Prospects

The Australian team that reached the last 16 under Guus Hiddink in 2006 may have had more in the way of attacking talent, but this Aussie outfit will still feel confident that it can qualify from a tricky Group D and maybe even improve on its efforts of four years ago. A comfortable qualification campaign saw a squad of predominantly European-based players dominate its Asian opponents, as the Socceroos competed in AFC qualifying for the first time - thereby avoiding the Oceania playoff stage and allowing New Zealand the chance to also qualify. The team is set up in a much more orthodox way than it was under Hiddink, with manager Pim Verbeek tending to prefer either a 4-4-2 system or a 4-5-1 formation, with Tim Cahill supporting the lone forward. Joshua Kennedy and Brett Holman allow the likes of Cahill and Harry Kewell the opportunity to get on the ball in dangerous areas, where their quality proved too much for the Asian teams and is likely to cause many of the world’s best some problems. Brett Emerton and Mark Bersciano combine to form a strong midfield partnership, while Scott Chipperfield and Lucas Neill lead an experienced defense in front of Mark Schwarzer. Australia’s big-name players will need to be at their best in South Africa to lead Verbeek’s side out of a tricky group, and while Germany’s defensive weaknesses may offer an opportunity for an upset in the opening game, Ghana’s strong midfield and Serbia’s all-around game will be a strong test of the Socceroos’s quality.

History

Australia has appeared at the World Cup just twice. Its debut came in 1974, when the team was all amateurs and was far from embarrassed despite a first-round exit. Its latest World Cup, at Germany in 2006, proved a success with Australia finishing second in its group behind Brazil and ahead of Croatia and Japan. It took a penalty deep into injury time for Italy to overcome the Socceroos in the second round and continue its run to the crown.