Socceroos!
by Herr Ed
Herr Hippo fancies an outsider to win World Cup 2006. The international tournaments that have taken place in this millennium so far suggest that the big footballing nations no longer monopolise the global stage, and that a certain X-factor is required for success. Greece triumphed at Euro 2004, and South Korea and the USA also performed much better than expected at the last World Cup.
If you’re looking for a team with X-factor then look no further than Australia’s Socceroos. Australia is a great sporting nation and this will underpin the ethic of the side. However, they won’t be faced with excessive pressure, as qualifying for the finals for the first time since 1974 is an achievement in itself. In an era of wall-to-wall club football, players who are not regulars for their employers are also fresher for international tournaments – this is a factor that may have assisted Greece in Euro 2004. Australia may therefore also benefit from having some squad members who have not been jaded by a gruelling domestic season.
With regard to personnel, they’ve got Guus Hiddink in charge; the man who led South Korea to the semi-finals in 2002. Crucially, the Socceroos have got some pretty good players as well: most of the first-team hold down regular places at top flight European sides, and many of these names will be familiar to our English readers. Attacking midfielder Tim Cahill has been Everton’s most important player for the last two seasons and will be quite comfortable playing at the highest level. Mark Viduka is a mercurial talent but is still scoring goals for Middlesbrough and could turn it on at the World Cup. Elsewhere in Europe, Jason Culina is a first choice midfielder at PSV Eindhoven, who Hiddink also manages. It is perhaps in central defence that they might struggle: if Newcastle’s Craig Moore is unfit, that leaves Crystal Palace’s out of favour Tony Popovic, and veteran Tony Vidmar as the defensive backbone of the side.
The Socceroos will have a big World Cup 2006. They will have little difficulty progressing past the group stage as, while Brazil will win Group F, Croatia and Japan don’t pose any great threat. With decent on-pitch personnel and the organisational skills of Hiddink, I think they will actually perform better than many of the over-hyped, ego-laden nations of South America and Europe. Herr Hippo confidently predicts that Australia will beat Brazil in the final.
GK Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough)
RB Lucas Neill (Blackburn)
CB Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace)
CB Tony Vidmar (NEC Breda)
LB Scott Chipperfield (FC Basel)
RM Brett Emerton (Blackburn)
CM Tim Cahill (Everton)
CM Mark Bresciano (Parma)
CM Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven)
LM Harry Kewell (Liverpool)
CF Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough)
March 20th, 2006 at 10:13 am
If they’re not starting, I hope there’s places on the bench for Leicester’s finest Australian imports, Steve Corica and current AC Milan keeper, Zeljko ‘Spider’ Kalac.
I can picture a Schwarzer injury in the first game and ‘Spider’ being the rock on which an impregnable defence is based around. However, the inability to conceive will be of no help to Australia as they concede 4 to a rampant Brazilian side and another 2 to a Croatian side looking to secure second place in the group.
March 20th, 2006 at 11:04 am
Australia are rubbish. I’d put their odds at 199 to 1 at best.
March 20th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Craig Moore was back on the bench for Newcastle at the weekend and with Boumsong now suspended he should get a game. This will go some way to addressing Australia’s possible weakness at the centre of defence, making them even more of a certainty to win the World Cup!
I would also like to highlight that whilst I state positive comments above about Tim Cahill, in no way do I endorse his stupid ’spar with the corner-flag’ goal celebration routine.
March 20th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I think the key question in whethjer they do well is whether Australia benefit from the kind of ‘interesting’ refereing that enabled S. Korea to storm the last tournament.
Oh yeah and Harry Kewell is rubbish.
March 20th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Herr Ed,
I will not have a bad word said about Cahill. He’s dynamite that lad.
My outside tip is Mexico, and Pique was the best mascot ever.
March 21st, 2006 at 9:03 am
Is Helger offering to ‘keep book’ for the World Cup? What odds on Ivory Coast making it to the second stage please?
March 21st, 2006 at 1:46 pm
I’ll give odds of 17 billion to 16 billion (*) for the Ivory coast to reach the second round. As a special once in a lifetime offer, this becomes 17 trillion to 16 trillion (**) if you can correctly predict the Ivory Coast’s top scorer in the group stages.
(*) No winnings will be paid out.
(**) Winnings will not be paid out.
March 21st, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Odds (*) and (**) are identical. (1.0625 or 17/16) and offer rather poor value for money. The current Betfair market has Ivory Coast at 3.55s to qualify from “El Grupo del Muerte”
March 21st, 2006 at 2:35 pm
Sorry, there was a typo in my last message, I think you’ll agree that the new odds are much better than Betfair are offering. My comment should have read…
“I’ll give odds of 17 lions to 16 lions (*) for the Ivory coast to reach the second round. As a special once in a lifetime offer, this becomes 17 Lion bars to 16 Lion Bars (**) if you can correctly predict the Ivory Coast’s top scorer in the group stages.
(*) Due to the EU’s severe restrictions on the trade of dangerous wild animals, only one lion is allowed per household.
(**) Wrappers only - Lion bars will be eaten by bookie.”
March 21st, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Helger, what price would you give me for Ghana to go all the way to the final, only to loose to Togo on penalties?
March 21st, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Tempting offers there, but William Hill have a special offer where if an English commentator or pundit mentions how the new ball is really light and not like the heavy balls of olden days, they refund all losing ‘To Qualify From Group’ bets made in lions, lion bars or any other big cat related paraphenalia.
Looks like there’s just no room in big business for the little guy trying to make a living offering lion based bets in these modern times.
March 23rd, 2006 at 3:50 pm
Can I have 50p on Croatia?
March 24th, 2006 at 10:37 am
No Wes. 53p minimum bet.
March 25th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Fair enough. I’ll use tenbobminimumbet.co.pl instead.