Team profile: Australia

1.2204467-4233135908 — Mile Jedinak of Australia reacts after he scored a goal from a penalty with Matthew Lecki during the first round Asian Cup football match between Australia and Kuwait in Melbourn. Image Credit: AFP

Appearances: 4
Best finish: Round of 16 in 2006
Manager: Bert van Marwijk
Star player: Mile Jedinak

In the continental play-off Ange Postecoglou’s men managed to scrape past Syria with an extra-time winner by their veteran star Tim Cahill.

Then against Concacaf representatives Honduras they won 3-1 at home after a 0-0 draw away, and qualified for the World Cup for the fifth time.

However, immediately after the match against Honduras, coach Postecoglou quit citing the toll the qualifying campaign had taken on him. Postecoglou was appointed Australia manager back in 2013, and also led the Socceroos to the 2014 World Cup. The team failed to impress at the tournament, but the next year won the Asian Cup.

Dutchman Bert van Marwijk is their new head coach since January.
Midfielder Mile Jedinak, who scored a match-winning hat-trick in the second leg against the Hondurans, is the man to watch out for. The Australian captain can prove very effective upfront. The 33-year-old has spent most of his career playing in English Premier League and is currently with Aston Villa.

Cahill’s experience is also going to play a huge part if Australia are to progress in the tournament. The 38-year-old had started as a full-back and has spent eight years with them. He recently moved from Australia’s Melbourne to former club Millwall in England’s Championship. He is Australia’s all-time top scorer with 50 goals, and has made more than 100 appearances for the Socceroos. His best in the run up to the World Cup same when he pumped in a double in the crucial return match against Syria. This will be Cahill’s fourth World Cup appearance and he will be keen to make his presence felt.

Other well-known names in the list include that of goalkeeper Mathew Ryan who plays for Brighton, 27-year-old Aaron Mooy of Huddersfield Town and Massimo Luongo who is a part of English Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

Australia first figured in the World Cup way back in 1974 and all members of the squad were based in Australia. They lost all their contest in their debut edition. The Socceroos’ next World Cup appearance was at Germany in 2006 under Dutch head coach Guus Hiddink. They made it to the round of 16 beating Japan 3-1, drawing with Croatia and losing to Brazil. In the round of 16, Hiddink’s team competed well against Italy before going down to a controversial penalty that Francesco Totti converted late in the injury time. In the World Cup in 2010 and 2014 they failed to advance beyond the group stage.