Watch: Red Bulls star Tim Cahill becomes Australia's all-time leading scorer

Tim Cahill became Australia's all-time leading scorer on Wednesday with the first of his two goals against Ecuador. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images) Tim Cahill

Liviu Bird | Mar 5, 2014

Watch: Red Bulls star Tim Cahill becomes Australia's all-time leading scorer /

Tim Cahill became Australia's all-time leading scorer on Wednesday with the first of his two goals against Ecuador. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)

Tim Cahill only needed eight minutes at a stadium he used to call home to break Australia's goalscoring record on Wednesday. He headed home a corner kick — could it be any other way? — after it pinballed off three other heads in Ecuador's penalty area.

The friendly took place at The Den in London, where Cahill began his professional career with Millwall in 1998 and played for six years before moving to Everton. The early goal was his 30th in an Australia shirt, putting him one ahead of Damian Mori.

Cahill would score his 31st, and his second of the game, in the 32nd minute against Ecuador before being substituted in the 67th. The fans in attendance gave the New York Red Bulls midfielder a standing ovation as he made his way off the pitch. Ecuador wound up rallying for a 4-3 triumph after Cahill departed.

Watch Cahill's record-breaking goal (and SI Now interview with Grant Wahl) below:

Published Mar 5, 2014

LIVIU BIRD

Liviu Bird is a soccer analyst with more than 20 years of experience in the game. He learned how to play in the streets of Romania before moving to the soccer wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska, escaping to play collegiately as a goalkeeper at Highline Community College and Seattle Pacific University, where he also earned his B.A. in journalism. Bird played semiprofessionally and had tryouts at professional clubs but hung up his gloves in 2012 to focus on writing and coaching at the youth and collegiate levels. He joined Sports Illustrated in March 2013 as a freelance contributor and has also written for NBC Sports, Soccer Wire, The New York Times, American Soccer Now and the Telegraph (UK).