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Australia national association football team. AFC (Asia). Nickname: the Socceroos. Home jersey: gold (ie, yellow-orange), with green trim. Jersey badge features a kangaroo & emu crest.
Australia is in Group B (with Chile, Netherlands, and Spain). ‘2014 FIFA World Cup/Group B‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
FIFA World Cup qualification: 2014 is Australia’s 4th qualification out of 13 tries [Australia did not participate in FIFA WC Q prior to 1966 [meaning no participation in the first 7 World Cups from 1930 to 1962]).
Australia has qualified for the World Cup in: 1974, 2006, 2010, 2014.
Previous WC: 2010, Group Stage / 1-1-1.
Highest WC finish: 2006, Round of 16 / 1-1-2.
Population of Australia: 23.2 million {2013 estimate}. Capital: Canberra, pop. 367,000 {2012 figure}. Largest city: Sydney, pop. 4.6 million. Sydney, pop. 4.6 million. Second largest city: Melbourne, pop. 4.2 million. (metro areas) {2012 estimates}.
Coach of Australia: Ange Postecoglou. ‘Ange Postecoglou‘. Postecoglou won the 2011 A-League title as manager of Brisbane Roar. Before that, he had been the Socceroos’ U-20 team coach from 2000 to 2007. Postecoglou was hired to be the coach of Australia on 23 October 2013.
Captain of Australia squad: Lucas Neill. Lucas Neill. DF, age 35; current club, free agent [no club currently]; previous club: Omiya Ardijia (Japan). Prominent former clubs include: Millwall (1995-2001), Blackburn Rovers (2001-07), West Ham United (2007-09). From Australian Associated Press via Guardian/football, from 6 Dec. 2013, by , ‘Lucas Neill must play regularly before World Cup, warns Ange Postecoglou‘ (theguardian.com/football).
From dailytelegraph.com.au, from 7 Dec. 2013, by David Davutovic, ‘Ange Postecoglou undaunted by tough World Cup group, challenges players to ‘create history” [article, featuring 2 Fox Sports Australia videos, the first video (4:39) with reaction to Australia's tough Group Stage draw, incl. media asking Postecoglou questions/ plus another video (6:50) with commentators incl. Craig Moore analyzing Australia's group].
Below: Theoretical Best XI for Australia, with a couple of extra player-options -
Photos and Images above –
Socceroos’ jersey badge and 2012-13 jersey, photos from fanatics.com.
Australia on globe, map by Addicted04 at ‘File:AUS orthographic.svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Australia map by Rycherr at ‘File:Australia states blank.svg‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Coach,
Ange Postecoglou, photo by Matt King/Getty Images Asia-Pac via zimbio.com.
Socceroos’ jersey badge and 2012-13 jersey, photos from fanatics.com.
Goalkeeper,
Mark Schwarzer (Chelsea), photo from footballmedia.org.
Defenders,
Mark Milligan (Melbourne Victory), photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Image AsiaPac via zimbio.com.
Saša Ognenovski (Umm-Salal), photo from Getty Images/Getty Images AsiaPac via zimbio.com.
Lucas Neill, photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images AsiaPac via zimbio.com.
Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow), photo from Getty Images via smh.com.au.
Midfielders,
Brett Holman (Al-Nasr), photo from alnasrclub.com.
Mark Bresciano (Al-Gharafa SC), photo from fifa.com.
Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar), photo from Getty Images via smh.com.au/sport/roar-talent-mckay-can-start-for-socceroos-says-ange.
Tommy Oar (Utrecht), photo by VI Images via Getty Images.
Forwards,
Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), photo by ISI Photos via soccerbyives.net.
Robbie Kruse (Bayer Leverkusen), photo from EPA via nst.com.my.
Other options for Australia squad…Forwards, Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus Eight), photo by Junko Kimura/Getty Images AsiaPac via zimbio.com. Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory), photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images AsiaPac via zimbio.com.
Thanks to the contributors at ‘2014 FIFA World Cup qualification‘ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to the contributors at ‘Australia national association football team’ (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/, for player-position details.
