Appearances: 2 appearances (Last appearance was is 2006)
Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 31): 19
Captain: Lucas Neill (Center Back)
Leading Scorer in Qualifying: 2 players with 4 goals.
Brett Emerton (Wingback/Midfielder), Tim Cahill (Midfielder/Striker).
Key Injuries: Patrick Kisnorbo (Midfielder/Defender) - Achilles injury, out for the World Cup.
Key retirements since 2006:
Tony Popvic (Center Back)
Josip Skoko (Midfielder)
Mark Viduka (Striker/Former Captain)
Stan Lazaridis (Left Back)
John Aloisi (Striker)
Zeljko Kalac (Goalkeeper)
Team Overview:
The Socceroos are an enigma. They are currently ranked 19th in the FIFA rankings, ahead of teams like: Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Ghana. They were one of the best defensive teams in World Cup Qualifying by only allowing 4 goals in 14 games. However, much of this can be attributed to the fact that they play in the weakest qualifying league in the world. The second highest ranked team from their qualifying group was Japan, which is ranked 45 in the world.
In the final round of qualifying, they recorded shut-outs in 7 of their 8 games. Despite their ranking and domination of their group, I don't expect Australia to make it very far.
I would expect 37-year-old Mark Schwarzer to be the starter at goalkeeper. He's been one of the best keepers in Aussie history and he has had a surprising record in being able to stop penalty kicks. He's the most experienced player on the team and the Socceroos will need him to use all of it for them to have a chance.
The defense is probably the strongest part of the Australian team. The main cog is captain Lucas Neill, a tough defender and a very good tackler. Joining Neill will be a large group of guys, which includes veterans Scott Chipperfield, Craig Moore and Luke Wilkshire. The loss of Patrick Kisnorbo is a big blow because he was one of their most versatile players. He can play any of the backline positions and the defensive midfield position. It will be tough for Australia to replace him.
Midfield is where Australia's best player does his work. Tim Cahill is one of the greatest goal scorers in Aussie history and always seems to be around the ball when it is near the net. He is usually deployed in the attacking midfield position and he outscores the forwards on the team. He's good with his feet and with his head, so the opposing team should stop Cahill before anyone else.
Brett Emerton is also an important player as the right winger in the midfield. He constantly puts pressure on the defense with his runs and has goal scoring ability as well. The two central midfielders are Vince Grella and Jason Culina. Both are underrated players because absolutely no one knows about them outside of Australia. They are solid midfielders and move the ball around effectively without giving it away. I would also have to kick myself if I didn't mention the midfielder with one of the best names, Danny Invincibile. Not quite invincible, but it's close enough. He doesn't play though, so don't expect to see him on the field.
The two strikers on the team will be Harry Kewell and Archie Thompson. Both are seasoned veterans and among the top goalscorers in Australian history. Thompson is fifth on the list, sitting eight goals behind the leader, who has 29 career goals. Kewell is known for his exceptional dribbling ability and is one of the best shooters on the team.
Player to Watch: Harry Kewell
I think that Kewell will be the difference maker for the Aussies this time around. A lot of the defensive pressure will be on Cahill and he might struggle to make as big a difference as he is used to. Kewell used to be the poster boy of Australian soccer before injuries and the emergence of Cahill took him away from the spotlight. As stated before, Kewell is a great dribbler and they'll need him to exhibit that dribbling ability to put pressure on the opposing teams. Because their group includes some of the best defensive squads in the world in Serbia, Germany and Ghana, the impact that Kewell has on the game will be critical.
Prediction: Knocked out during the group stages
The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.
Match Schedule
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