World cup 2010 news

Australia coach Pim Verbeek has announced an expanded provisional squad of 31 for South Africa with injury-hit star forward Harry Kewell included.

After the euphoria of making the last 16 at World Cup 2006, Australia are back for another go. Luckily they’ve got most of the same squad as last time around. Whether you think them being four years older is a positive or negative is up to you.

The move to the Asian confederation may have done Australia some good though. That, coupled with what looks like a decent bid to host a World Cup in 2018 or 2022 should have Australia thinking of itself as a more established nation than in 2006. Which is theoretically a good thing.

Not so good was the draw, which set Australia up to face Germany, Ghana and Serbia in Group D. No gimmes. So the odds are possibly against the Socceroos, but Pim Verbeek’s men are more than capable of getting a result in any of those games.

Nickname: Socceroos.

FIFA World Ranking as of April 28th 2010: #20

Group D Matches:
Australia vs Germany – June 13th, 7:30pm, Durban
Australia vs Ghana – June 19th, 3pm, Rustenburg
Australia vs Serbia – June 23rd, 7:30pm, Nelspruit
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Coach: There are several knocks against Dutchman Pim Verbeek, who took over in 2007. First is that he’s basically Guus Hiddink-lite (Hiddink having successfully got Australia to the Second Round at World Cup 2006). Second is that he’s a little disloyal, having ditched South Korea after just a year in charge in order to take the Australia job. Third is that he asks his team to play more defensively than many Australians are happy with.

Despite the knocks, the one basic fact in Verbeek’s favour is that he qualified Australia for World Cup 2010, finishing top of Group A in the Fourth Round of Asian qualifying. But more on that later. The other thing in Verbeek’s favour: He made a promise that if Australia qualified he would sing national anthem Advance Australia Fair live one television. Pim was as good as his word:

Key Players: Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer provides a rock at the back, while captain Lucas Neill brings the facial hair and tough tackles. But the undisputed key player is Tim Cahill. The 30 year old Everton attacking midfielder is where the goals come from, arriving late in the box or inexplicably winning headers a 5′10″ midfielder shouldn’t be winning. But he’s more than just a goalscorer. Cahill’s a technically sound player who will create chances and keep the midfield ticking.

A more creative but less reliable key player comes in the oft-injured shape of Harry Kewell. Now 31 and playing for Galatasaray, Kewell has plenty of tricks up his sleeve (down his socks?) and can play either wide left, or as a sort of second striker. Kewell’s been out for a few months with a groin injury, but recently made his return to the Galatasaray first team. If he’s fit, he’ll contribute some class going forward. If not, he won’t.

However, what Australia really needs is a striker. Mark Viduka retired from Socceroo duty in 2007, and a suitable striker replacement has not yet been found. Either gigantic 6′4″ forward Josh Kennedy of J-League team Grampus, or not so gigantic 5′8″ Scott McDonald (once of Celtic, now of Middlesbrough), or maybe even someone we’re not yet familiar with, is going to have to step up and score some goals. Because Tim Cahill can’t do it all. Or at least he probably can’t.

Player with best YouTube video: Tim Cahill’s goals for Everton (and subsequent corner flag punching celebration) are certainly worth a watch:

Player with best name: This hadn’t occurred to me before today, but Harry Kewell’s real name is Harold Kewell. Which instantly ages him another 40 years. However, if uncapped Klmarniock attacker Danny Invincible somehow makes the Socceroos World Cup squad, he instantly becomes the winner in this category.

Player with best nickname: Best I could do was “Tiny Tim”, which is apparently what Everton fans call Tim Cahill. Are there any better ones out there that Australia fans know about?

Qualification: Now this is interesting. After years of trouncing Oceania opposition and then being faced with a difficult playoff to qualify for the World Cup, Australia finally upped sticks and moved to Asia in 2007. A gamble for sure, because though Asia had 4.5 World Cup berths to Oceania’s 0.5, it’s a much more competitive region.

Yet Australia sailed through. In the fourth and final round of qualifying – that is, the one that really counts – the Socceroos went unbeaten and finished top of Group A, above Japan.

Interesting: This will be Australia’s first World Cup as an Asian nation. Yet the country remains in exactly the same location as 2006. Just saying.

National Anthem: “Advance Australia Fair”. A slightly more tuneful version than the Pim Verbeek effort above:

Kit: Australia will be sporting this rather unique home jersey.


- Find your Australia World Cup 2010 jersey in our store.

World Cup History:


Read the full article: Australia World Cup history.

Expectations: Group D is tough, and Australia knows it. Getting out of this group and matching the achievements of 2006 with a place in the last 16 would be considered a success. Putting up a good fight and finishing third would obviously not be so successful, but might be acceptable.

Squad: TBA.

Blog: Kieran, Luka and Vlado are tracking the Socceroos on Australia World Cup Blog.

- More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.

We’ve been trying our best to profile each of the 32 teams that will compete at World Cup 2010, but our knowledge about each team is miniscule (or at least mine is anyway) when compared to that of our team bloggers.

If you’re unfamiliar with World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you’re reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams. The authors of these team blogs have forgotten more about their sides than I’ll ever know, so I decided to tap that knowledge by asking each of them a set of 10 questions.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be publishing the answers from our team bloggers and sharing their expert knowledge and opinions here on the front page. Today it’s the turn of Kieran, Luka and Vlado from Australia World Cup Blog. Read on to learn why the Socceroos could be sticking their Oar in come June, and why even one of Tim Cahill’s fingernails is more valuable than Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi.

1. Who is Australia’s best player?

Kieran: Without a doubt Tim Cahill. Links our midfield with our rather lacking attack and scores half of our goals. After the comeback against Japan in 2006, Cahill has been an Australian legend. A few very good seasons with Everton have cemented his place as our best player, and Serbia, Ghana and Germany should be scared.
Luka: “Cahill. Cahillll. Tim Cahiiiilll!. Tim Cahill has done it again!!!!!”

I will never forget this. The man is simply a living legend. I wouldn’t trade one of his fingernails for Cristiano Ronaldo or that Argentine troll.
Vlado: Undoubtedly, Tim Cahill. Whether it’s for Everton or Australia, he’s the guy that come come through with the goods when the team needs it the most.

2. What do you think of your coach?

Kieran: Pim Verbeek is a figure who divides opinion in Australian football. Some see him as a quality coach, continuing on Hiddink’s good work. Others think he is utterly useless, plays too defensively and they will be more than happy to see him leave after the World Cup. My view? Somewhere in the middle. He is definitely not as good a coach as the mighty Guus, but Verbeek must be applauded for coming to Australia and sticking it out, and ultimately we have qualified for the WC and Asian Cup.
Luka: Verbeek is results-driven and a successful pragmatist. Misunderstood by those who misunderstand the ins and outs of international football. Looks like Goldmember.
Vlado: Pim? He’s no Guus, but he’s infinitely better than Frank Farina, but despite his preference for playing somewhat conservative tactics, he managed to get us through quite comfortably, so we really shouldn’t complain.

3. What do you think of Australia’s World Cup 2010 kits?

Kieran: Originally wasn’t a fan, but they have grown on me. Will have to see how they look in the games, but so far I’m not going to be buying one and burning it.
Luka: Our home kit hasn’t been released yet! As for our away kit, it grows on you. Kind of like a pimple.
Vlado: Only seen the away kit to date, and god are they disgusting! Here’s hoping that the home strip isn’t as hopelessly designed. Something closer to the last World Cup’s jersey would be good, but I’m not holding my breathe on that one.

4. What is Australia’s biggest strength?

Kieran: Our midfield. Verbeek normally plays 5 in the middle, with two holding and three creating the chances. In the attacking department we have Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano, Harry Kewell, Brett Holman, Brett Emerton etc, all capable players who can score some goals. Behind them we have the likes of Carl Valeri, Vince Grella, Jason Culina, who will be looking after our back four and passing forward to Cahill and co.
Luka: Ambition and self-belief. We set our goals high, and genuinely believe we are capable of achieving them. We do not settle for mediocrity. For example, we were very disappointed to have been eliminated in the second round of the 2006 World Cup (in only our second ever World Cup) by Italy, and the disappointment did not abate after our conniving nemeses eventually became champions. This just reinforced the belief that we could compete with the best notwithstanding our shortcomings in quality.
Vlado: Greatest strength is the opponents won’t be expecting much from us. Germany, Serbia and Ghana are all great teams and I can see them all underestimating uour abilities.

5. …and biggest weakness?

Kieran: Goals, or more accurately the lack of goals from the strikers. Scott McDonald has not been able to replicate his club form at international level, and Josh Kennedy is well…tall. While Kennedy may be a good striker, he doesn’t provide the goals needed against high class opposition, so unless Scott McDonald starts banging them in, Kewell, Cahill and Bresciano will be busy in the midfield.
Luka: We can be a little one-dimensional at times and certainly lack the technical brilliance on and off the ball to break down an organised defence.
Vlado: We lack someone up front. Viduka drew two or more players to him last time, giving more room for our great midfield to do their thing, but they won’t have that luxury this time.

6. If you could steal one player from any other World Cup 2010 team, then who would it be and why?

Kieran: Without a doubt David Villa. In my opinion the best striker in the world, and would solve our attacking problems (sorry Jesus Kennedy, you’re good, but not as good as Villa).
Luka: Wayne Rooney. Well, firstly, we haven’t got a decent striker at the moment so a world class one like Rooney would just be splendid wouldn’t it? He would fit nicely into our 4-2-3-1 playing system as he has continuously stated how much he prefers playing the lone striker’s role. Torres would do nicely too.
Vlado: Messi… really, is there anyone else?

7. Tell us one thing about your team that the rest of the world might not know…

Kieran: Tommy Oar. After a great season for Brisbane Roar in the A-League, Oar has moved to FC Utrecht where he will be hoping Verbeek might cast an eye in his direction. While a real youngster, and unlikely to make the World Cup squad, could he be the bolter for the squad that makes a difference come June?
Luka: Richard Porta was born in the same suburb in Sydney, Australia as yours truly, but moved to Uruguay with his family when he was only a year old. In 2007 he finished top scorer in the Uruguayan Apertura with 19 goals in 15 matches as a striker for Montevideo, and made the move to Siena in 2008 (though is now back on loan in Uruguay). He has yet to make an appearance for either Australia or Uruguay, but at 24 years of age still has a potential international football career in front of him.
Vlado: Tommy Oar will come on as a sub and impress all and get snapped up by a big European club.

8. What would you consider success/failure for your team at World Cup 2010?

Kieran: Making it out of the group will definitely be a success, while anything less will probably be judged as a failure. Ultimately going better than last WC (round of 16) will be rather difficult, but I think we can do it! Also, while not progressing may be seen as a failure, given the tough group Australia has been placed in solid results will still make be happy. But no, we’re making it to the final!
Luka: It depends on the situation and the teams we face after the group stages, should we get that far. Personally I am just glad that we have qualified for successive world cups for the first time. Getting out of the group stages again I think is a must to satisfy the generally fickle Australian public, and progression after that will depend on who we end up playing. 2006 was considered successful (though still disappointing) because we were knocked out by eventual champions Italy. If we had lost to say Switzerland or the Ukraine, then it would have been considered a failure. We are on course to meet England in the second round, which would just be so epic that only a right hammering by the Poms would be considered a failure overall given the attention that would surely be generated.
Vlado: Given the strength of the group, making it past the group stage would have to be considered a success.

9. What are you most excited about at World Cup 2010?

Kieran: Other than the obvious, seeing if Australia can somehow manage to better our amazing performance of last World Cup, probably to see if South Africa can pull it off and host a great World Cup. I certainly hope so!
Luka: Watching as many games live either in the city or my local club with close friends and thousands of like-minded individuals at un-Godly hours of the night, and drinking until things no longer make sense. And girls wearing revealing supporter gear.
Vlado: Quality football for a whole month, shown on Australian free-to-air… for a whole month.

10. Who do you think will win World Cup 2010?

Kieran: Spain. Villa, Torres, Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Mata. Need I say more? Any country that has a goalkeeper playing for Barcelona, in the form of his life, and probably won’t get into the squad, is rather good. And with Villa up top, no doubt about it.
Luka: The team that cheats most effectively.
Vlado: Spain… finally.

More from the Kieran, Luka and Vlado at the Australia blog.