Australia
Coach: Pim Verbeek
Pim Verbeek is a Dutch football manager who is the current head coach of the Australian national football team.World Cup 2010 Qualifying:
The Socceroos eased into the World Cup without so much as even conceding a goal in the six matches it took them to qualify. A 0-0 draw against Qatar in Doha wrapped things up for Pim Verbeek's team after they picked up 14 points in Group A of the final Asian qualifying phase. On qualifying Pim Verbeek said "The World Cup is a great, great event and I'm already looking forward to going there. We have to go and do it better than last time."Past World Cup Performance:
Australia are a four-time Oceania Football Confederation Champions and have appeared at two World Cup finals tournaments, in 1974 and 2006. The team is currently ranked 16th by FIFA making it the highest FIFA ranked team in Asia and shows their dramatic rise over recent years. Australia topped their group for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, whilst being one of the first nations to qualify for the tournament. At their last World Cup appearance in Germany 2006, Australia were drawn in Group F along with then World Champions Brazil, Croatia and Japan. Playing in their first World Cup for 32 years, the Socceroos came from behind to defeat Japan 3-1, and, despite losing 0-2 to Brazil, a 2-2 draw with Croatia was enough to give the Australians a place in the Round of 16 in a remarkable game where two players were sent-off for second bookings and one for an unbelievable third booking by English referee Graham Poll! As such Australia became the first ever Oceanian team to reach the knockout stages at a World Cup! Australia have been drawn in Group D at World Cup 2010 and will face Germany, Ghana and Serbia.Australia - Key Players
Tim Cahill - Everton - Everton
Harry Kewell - Galatasary
Mark Bresciano - Palermo
