Australia qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2006, for the first time in thirty-two years, and immediately made a huge impact on the competition. They made it through to the knockout phase, where they faced Italy. The latter scored a last-minute goal to eliminate the Socceroos, and end their World Cup dream. However, their 2010 squad looks much stronger than it did four years ago, and coach Pim Verbeek will be hoping that his charges can go far in this competition. Their best player is arguably Tim Cahill, the Everton target man who enjoys a great fan following at Goodison Park – Australia will be hoping he plays with the same grit and determination that he shows week in week out for his club side. Other notable players for the Socceroos include winger Harry Kewell, and Blackburn stalwart Brett Emerton. Continue reading “Australia Preview- 2010 World Cup”