Clearly the Socceroos have acquired a taste for the World Cup. This summer they’ll be playing their fourth tournament in a row. It’s all the more significant considering it’s their fifth overall.
But Australia didn’t have an easy ride in the qualification stages. After losing top spot to Saudi Arabia, the Australians had to take on Syria and Honduras in the playoffs. They narrowly won, with Mile Jedinak scoring a marvelous hat-trick against Honduras that was enough to grant them a ticket to the World Cup.
A few very experienced players, such as captain Tim Cahill, could help Australia to some surprisingly good performances. But favorites in their group, they certainly are not.
– Star players: Tim Cahill, Mile Jedinak, Aaron Mooy
– FootballCoin stars:
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town A.F.C.) 10,114.92 seasonal points (Pro), 3,411.00 points (Easy)
– Coach: Bert van Marwijk
– Group: C
– Group fixtures:
Sat June 16: France – Australia, Kazan, 11am
Thu June 21: Denmark – Australia, Samara, 4pm
Tue June 26: Australia – Peru, Sochi, 3pm
– Prediction: Australia are considered one of the weaker teams taking part in the World Cup. However, don’t let the odds fool you. The Socceroos can play a highly physical game that may cause to even the best opponents trouble.
As explained by PlayAmo Australia representative, the Australians are expected to leave the tournament after the first round, but given their extensive experience, they’re unlikely to embarrass themselves while taking part in the competition.
– Squad:
Goalkeepers: Brad Jones (Feyenoord), Mat Ryan (Brighton & Hove Albion), Danny Vukovic (KRC Genk);
Defenders: Aziz Behich (Bursaspor), Milos Degenek (Yokohama F. Marinos), Matthew Jurman (Suwon Samsung Blue Wings), James Meredith (Millwall), Josh Risdon (Western Sydney), Trent Sainsbury (Grasshopper Zurich)
Midfielders: Jackson Irvine (Hull City), Mile Jedinak (Aston Villa), Robbie Kruse (VfL Bochum), Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers), Mark Milligan (Al Ahli), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town), Tom Rogic (Celtic)
Forwards: Daniel Arzani (Melbourne City), Tim Cahill (Millwall), Tomi Juric (Luzern), Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin), Jamie Maclaren (Hibernian), Andrew Nabbout (Urawa Red Diamonds), Dimitri Petratos (Newcastle Jets)
– World Cup history: 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
