| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Ante Covic | Goalkeeper | Hammarby (Sweden) |
| Zeljko Kalac | Goalkeeper | AC Milan (Italy) |
| Mark Schwarzer | Goalkeeper | Middlesbrough (England) |
| Michael Beauchamp | Defender | Central Coast |
| Mark Milligan | Defender | Sydney FC |
| Craig Moore | Defender | Newcastle United (England) |
| Lucas Neill | Defender | Blackburn Rovers (England) |
| Tony Popovic | Defender | Crystal Palace (England) |
| Marco Bresciano | Midfielder | LD Alajuelense |
| Tim Cahill | Midfielder | Everton (England) |
| Scott Chipperfield | Midfielder | FC Basel (Switzerland) |
| Jason Culina | Midfielder | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) |
| Brett Emerton | Midfielder | Blackburn Rovers (England) |
| Vincenzo Grella | Midfielder | Parma (Italy) |
| Stan Lazaridis | Midfielder | unattached |
| Josip Skoko | Midfielder | Wigan Athletic (England) |
| Mile Sterjovski | Midfielder | FC Basel (Switzerland) |
| Luke Wilkshire | Midfielder | Bristol City (England) |
| John Aloisi | Forward | Alaves (Spain) |
| Josh Kennedy | Forward | Dynamo Dresden (Germany) |
| Harry Kewell | Forward | Liverpool (England) |
| Archie Thompson | Forward | PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands) |
| Mark Viduka | Forward | Middlesbrough (England) |
| Head Coach: | Guus Hiddink | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Dutch coach Guus Hiddink, renowned for his attacking approach to the game, has ditched the conventional 4-4-2 scheme that Australia used under previous coaches and instituted a typically Dutch 3-4-3 formation. The trio of fullbacks routinely push forward to the halfway line, giving opposing teams little room to create - although it does leave Australia vulnerable to the counter-attack. The two outside midfielders, Brett Emerton and Scott Chipperfield, like to venture forward and make overlapping runs down the flanks, linking up with the two wingers, Harry Kewell and Archie Thompson. Australia doesn't use the counter-attack, and instead plays a possession game with Marco Bresciano and Tim Cahill taking care of things in the centre of midfield, holding onto the ball before distributing it to an open attacker. Kewell and Thompson play out wide on the front line with Mark Viduka serving as the team's lone striker. The two wingers are called on to make probing runs down the flanks before cutting inside to the penalty area. Viduka is a classic penalty-area poacher and he relies on service from the wings and from the two central midfielders.
Probable starting formation (3-4-3): (GK) Mark Schwarzer - (D) Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Tony Popovic - (M) Scott Chipperfield, Marco Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton - (F) Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Archie Thompson
Strengths:
Attacking speed - Australia is one of the quickest teams competing at
the World Cup. Players such as winger Harry Kewell and midfielder Tim Cahill
take advantage of their speed to make direct runs in the offensive zone, and
forward Mark Viduka can get on the end of any pass you feed him with his acceleration
and pace. Slow-footed defenders beware!
Coaching - Guus Hiddink, who led the Netherlands to the World Cup semifinals
in 1998 and South Korea to the final four in 2002, is one of the best coaches
in international soccer. Australia was a team in chaos when Frank Farina stepped
down after the team failed to win a game at the 2005 Confederations Cup. Hiddink
took over on a short-term contract last July and quickly whipped the team
into shape. Few coaches get more out of their players than Hiddink.
Midfield core - Australia is very solid in midfield with the quartet
of Scott Chipperfield, Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Brad Emerton. All four
are strong battlers who can hold onto the ball, maintain possession and build
something from it. All four are just as effective breaking up the attack and
taking key players out of the game with their tight marking skills.
Weaknesses:
International experience - Australia last qualified for the World Cup
in 1974. All three teams in its group (Brazil, Croatia and Japan) have competed
at the past two World Cups, and have much more big-tournament experience than
Australia - the Aussies have a hard enough time organizing and staging a few
exhibition games a year and getting full roster of players to show up.
Untested in qualifying - Aside from beating Uruguay in the decisive
two-game playoff, Australia played a bunch of nobodies in the qualifying round.
Tahiti, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Zealand and Solomon Islands are hardly the calibre
of teams that you can learn anything from and Australia's easy path means
they aren't 'match-ready' for the big boys in Germany.
Untested defence - Australia's defence has rarely been tested at the
highest level against quality opponents. Under Hiddink, Australia plays with
only three defenders and that poses a major problem. You can get away with
using only three at the back against Solomon Islands, but Australia will be
tested like never before against world class forwards in Germany.
Players to watch:
Tim Cahill: Australia's leading scorer in the qualifiers with seven goals,
Cahill has enjoyed tremendous success the last two seasons with Everton in
the English Premiership. An effective attacking midfielder who has good aerial
skills and demonstrates tremendous poise on the field. He can pry open defences
with his speed and direct runs toward goal.
Mark Schwarzer: A talented goalkeeper and an integral part of the national
team. Schwarzer is the picture of confidence between the posts, making athletic
saves look easy and organizing his defenders in front of him. His speciality
is saving penalty shots, something he does almost effortlessly. Helped English
club Middlesbrough reach the finals of the UEFA Cup this year.
Mark Bresciano: An underrated midfielder who has enjoyed an outstanding
stint with Parma in Serie A, Italy's first division, the past three years.
One of Australia's most talented players, Bresciano combines goal-scoring
ability with playmaking finesse and has shown a knack for scoring important
goals. Bresciano is also very versatile: He can play anywhere in midfield
or as a forward.
Key injuries/squad omissions: Defender Tony Vidmar was not named to the team because recent medical tests revealed an irregular heartbeat. Influential midfielder Tim Cahill made the team even tho ugh there are concerns about his injured knee. Winger Harry Kewell, another important player, is suffering from a groin injury and, like Cahill, his fitness is being questioned. If both players are not at 100 per cent, Australia will suffer. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was picked after recovering from a broken cheekbone. Forward Josh Kennedy was a surprise pick as he has yet to play a game for Australia. Two other surprise selections were defender Mark Milligan, another player who hasn't played for Australia, and defender Michael Beauchamp, who made his national team debut in February. Striker John Aloisi is shaking off a minor foot injury.
Prognosis: You have to admire Australia's go-for-broke style, and the fact that it has Gus Hiddink pulling the strings from the sidelines bodes very well for the Aussies. After more than three decades away from the World Cup, Australia is hungry and anxious to take on some of the best teams in international soccer and prove it can hold its own. Its lack of international experience and the fact it plays so few games against nations with any kind of reputation hurts them. Will the Aussies be able to overcome these shortcomings? If anyone can inspire them to do so, Hiddink can. First place is out of the question, but Australia just might be able to sneak into second place ahead of Croatia. If it does, that's where its journey will end, as an appearance in the quarter-finals isn't in the cards. In all likelihood, Australia will be battling Japan for third place.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #42
1st round matches:
June 12 vs. Japan in Kaiserslautern
June 18 vs. Brazil in Munich
June 22 vs. Croatia in Stuttgart
2006 qualification route: Australia finished in first place (13 points)
in the second stage of Oceania qualifying and then defeated the Solomon Islands
in a two-game playoff. Australia then defeated South American qualifier Uruguay
in a two-game playoff.
Qualifying record: 9 games played, 7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss
Goals for: 31 Goals against: 5
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Tim Cahill (7)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
May 29, 2004 - Australia 1, New Zealand 0
May 31, 2004 - Australia 9, Tahiti 0
June 2, 2004 - Australia 6, Fiji 1
June 4, 2004 - Vanuatu 0, Australia 3
June 6, 2004 - Solomon Islands 2, Australia 2
Sept. 3, 2004 - Australia 7, Solomon Islands 0
Sept. 6, 2005 - Solomon Islands 1, Australia 2
Nov. 12, 2005 - Uruguay 1, Australia 0
Nov. 16, 2005 - Australia 2, Uruguay 1
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1963
Team nickname: Socceroos
All-time caps leader: Alex Tobin (87)
All-time leading scorer: Damian Mori (29)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 1
All-time record: 3 games played, 0 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses
Goals for: 0 Goals against: 5
World Cup History:
1930 to 1962 - Did not enter
1966 - Did not qualify
1970 - Did not qualify
1974 - First Round
1978 to 2002 - Did not qualify
Biggest defeat: 3-0 vs. West Germany in 1974
Most appearances: several players tied at three matches
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Past Achievements:
Oceania Nations Cup champions: 1980, 1996, 2000, 2004
Greatest Players:
Johnny Warren: Warren was a key figure in the Australian team that qualified
for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. A midfielder who played 62 times for
his country, Warren was known as the face of Australian soccer thanks to his
successful career as a television broadcaster.
Damian Mori: A speedy, goal-poaching forward who is Australia's all-time leading scorer with 29 goals in 45 games from 1992-2002. Mori played his entire pro career in Australia, except for a single season with Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga in 1996-97. Voted Australian player of the year in 1996 and 2003.