Are the Socceroos on a hiding to nothing in Group B? In a word, yes.
Top Man
Little Timmy Cahill (above left) is still the best known Aussie soccer player but Mile Jedinak (above right) is their most important player. The Marouane Fellaini lookalike had a much better season than his woe begotten doppelgänger, as he drove Crystal Palace from certainties for the drop to mid-table respectability. Even before the arrival of Tony Pulis, he was superb in his defensive midfield role for the Eagles and he will be tasked with a similar job for his national side in Brazil.
He’ll have his hands full with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Van der Vaart, not to mention Chile’s all-out attack, but if anyone can stem what is certain to be one way traffic, it is the rangy Sydney native. Partial to picking up the odd booking, it is imperative he avoids two yellows in the opening two games as facing Spain in the final match without their captain could lead to a right roasting for the Aussies.
Rising Star
Ben Halloran. Keen Bundesliga II observers (we know you are out there) will know the 21-year-old for his stunning end to the season with Fortuna Dusseldorf. The winger banged in six goals over the final half of the season to help Fortuna to sixth place and the speedy youngster could bring some much needed X Factor to the Australian squad.
Did you know?
The Wiggles, the children’s entertainers from Down Under, have recorded a song for the Socceroos.
Put ‘Em Under Pressure it ain’t.
Reasons for Irish fans to support them
Apart from the fact that half of Ireland live there or have lived there? Well with surnames in the provisional 27-man squad including Ryan, McGowan, Milligan, Kennedy and, of course, Cahill, they sound like an Irish team from International Superstar Soccer circa 1998.
If they were a TV series
Picking Home and Away would be too easy, so how about Oz? Apart from the name, the cult prison drama featured an awful lot of late night beatings, much like how Australia’s World Cup will go.
Prediction
Well, Australia are officially the worst team in the World Cup based on the official Fifa rankings (59) and they have been stuck in a group with three genuinely classy sides. If they are to have any chance they need to beat Chile in their opener but we just can’t see it happening. Conceding six goals to Brazil, six to France and four to Ecuador in three of their last five games doesn’t bode well and even if they have changed manager since the drubbings to Brazil and France (tough gig for Ange Postecoglou (centre, main pic) Australia are set to be the whipping boys of this group, and maybe of the entire tournament.
Tournament odds with Ladbrokes: 1500/1
