GERMANY: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Australia are preparing for their World Cup showdown with Italy on Monday

Record ID: 335530

  • Title: GERMANY: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Australia are preparing for their World Cup showdown with Italy on Monday
  • Date: 25th October 2005
  • Summary: OEHRINGEN, GERMANY (JUNE 25, 2006)(REUTERS) AUSTRALIA COACH GUUS HIDDINK WALKS IN TO PRESS CONFERENCE SHOT FROM BEHIND HIDDINK SOUNDBITE (English) GUUS HIDDINK, AUSTRALIA COACH, SAYING: "We have a beautiful task ahead in which there is no surprise of course, they (Italy) are 100 percent favourites for this round but we hope to manage to oppose them as good as we can, as lo
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2005 12:00
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  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA59PB0GEUCDTMLFURVQYMVL0CF
  • Story Text: Australia coach Guus Hiddink, who was in charge of the South Korea side that knocked Italy out of the last World Cup, said on Sunday (June 25) that his players were under no illusions about the magnitude of the task facing them.
    Australia have already exceeded almost everyone's expectations by making it to the second round but Hiddink said they need to be fully committed against the Italians to have any chance of beating them.
    "We have a beautiful task ahead in which there is no surprise of course, they are 100 percent favourites for this round," the Dutchman said.
    "We hope to oppose them as well as we can, for as long as we can," said Hiddink. "We're looking forward to seeing what's going to happen."
    Defender Lucas Neil conceded that the Italians were more experienced than his own team but said the Socceroos relish the role of underdogs.
    "Nobody expects us to beat Italy, so yet again we look forward to going into the game as underdogs, with an Italian team full of experience, full of talent and a team that is expected to win," Neill said. "It's very much a David versus Goliath match but we will give them the best game we possibly can."
    Team captain Mark Viduka warned: "They play a defensive type of game, but you can never write off the Italians, they're always up there in every World Cup."
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