MARK SCHWARZER - AUSTRALIA

Date of birth: Oct. 6, 1972
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Club: Middlesbrough (England)
Position: Goalkeeper
International debut: July 1993 vs. Canada

One of the best goalkeepers in the English Premiership, Mark Schwarzer hopes to backstop his country to glory in Germany when Australia makes its first appearance at the World Cup in 32 years.

A talented shot-stopper from close range and an integral member of Australia's national team, Schwarzer is the picture of confidence between the posts. He makes athletic saves look remarkably easy and effectively organizes his defenders in front of him.

His speciality is saving penalty shots, something he does effortlessly, and he keeps his team in the game at all times with his outstanding saves.

Schwarzer spent three seasons with Australian club Marconi Stallions before earning a move to Dynamo Dresden of the German second-division. The Australian only made two appearances in 1994-95 and left the club at the end of the season for first-division club Kaiserslautern.

Again, Schwarzer sat on the bench and after two tenuous years in Germany he moved to England when he signed with Bradford City in 1996. He only spent four months with the team before being shipped off to Premiership club Middlesbrough.

It was at Middlesbrough that Schwarzer earned the reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in England. A broken leg limited him to just 10 appearances in his first season as Middlesbrough was relegated, but he came back strong in the 1997-98 campaign by starting 35 games and helped the club win immediate promotion back to the Premiership.

Schwarzer soon became the backbone of the team, his consistent play being a major reason why Middlesbrough avoided relegation and established itself as a solid mid-squad. In 2004, he was superb in the League Cup final against Bolton as Middlesbrough won its first major trophy since its formation in 1876.

His biggest save came in the last match of the 2004-05 Premiership season when he stopped a penalty shot attempt by Manchester City's Robbie Fowler late in the game. The save preserved a 1-1 draw for Middlesbrough, ensuring they finished seventh in the final league standings and earned a berth in the UEFA Cup. Middlesbrough ended up reaching the finals of the tournament, only to lose to Sevilla of Spain.

Schwarzer has also made some huge saves for Australia in the 2006 World Cup qualifying round. In the decisive second playoff game against Uruguay, Schwarzer made two stops in the penalty shootout to lift Australia to victory and send his country back to the World Cup for the first time since 1974.