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Preview: The sports crazed country will be making its first appearance in the World
Cup since 1972, and they had to go through
Uruguay
to get here.
Australia's group seeding is particularly difficult however, as it's stuck with
the number 1, 12 and 14 teams in the tournament. The squad will also have
to improve on the form they showed in the Confederations Cup, where they failed
to win a single match.
Many of Australia's players play in the English Premiership, including Mark
Viduka, Harry Kewell, Mark Schwarzer, and also Tim Cahill who is questionable for the
tournament. Outscoring their opponents 21-3, the Aussies had a dominant
qualifying run, which could provide some much needed momentum heading into the
World Cup.
Result: Australia fielded perhaps one of it's best squads ever in
2006. They played relatively well in their loss to Brazil,
seized second place in Group
F, and lost to
Italy in the first round on a bad penalty in the final moments of
regulation.
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