After decades of just missing out in tough playoff qualifiers Australia finally made the breakthrough to the biggest stage in football when they memorably beat Uruguay to book their place in Germany in 2006. That was their first finals appearance since 1974 in West Germany, where they registered just a single point.
Under Guus Hiddink however, the Australians prospered in 2006, making it out of their group second behind Brazil, having beaten Japan and drawn 2-2 with Croatia. In the next round they were up against Italy and with an early dismissal Australia looked comfortable heading into extra time at 0-0. It wasn’t to be though, as deep into injury time Fabio Grosso went down easily in the penalty area and Francesco Totti stepped up to send the eventual champions through.
The Coach
Pim Verbeek (HOL)
54 years old
As an assistant to Guus Hiddink, Verbeek has a good coaching pedigree. He has managed in Holland and more recently in South Korea, vital given his appointment coincided with Australia’s shift into the Asian Football Federation. The Dutchman is a thoughtful coach, pragmatic to a tee and not afraid to play the game his way, often defensively.
What cannot be faulted is his impact or results, having taken Australia to the World Cup at the first time of asking. However, his supposed dismissive and belittling attitude towards the domestic A-League has ostracised him from some local commentators. A failure to get through a group containing Germany, Ghana and Serbia with his much preferred European-based players will certainly see this attitude come back to haunt him. Having already agreed to coach Morocco after this tournament, this will certainly be the defining moment of his tenure.
Players to watch
Mark Schwarzer
37 years old
Goalkeeper
Fulham
He may have experienced misery in the Europa League final but you’d suspect that Mark Schwarzer will only be more eager to prove himself in this tournament. The stable, reliable, undisputed number one has played a lot of football already this season and comes into the tournament in top form. A shot-stopper with a reputation for penalty saving, Schwarzer will be pivotal should Australia get through to the knockout rounds.
Tim Cahill
30 years old
Midfielder
Everton (ENG)
Tim Cahill’s ability to be in the right place at the right time for Australia is unerring. No other midfielder has such potency and his ability from set plays, or arriving late in to the box, will be necessary for Australia to get some goals given their relatively meagre attacking options. Indeed, his 19 goals for the national team are more than all the named strikers combined. Cahill is Australia’s all time top goal-scorer at the World Cup with two and will be hoping to add to that tally this time round.
Harry Kewell
32 years old
Attacker
Galatasaray (TUR)
How important is Harry Kewell to the Australia’s World Cup hopes? To quote Pim Verbeek: "I will take… Harry to the world cup even if he is not fit yet; I will wait until the 12th of June." That being the day before their first match. There really is no one else like him in the Australia set-up and if he is firing on all cylinders like the Kewell of old it will galvanise not only the team, but the whole country.
Tommy Oar
18 years old
Winger
FC Utrecht (BEL)
Oar burst onto the scene in this year’s A-League season, impressing for Brisbane Roar and being snapped up come the season’s end by Dutch outfit FC Utrecht. He may be wet behind the ears, but Oar has pace to burn and a clear appetite for the game that’s drawn inevitable comparisons with a young Kewell.
Australia’s first team includes nine players over 30. Blooding youngsters such as Oar for the future seems like common sense and he’ll be hoping to make the cut when the squad is cut down to 23 on 1st June.
The view from Australia
Michael Cockerill of the Sydney Morning Herald thinks a fully fit first 11 are "good enough to grind their way out of Group D." After all, with the exception of Tim Cahill in for Mark Viduka, it’s the same team that started the last World Cup, and they made it out of the group containing the reigning champions then too. Cautious optimism seems warranted.
Prediction
Australia will have to perform out of their skins to escape this group. With goals at a premium in the side, injury worries, some tired, aging legs and three tough games in succession, they’ll need to time their punches carefully. A good result against Germany could kick-start things well, but should they lose and Ghana win against Serbia their second game could well be do or die. Expect a third placed exit but pride still intact..
Did you know?
Australia hold the record for the biggest victory in an international match. In 2001 they defeated American Samoa 31-0. Archie Thompson scored 13 of them, another record.
Group games
13/06/10: Australia 0 – 4 Germany – Durban
19/06/10: Australia 1 – 1 Ghana – Rustenburg
23/06/10: Australia 2 – 1 Serbia – Nelspruit
