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TEAM PROFILE: Australia
Australia are making their
third straight appearance at
the FIFA World Cup finals,
with the Socceroos securing
their place in Brazil with
victory over Iraq in Sydney
in their final qualifying match
last June.
Ange Postecoglou was named head coach
in October last year following the removal
of Holger Osieck, who was sacked following
back-to-back 6-0 losses against Brazil and
FIFA World Cup Record
Qualified: 1974, 2006, 2010
Best Performance: Round of 16 - 2006
Best Result: 2006 - 3-1 v Japan
Wins: 2 Draws: 3 Losses: 5
France in friendly fixtures last year, and
the former Brisbane Roar coach has made
sweeping changes.
Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer,
Australia’s most capped player, announced
his retirement within hours of Postecoglou’s
appointment while former AFC Player of
the Year Sasa Ognenovski and ex-captain
Lucas Neill were squeezed out of the
squad.
In their place has come a new generation
of players towards whom the Australians
will look for the future, with the FIFA World
Cup the first step along a road that leads
through the finals of the AFC Asian Cup,
which Australia will host in January next year.
Having being drawn in a difficult group
alongside holders Spain, 2010 finalists
the Netherlands and South American
powerhouses Chile, the Socceroos will hope
the experience of Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano
and Mile Jedinak coupled with the youthful
promise of Tommy Oar and Mat Ryan can
ensure a positive outcome in Brazil.
Formation 4-3-3
FW Matthew Leckie
FW Tim Cahill
FW Tommy Oar
CMF Mile Jedinak
CMF Mark Milligan CMF Mark Bresciano
LB Jason Davidson CB Ryan McGowan CB Matthew Spiranovic RB Ivan Franjic
Mile
Jedinak
Mat
Ryan
entral midfielder
Mile Jedinak goes
Cinto the FIFA World
Cup finals off the back of
an impressive season in
the English Premier League
with Crystal Palace, where
his form was one of the
key reasons the London
club avoided relegation.
Hard working and a tough
tackler, Jedinak came to
prominence during the AFC
Asian Cup in 2011 and
has been a fixture for the
Socceroos since.
G
oalkeeper Mat Ryan
has grown in stature
sine leaving Central
Coast Mariners in early
2013 to join Club Brugge in
Belgium, with his assured
performances between
the posts earning him
the Belgium Pro League
Goalkeeper of the Year
award in his first full season
and a starting berth under
Ange Postecoglou following
the retirement of Mark
Schwarzer.
GK Mat Ryan
Tim
Cahill
eteran striker
Tim Cahill will be
Vappearing at his
third straight FIFA World
Cup and he remains
one of the team’s most
potent threats in attack, with his impressive aerial
ability and talents on the ground. Cahill claimed
Australia’s goal scoring record earlier in the year and
the New York Red Bulls star will be keen to add to his
tally in Brazil.
World Cup Schedule in Group B
June 13 Australia v Chile Cuiaba
June 18 Australia v Netherlands Porto Alegre
June 23 Australia v Spain Curitiba
Squad
Mathew Ryan (Club Bruges, Belgium)
Mitchell Langerak (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United)
Jason Davidson (Heracles Almelo, Netherlands)
Matthew Spiranovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar)
Bailey Wright (Preston North End, England)
Ryan McGowan (Shandong Luneng, China)
Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Korea
Republic)
Oliver Bozanic (Luzern, Switzerland)
Mark Bresciano (Al Gharafa, Qatar)
James Holland (Austria Vienna, Austria)
Mile Jedinak (Crystal Palace, England)
Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory)
Dario Vidosic (Sion, Switzerland)
Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar)
James Troisi (Atalanta, Italy)
Massimo Luongo (Swindon, England)
Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls, United States)
Matthew Leckie (FSV Frankfurt 1899, Germany)
Tommy Oar (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Ben Halloran (Fortuna Duesseldorf, Germany)
Adam Taggart (Newcastle Jets)
AFC QUARTERLY 33