World Cup country profile: Australia
Australia had a bumpy ride through the Asian qualifying groups, losing to Oman and Jordan, En route to finishing second behind Japan to seal a world cup place. It certainly won’t get any easier in Brazil for the socceroos where they line up alongside world champions Spain; 2010 runners up the Netherlands; and highly rated Chile in the tremendously tough looking group B. Coach Ange Postecoglou was appointed in October 2013, tasked with bringing through a new generation of talent to replace retiring veterans who had served the nation well at the previous two world cups. He can still call upon the experience of Australia’s all time top scorer Tim Cahill whose premier league experience will be vital if the socceroos aren’t too overawed by their illustrious opponents in Brazil.
