AUSTRALIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa named

Record ID: 555993

  • Title: AUSTRALIA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa named
  • Date: 12th May 2010
  • Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MAY 11, 2010) (REUTERS) AUSTRALIAN COACH PIM VERBEEK WALKS ON STAGE VERBEEK SPEAKING VERBEEK ANNOUNCING TIM CAHILL VERBEEK ANNOUNCES HARRY KEWELL HARRY KEWELL PICTURE DISPLAYED ON PLANE PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN SOCCER COACH, PIM VERBEEK, SAYING: "Tough job because they are playing everywhere and spread out over the world and because you can't see them all you need a good staff. I had a good staff, and I'm here two and a half years so I know my players. It's not that I see a player and think hmmm I've never seen him before. I know them." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN SOCCER COACH, PIM VERBEEK, SAYING: "My expectation is that we can go to the final 16 and we all know we have a tough group, but we all know that the Australian mentality is that they love a challenge, they love to play tough games and that's what I have heard from my players. They know it's tough and they will be prepared and we will do everything possible to be in the final 16 and then we will see what is going to happen." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN PLAYER, TOM OAR SAYING: "Oh very happy obviously. Yeh, didn't really know what to expect so obviously, just looking forward to the experience at the training camp, hopefully working hard and trying to get to that final twenty three." PLAYERS DISPLAYED ON SIDE OF PLANE
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Australia
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA70MBEQR1FN9ADB9FU2YGLD5UT
  • Story Text: Australia coach Pim Verbeek has set a modest goal for the Socceroos at the World Cup finals in South Africa, targeting a spot in the second round to match their 2006 campaign in Germany.
    Verbeek named the thirty one man preliminary squad at Sydney Airport on Tuesday (May 11). He said it was tough to monitor all the players especially as most of them are based with clubs all over Europe.
    "Tough job because they are playing everywhere and spread out over the world and because you can't see them all you need a good staff. I had a good staff, and I'm here two and a half years so I know my players. It's not that I see a player and think hmmm I've never seen him before. I know them," Verbeek told Reuters Television.
    Australia, 20th in FIFA's latest world rankings, will play sixth-ranked Germany, world number 16 Serbia and Ghana (32) in Group D, one of the toughest at the June 11-July 11 tournament.
    "My expectation is that we can go to the final 16 and we all know we have a tough group, but we all know that the Australian mentality is that they love a challenge, they love to play tough games and that's what I have heard from my players. They know it's tough and they will be prepared and we will do everything possible to be in the final 16 and then we will see what is going to happen," he said of the goals for the tournament.
    Drawn with Brazil, Croatia and Japan in 2006 at their first World Cup appearance in 32 years, the Socceroos advanced to the second round where they lost to eventual champions Italy after a controversial last-minute penalty.
    Some pundits have tipped the Socceroos, galvanised by the experience binding the Europe-based veterans of the 2006 campaign, to progress as far as the quarter-finals.
    With most of his first team well established, Verbeek unveiled few surprises in an expanded 31-man squad for the South Africa finals on Tuesday, ensuring speculation for the final 23 to be named on June 1 remains squarely on the fringes.
    Despite injury concerns dogging first-choice selections, Verbeek said one of his greatest dilemmas was sifting through a glut of candidates in defence.
    Verbeek named Middle-East based defender Michael Beauchamp to compete with Middlesbrough rookie Rhys Williams, Japan-based Mark Milligan and uncapped Aston Villa junior Shane Lowry to compete for back-up spots behind stalwarts Lucas Neill and Craig Moore.
    The straight-talking Dutchman also felt compelled to play down concerns over a recurring groin injury that has seen Harry Kewell play only a few minutes for Turkish side Galatasaray this year and cast his World Cup preparations in doubt.
    Eighteen year old Tom Oar, who has been dubbed Australia's "next Harry Kewell" by enthusiastic local media was chosen in the expanded squad.
    "Oh very happy obviously. Yeh, didn't really know what to expect so obviously, just looking forward to the experience at the training camp, hopefully working hard and trying to get to that final twenty three," he said.
    Verbeek will have a week-long camp ahead of a May 24 friendly against trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand to hone the squad.
    Australia play Germany in their first World Cup match on June 13.
    Australia coach Pim Verbeek named the following 31-man preliminary squad for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa: Goalkeepers - Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Adam Federici (Reading), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United) Defenders - Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Craig Moore (unattached), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), David Carney (Twente Enschede), Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Jade North (Tromso), Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira) Midfielders - Tim Cahill (Everton), Mark Bresciano (Palermo) Vince Grella (Blackburn) Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Jason Culina (Gold Coast), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), Richard Garcia (Hull), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar) Forwards - Josh Kennedy (Nagoya), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough), Nikita Rukavytsya (Twente Enschede)
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