History in the World Cup
The Socceroos are another team making their fifth appearance in this tournament. They have been knocked out in the Group Stage in 3 out of their 4 previous appearances. They made it ou t of the groups in Germany '06 before going out under controversial circumstances to a Totti penalty.
Current Form
Australia's form over the last eighteen months makes dismal reading. Played 13, won 4, drawn 5 and lost 4. In their defense, they've played some of the better teams in the world and have put in some spirited performances. In case you didn't know, spirited performances alone will never be enough. Can they kick on and bring the results that their performances deserve?
Squad (Probables)
Manager: Bert van Marwijk
Goalkeepers: Matt Ryan. Brad Jones, Danny Vukovic
Defenders: Trent Sainsbury, Aziz Behich, Milos Degenek, Josh Risdon, Matthew Jurmon, James Meredith, Fran Kracic
Midfielder: Mile Jedinak, Mark Milligan, James Troisi, Tom Rogic, Massimo Luongo, Aaron Mooy, Jackson Irvine, Joshua Brilliante, Dimitri Petratos, Daniel Arzani
Forwards: Tim Cahill, Robbie Kruse, Matthew Leckie, Tomi Juric, Nikita Rukavytsya, Andrew Nabbout
Danger Man
The driving force of this Australian team will be Aaron Mooy. The dynamic midfielder is coming off a great season for Huddersfield town where he made 36 appearances registering 4 goals and 4 assists. He's also created a respectable 51 chances, is passing at 79% and makes about 3 defensive actions a game. His all-round ability in the middle is crucial to Aussie hopes.
Current Rankings
FIFA : Current - 40
Highest - 14
ELO : Current - 40
Highest - 9
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