Australia: World Cup 2014 Team Preview
Australia
Best Ever Finish: Last 16 (2006)
LIKELY AUSTRALIA XI FOR 2014 WORLD CUP
Captain: TBC
Manager: Ange Postecoglou
Australia failed to convince during qualifying, winning just three games in total.
Following a 6-0 defeat in a friendly to France in October, manager Holger Osieck was sacked and replaced by Ange Postecoglou. It will be curious to see whether this will have a positive or negative effect on the Socceroos when the summer of 2014 comes along, and he has named a squad that has a smattering of both experienced old heads and young talents.
In typical Aussie fashion, they are determined, gritty and hardworking. Sadly though the team has a lack of talented ballplayers so will look to disrupt opposition teams through a physical style and direct style of play.
Mile Jedinak will be key to this, and he was absolutely crucial in Crystal Palace’s late season renaissance under Tony Pulis. He is a player who relishes the physical battle, as does Australia’s joint top scorer of all time Tim Cahill.
Overall, an over reliance on ageing veterans, and the fact that nation’s major goal threats are not playing at an elite, European club level means Australia won’t be progressing past the group stage. Especially when you consider they’ve been drawn in a group with Spain, Holland and Chile.
Key Player – Tim Cahill
The iconic former Everton man is still the player which Australia look to when they need a goal. Like many ageing players, he lacks the speed and agility of days past, but given sufficient space he will still punish opposition with clinical shooting and stunning aerial ability.
Cahill scored the nation’s first ever World Cup goals at Japan in 2006, and he is a talismanic figure for this Australia team. He will be desperate to make an impression in what looks to be his third and final World Cup appearance. If he can inspire the Australians to any kind of positive result from their three games, it’d represent a major achievement for the Socceroos.
Read more at http://worldsoccertalk.com/australia-world-cup-2014-team-preview/#OjxMPAffoF2Ip97I.99
