Coach Pim Verbeek has named his squad for the 2010 World cup with very few surprises. 14 of the squad that did Australia proud in 2006 are there with a couple of new younger faces such as 18 year old former Brisbane Roar winger Tommy Oar. But while the backbone of the team looks good on paper with Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell all picked do they really have what it takes to reproduce the form of four years ago.
There is no doubt that the side has done well to even gain a spot in South Africa having navigated it’s way through a tough Asian qualifying section. Trips to the likes of Bahrain and Iraq are always tough but lets be honest they are games that we would expect to come out on top in and facing these teams is nothing to facing the likes of Germany, Spain or a rampant England.
The truth is that the Socceroo’s are an aging side and barr Tim Cahill they have no world class talent. Mark Viduka has retired, Lucas Neill is not performing at the same level that saw become one of the most dominant centre backs in the English Premier League, while Harry Kewell at 31 is past his peak and will probably start the tournament just 70% fit. And as for the young talent coming through, well there isn’t any. Tommy Oar is raw and could be one for the future but I am afraid that this World Cup Campaign is going to be something of an embarrassment.
Despite my pessimistic view on the Socceroos hopes there are some good bets involving them that you should get on to. As I have already said Tim Cahill is the Aussies superstar and with his ability to get in to the box and score goals he must be a shoe in to finish as his countries top goal scorer. Sportsbet are offering $4.00 for him to do so, odds that are too good to miss out on in my opinion.
I feel that we could get something out of the Germans, yes the Germans. We will be up for the first game, Kewell will be well rested and out to prove his fitness and we could just catch them cold making $3.55 at Centrebet for a draw worth a punt. But going up against the likes of Germany, Serbia and Ghana the most likely result is that they wont even pick up a point. So go to Centrebet now and take them up on their free bet offer with odds of $7.75 you can’t lose.
There were many raised eyebrows within the Australian football world when relative unknown Pim Verbeek was handed the job as Socceroos coach. Many of us were looking for another big name to replace the one and only Gus Hiddink who guided The Roos to the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany. It didn’t seem to matter that Hiddink had recommend his fellow Dutchman to succeed him, or that Verbeek came to the job with a wealth of experience from coaching all over the world. We wanted a Sven Goran Erikson or Roy Keane and that was that. How wrong we were. Pim Verbeek has guided his side to the brink of qualification to the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. It is the first time the Socceroos have tried to qualify for the tournament through the tough Asian system and they find themselves top of their group yet to conceded a goal. This is thanks mainly to the astute tactical brain of Verbeek who has been able to take his side (Mostly without the big guns playing in Europe) to far flung parts of the world and get results. Verbeek is the on the verge of going down in Socceroo history as an outright legend, but he still has work to do yet.
The Socceroos have just three games remaining in their qualifying campaign. The first will be played in Doha on 6th of June against Qatar. The Aussies smashed Qatar 4-0 when they met in October 2008. Pim Verbeek had his full squad available at the time and it paid off as Everton star TimCahill scored early to settle any nerves. Brett Emerton was the man of the match though scoring twice before Josh Kennedy finished of a Hapless Qatar side. The Socceroos will be expecting to win once again, but with playing in Doha it may not be as one sided as the game in Brisbane, even with Cahill and the likes expected to make the trip.
Even so I am predicting the Socceroos will overcome any travel sickness and get a comfortable 2-0 win. Tim Cahill first goal scorer again?. Go to Betfair for your free $50 bet.
After the trip to Doha The Soceroos come back to the mother land to play two games, one against Bahrain and the other against second placed Japan. Australia will roll over Bahrain in Sydney on June 10th making the game against Japan in Melbourne a week later vital. This top of the table clash will decide who finishes top of the group and gets seeded for the finals in 2010. When the two sides met earlier in the group Australia put in a backs to the wall type display to scrape a 0-0 draw. But with the home crowd behind them and Harry Kewell looking injury free and back to something like his best I feel that The Socceroos will get up for this one and win comfortably 3-0.
Get your free $50 bet on the game at Betfair
Coach Pim Verbeek has named his squad for the 2010 World cup with very few surprises. 14 of the squad that did Australia proud in 2006 are there with a couple of new younger faces such as 18 year old former Brisbane Roar winger Tommy Oar. But while the backbone of the team looks good on paper with Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell all picked do they really have what it takes to reproduce the form of four years ago.