re still in this tournament, and we’re fighting all the way. There’s nothing better in life.”

Teenager Ali Abolhasani and his friend were having a wilder time than Foster, and described falling to the ground and losing their shoes along the Federation Square barricade.

Asked how he was feeling after the game, Abolhasani replied: “Amazing.”

“I can’t wait to come back next week,” he said. “We did an all-nighter, we couldn’t sleep because we knew we’d make it … We’ll do it again.”

In Australia’s capital, World Cup fever had well and truly arrived, even if the small two-screen arrangement at Garema Place was less than ideal for the crowd of more than 500 football fans.

The ACT senator David Pocock made an appearance, telling Guardian Australia it was great to see such a diverse crowd unite behind the national team.

“The Socceroos, as it’s been talked about this week in parliament, represents what is so great about Australia,” he said. “We do have so many people from diverse backgrounds coming together, and you see the way that that resonates across the country.”

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