After a 32-year absence from the world stage, Australia made a strong statement at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, reaching the knockout stage where it took a last-minute goal from eventual champions Italy to eliminate Guus Hiddink's team. The squad, now under another Dutchman, Pim Verbeek, features many of the Germany 2006 personnel and is a battle-hardened and experienced group.
Unlike four years ago when Australia qualified through via the Oceania zone, and finally a dramatic play-off against Uruguay, the preparation for the Socceroos this time is very different following a lengthy campaign across the length and breadth of Asia.
The road to South Africa
The Socceroos impressed in a 14-match Asian qualification campaign overcoming some of the continents best to finish top of Group 1 and be one of the first nations to reach South Africa 2010. Australia also finished top of the previous qualifying stage ahead of Qatar, China and Asian champions Iraq, despite losing matches to the latter two. The next and final stage proved a triumph for Pim Verbeek's tactical acumen as the Socceroos remained undefeated across eight matches, five points clear of Japan, with Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan trailing well behind.
The star players
Undoubtedly Tim Cahill has become a talisman for the national team, with the attacking midfielder recording a remarkable goal return for the national team thanks to an uncanny positional sense and aerial ability. Galatasaray wide-man Harry Kewell provides a source of inspiration on the left, with Brett Emerton playing an equally important role on the opposite flank, while in the centre of the park, the under-rated duo of Vince Grella and Jason Culina are a well-oiled and invaluable engine room. The current side are renowned for their defensive capabilities with central defender Lucas Neill and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer an essential cog as the Socceroos leaked just four goals, including a record run of seven matches without conceding, en route to South Africa.
The coach
After a lengthy apprenticeship under Guus Hiddink, Pim Verbeek stepped out of the shadows to take Korea Republic to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup before assuming the reins of Australia in December 2007 just prior to the commencement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Verbeek has brought a pragmatic approach to the team, built on a thrifty rock-solid defence, but also with capabilities going forward on the flanks. Highly respected by the players, Verbeek has instilled a strong sense of team in what is a highly motivated and focussed unit.
Previous FIFA World Cups
Australia have appeared on the world stage just twice, but are now making up for lost time by claiming a second consecutive qualification. Following a breakthrough showing in 1974, where a team of amateur players were far from embarrassed despite a first-round exit, the sports-mad nation had to wait another 32 years for a return to the FIFA World Cup. The revisit to Germany proved a success with Australia finishing second in their group behind Brazil and ahead of Croatia and Japan. It took a penalty deep into injury-time for Italy to overcome the Socceroos in the Round of 16 and continue their run to the crown.
Records
- Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer claimed a national record as the team maintained a cleansheet for seven consecutive FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- Goalscoring honours in qualifying were shared by Brett Emerton and Tim Cahill with four goals apiece.
What they said
"We have to go there and do it better than last time. I think you have to make targets in life and the players are going to do that also. We want to do better than last time, and we will do everything possible to do that," Australia coach Pim Verbeek.
- Source: Fifa.com
About the National Flag of Australia
Design of the flag
The Australian flag is composed of three parts:
* The Union Jack (British flag) in the top left corner,
* The 'Star of Federation' in the bottom left corner, and
* The Southern Cross, taking up the right half of the flag.
The Union Jack shows that the first colonisation by Europeans was by Britain. In case you didn't know, Australia started as a penal colony. The Star of Federation is a seven pointed star. They came to the number seven, by giving each state (six in all) a point on the star, and having one more point for Australia's territories (of which there are several). There are two mainland territories, and several overseas, including two in Antarctica. The Southern Cross is a constellation that can be seen from all of Australia's states and territories.
Source: Giuseppe Bottasini
How the design was come by
The design of the Australian flag is actually the result of a nationwide competition where participants where required to design a flag based on the competition rules that a Union Jack and Southern Cross be included in the design.
"Thousands of submissions were received, but something very interesting occurred: five of the flags received (no two from areas close to one another) were virtually identical. Not only had the same design been received five times independently from different parts of the country, but it looked good too. The flags differed only in small details (the number of points on the various stars, the size of the Union Jack, etc). The committee looking at the flags eventually decided on a flag that was not exactly the same as any one of the five, but similar to all of them. The prize money was shared between the five contestants. " - Rick Brockway
Location of Australia on the World Map
World Cup 2010 Games where you can see the Australian Team in action:
| Match 7 | 13/06/2010 20:30 | Durban Stadium | Australia vs | Germany |
| Match 24 | 19/06/2010 16:00
| Rustenburg Stadium | Australia vs | Ghana
|
| Match 40 | 23/06/2010 20:30 | Nelspruit Stadium | Australia vs | Serbia |
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
Chile
Côte d'Ivoire
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Honduras
Italy
Japan
Korea DPR
Korea Republic
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Paraguay
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
United States
Uruguay
