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World Cup draw: actually not a death sentence

David Hall

by David Hall

07 Dec 05:50am

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Filed under: Football, Soccer, Socceroos, World Cup

21 comments

Watching the World Cup draw early on Saturday morning felt like watching the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful do Hamlet. With Becks & Charlize, there was glamour aplenty- but it had the all drama and class of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Good looking people announcing the draw doesn't make it any easier

Australia’s group for the World Cup drew what I call “the builder”: the sharp intake of breath through gritted teeth accompanied by the worried shake of the head.


On paper, it looks a tough ask for the Socceroos in South Africa – but is it really the group of death?

Germany will be tough. In two World Cups, Australia will have faced the three most decorated nations in the tournament (with Brazil and Italy in ’06). They qualified with ease and boast a roster of stars – but if the Socceroos can apply their usual physical, defensive football, they can keep the score low, perhaps even sneak a draw. As we’ve seen against Holland, Pim knows how to play against European opposition.

Serbia? Technical, organised and finished ahead of France to top their qualifying group. Former Barcalona and Real Madrid manager Radi Antic has set up an attacking team, but it’s nothing the Socceroos aren’t well equipped to deal with.

I reckon the toughest test will be Ghana. As one of the home nations, the Black Stars will be desperate to succeed, and the can more than match Australia’s physical and technical ability. With the likes of Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah in midfield, it will be real battle for Verbeek’s side, who are so often used to outlasting and outfighting their opponents. 

Realistically, this is the battle for second-place. Ghana’s last game is against Germany, so a result against Australia will go a long way. Oooh, the possibilities; it’s six months away and already World Cup fever’s melting my brain.

Particularly with what could happen if the Socceroos finish second and England win their group – the post-colonial clash of the century! The Ashes the Poms would really care about! Ask any Englishman; they’re crapping themselves that this could happen.

Germany? Serbia? Ghana? Ingerland? Who do you fancy in June next year?

Most commented

21 comments

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    • Cooko says:

      07:23am | 07/12/09

      No it’s not the group of death.. That’s group G.

      Reply

    • hoofman says:

      07:28am | 07/12/09

      When a team goes to World Cup finals, it can expect to play the best in the world. It’s something to celebrate, not to fear. The team’s aim is to instill fear in opponents, not fear them.

      Reply

    • Darren says:

      07:58am | 07/12/09

      we got Serbia rather than Portugal or France from Pot 4. We got Ghana rather than Ivory Coast from pot 3. I know who I would prefer to meet. And when we come 2nd we get to knock the poms out in the round of 16!!!!

      Reply

    • Jolanda says:

      07:59am | 07/12/09

      I agree with you hoofman.  It is the World Cup finals so who else would they be expecting to play except the best in the world. 

      It is respect that they should show, and skill and ablity on the day to get through to the next level. 

      I love soccer.

      Reply

    • Steve says:

      08:40am | 07/12/09

      The draw is not that bad.

      Germany - We play them first, they are slow starters in World Cup, will have tremendous pressure on them from the German people, they play us in a no win situation, we will get at least a point.

      Ghana - African nations always tough to guage, Ghana may be at the top, or struggle with pressure of finals in africa, key agaisnt africna nations score early, predict draw.

      Serbia - First time to world cup, i think they will be happy with this, i can see us winning this match.

      I think we will finish with between 5-7 points assured of 2nd round birth, we may even finish top of group, this team is quarter final bound

      Reply

    • benough says:

      08:54am | 07/12/09

      Imagine beating the Poms at Football. I might take up rioting classes in preparation. Gettin excited already!

      Reply

    • Peter says:

      09:19am | 07/12/09

      I hope we don’t have to play the poms, there’s no way we will beat them and their boasting about it for the next however many years will be insufferable.

      Reply

    • kezbo says:

      10:32am | 07/12/09

      Lose to Germany, beat Ghana and Serbia, it’s all good. England in the second round? The possibility is too much too think about. I reckon we’d do them, just to see the look on their faces and the infinite gloating. Just think about it - it would go on for 100 years. Drool…

      Reply

    • adam macleod says:

      11:01am | 07/12/09

      Didn’t we beat England 3-1 last time?

      We should now avoid playing them again at all costs….just to keep braging rights safe.

      Reply

    • northern monkey says:

      11:35am | 07/12/09

      You Aussies are kidding yourselves. Firstly, you’ll be lucky to make it out of the group - it’s tougher than it was for you in germany, and everyone will be wiser to your physical game.

      Secondly, you don’t have a striker, generally considered a vital player in football.

      Thirdly, you wouldn’t beat England. Sure, you’d be well up for it - but everyone’s up for every game in the World Cup. The pressure is always immense. England have had years of much more intense football rivalry with Germany and Argentina, the Aussies will be just another game.

      And it’s time to forget that 3-1 - it was a friendly, and we had the youth team out for half of it. The World Cup wouldn’t be a different thing altogether - Man Utd v Blackburn!

      Reply

    • AT says:

      01:55pm | 07/12/09

      That 3-1 — we beat two England teams in one game, a memory we will relish for a little while yet, if you don’t mind, monkey.

      This group is not tougher than last time. Then we trailed 1-0 until 82min against the ostensibly weakest team in the group (Japan) before winning 3-1.  We were played out of the game by the ref against Brazil — in a just universe that game would have been at least a draw for Aus. And we drew against Croatia in a game where a player was sent off for his third yellow card and left the poor ref who couldn’t keep up traumatised.

      In this group, this Germany is not as good as the Brazil we faced last time. Ghana, I’d say, is not as problematic for us as Japan was — we’ve never lost to Ghana in the past 7 games and Serbia is a mere one spot above us on the rankings, compared to Croatia who were way above us last time.

      I can only imagine you’re nervous about the prospect of facing Australia. You should be. When we got through to the group of 16 we were the only team to prevent the clearly brilliant Italy scoring a (legitimate) goal during their entire world cup campaign. And we did that without Kewell and Emerton, two of our best.

      So yeah, “the Aussies will be just another game” for England, where, as is commonplace for you lot, they lose. And don’t be surprised if it’s a 1st placed Aus playing a 2nd placed Eng in round 2.

    • shabangabang says:

      11:57am | 07/12/09

      The English media have called their draw ‘The best group since the Beatles’ Man I hope we meet them the round of 16 and see them out. They are chokers and under-achievers.
      Group G will get all the attention and rightly so. Brazil with Kaka, Portugal with Ronaldo and Ivory Coast with Drogba. Only easy matches will be against North Korea. Even then it will be critical to enhance the for/against ratio. Still think everyone is playing for 2nd. Spain should romp it in.

      Reply

    • harry c says:

      12:11pm | 07/12/09

      Too many take this complete waste of time too seriously. A lot of brain dead morons out there.

      Reply

    • Bruce says:

      11:30pm | 07/12/09

      Agree, who wants to watch a game where training involves how to cheat.  That team knows who I am talking about !

    • northern monkey says:

      12:20pm | 07/12/09

      @ harry c - takes one to know one, eh?

      Reply

    • LG says:

      01:56pm | 07/12/09

      But the half with the kids (including one W. Rooney) was 1-1. Sure it was Francis Jeffers who scored which means looking back you go, “wow we trundled some seriously rubbish footballers out for that one and got what we deserved”. But no.
      We beat Beckham, Scholes and the other Man U dross 2-0. Neville out-jumped for the first and Ferdinand turned inside out for the second.
      Screw your women, take your jobs
      Do dah, do dah

      Reply

    • DennyCraneWHU says:

      03:25pm | 07/12/09

      I’m a Pom and there is no way your lot are going to beat my lot in the group of 16.

      Here is why. I have it on the highest authority that Capello is so scared of losing to Australia that he will deliberately engineer coming second, then meet the easier German team, and not have to face Australia until the final, or grand final as you lot call it

      Well, if you lot can fantasize, so can I, lol. Good luck to your lot anyway… until they meet my lot.

      Reply

    • Shaun says:

      03:45pm | 07/12/09

      I won’t be watching the World Cup next year, the quality of teams is an absolute disgrace. 6 African teams? New Zealand? What a joke. Bring back the top 16 format, REAL World Cup Finals.

      Reply

    • thatmosis says:

      05:39pm | 07/12/09

      Well at least we didnt get the Italian Diving Team or the French Handball Team, two reason s why I for one will not be watching or listening to the Cup.FIFA should be ashamed of itself as it has singlehandly destroy the World Game forever now referred to as the World Shame.

      Reply

    • Derek says:

      08:33pm | 07/12/09

      Australia can forget about England. They’ll be lucky to get a point in that group.

      Reply

    • S.L says:

      04:56am | 08/12/09

      Why hope for second place in our group? We have arguably the best Goal Keeper in the world and Germany suffered a great mental loss recently when they lost their shot stopper under tragic circumstances. Josh Kennedy played in Germany for years so he knows their domestic game and he has an uncanny knack of getting a goal somewhere in a game for the Socceroos. Harry Kewel can match their skill and “arrogance” (he"s matched the Dutch on that score before which is no mean feat!) on the pitch and who knows where Tim Cahil will pop up? Serbia and Ghana will be unknown quantities and definately not “Bums” but if we do well in the first match we’ll be on a roll. Rooney, Lampard and Gerard are magical players in the EPL but they mix like oil and water in the same team…....... not at all! Beckham is just a free kick specialist as the great George Best once said ” he can’t kick with his left foot. he won’t head the ball and doesn’t score many goals, other than that he’s alright!” If we get out of the group stages start looking at potential quarter finals.

      Reply
 
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