WC 2010 - Australia vs Serbia

[kevrenor]

SBS item:

"Towering striker Josh Kennedy will start for Australia in place of suspended Harry Kewell, while Michael Beauchamp will replace Craig Moore for the Socceroos' crucial final Group D match against Serbia in Nelspruit.

Beauchamp set to replace Moore

Kennedy desperate to shine

It is understood Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek will use Kennedy to give his side an attacking focal point while Beauchamp, who impressed during the 2010 World Cup warm-up matches, is the natural successor to Moore and will earn his 22nd cap with his debut World Cup appearance.

Elsewhere, Tim Cahill returns to the starting line-up at the expense of Brett Holman, who impressed against Ghana and netted the Socceroos' only goal of the tournament so far.

Meanwhile David Carney retains his position at left back, with Scott Chipperfield and Brett Holman understood to be used as attacking options in the second half.

Australia must beat Serbia and rely on the result going its way in the match between Germany and Ghana to progress to the second round, after a campaign beset by controversial refereeing decisions and rumours of discontent within the team.

Expected Australia team to play Serbia:

Goalkeeper: Mark Schwarzer Defenders: Luke Wilkshire, Lucas Neill, Michael Beauchamp, David Carney Midfielders: Carl Valeri, Jason Culina, Brett Emerton, Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano Forwards: Josh Kennedy"

 

[midfielder]

Australia will win 3 nil .. Germany will win 3 nil ... Australia will go tho and play Pommies ... beat the Poms and go to the final 8... wakes up takes hand off thing ... and starts one handed typing ... but  I hope I am right.

Why Jason Culina God save us he lost the ball so much last time he played..

 

[serious14]

If the miracle does indeed happen we'll be playing the Seppo's.

Revenge (as such) for the defeat a few weeks back.

 

[MrCelery]

Holman!!!!!!!!!!

 

[goingtoadisco]

Goalman is the man.

 

[kevrenor]

Team       MP W D L GF GA Pts

Germany 3 2 0 1 5 1 6
Ghana 3 1 1 1 2 2 4
Australia 3 1 1 1 3 6 4
Serbia 3 1 0 2 2 3 3

:'(

 

[bulldogmariner]

Future looks bright after that performance. It just shows if we play like Australia instead of trying to play dutch we can compete on the world stage.
2014 here we come.
Holman our player of the WC followed by Wilkshire. You would think core of the team who started tonight will make Brazil and then you add Jedinak, Holman and some of the younger guys this transition might not be as bad as everyone thinks.

 

[MrCelery]

A World Cup of 'if only's' this one.

If only we didn't get thrashed in Game 1
If only we didn't get those unjust red cards
If only we'd pipped Ghana (we deserved to)
If only we didn't have to go anywhere near Italians

At least we can still wear the green and gold with pride. Magnificent 'Aussie-style effort from the lads in the last two games. Well done Pim as well. Thanks for getting us there in the first place.

 

[yellowcake]

A World Cup of 'if only's' this one.

If only we didn't get thrashed in Game 1
If only we didn't get those unjust red cards
If only we'd pipped Ghana (we deserved to)
If only we didn't have to go anywhere near Italians

At least we can still wear the green and gold with pride. Magnificent 'Aussie-style effort from the lads in the last two games. Well done Pim as well. Thanks for getting us there in the first place.

I enjoyed it. Have to remember this is the Socceroos only second ever WC win and a historic first WC win over a European side (who were favourites to win this, too). Good to see Meggsi have a WC appearance - and a fine game.

I honestly thought Germany would thump Ghana, bristling from their loss to Serbia. When that game was still 0-0 at HT, kinda figured our dream was over - although at 2-0 with 15 to go... just 1 more and 1 in Jo'burg... i dreamed a bit.


Gotta feel for Serbia. Beat the Germans, then bottom of the group. I'd imagine through their bench they were aware that an equaliser in added time and they would progress (on 'goals for'). They looked gutted at FT.

 

[bjw]

If we had of taken the game to Germany then we would have drawn or lost by 1 goal and things would be very different.

 

[bjw]

 

[midfielder]

Zycie

Agree and after all the crap that has been said about him ... Holman has been one of our best... and that was a cracker of a goal he scored...

 

[fedelta]

nice pic bro

 

[ballantyne]

Despite all the offensive blather about some mythical Australian spirit our boys showed well and were only undone by the tactical disaster wrought by Verbeek in the first game. We finished on the same number of points as last time and played nearly 2 hours a man down. Serbia are a handy team and we started this last game as outsiders.
So I reckon the entire blame for not progressing lies at Verbeeks door, and I'm far more worried about our next coach than our next team because we just learned that the coach holds most of the keys at this level.
His assistant is coaching us next season!

 

[dibo]

How much did the bizarre tactics against Germany cost us?
How much did Cahill's sending off cost us (and how ridiculous does it look in comparison to fouls suffered by our boys in the ensuing two matches - late with studs exposed)?
How much did the no penalty call against Germany cost us when we might have come back in to 2-1?

...and what of Wilkshire's miss against Ghana, Schwarzer's fumble this morning, Germany not copping a penalty and losing a man to handball in what i thought were even more blatant circumstances than Kewell's this morning...

Then take into account that Serbia beat Germany and more importantly than that, Ghana beat Serbia. There were more points on the table than last time. Had Ghana and Serbia drawn, we would have been through to a match against the USA on Sunday morning.

A lot of things went against us this world cup. We also did ourselves no favours until this morning. And yet we still went close. From an opening match embarassment to a dignified exit after a win, the Cup ended better than it started. There's plenty to be optimistic about with the progression of Beauchamp, Valeri and Holman in particular.

 

[FFC Mariner]

All you can ever ask of a team is that it goes out and gives 100%. They did that twice.

Sadly, Verbleaks tactical disaster against Germany cost a lot.

so glad he has gone

2 duds out in 1 day. C,mon Keneally, make it 3

 

[razza]

dibo wouldn't Serbia have gone through on GD if they drew with Ghana in the first game?
Also was quite pissed when Lahm IMO did the exact same thing as Kewell this morning and went unpunished. A lot went against us.

Looking forward to hopefully a Holman, Cahill, Kennedy partnership in the next few years.