Australia need to beat the Serbians and hope either leaders Ghana win by any margin or Germany hammer the Ghanaians in Johannesburg. It looks a tall order for the embattled Socceroos, who have won only one of their overall nine World Cup games and find scoring goals difficult.
Apart from their fate being outside their control, the Aussies will also be without suspended Harry Kewell and Craig Moore, but on the plus side they will welcome back their midfielder Tim Cahill from suspension.
“Lose one, gain one, don’t we?” said midfielder Brett Emerton. “They’re both great players. It will be great to get Timmy back but it’s really disappointing to lose Harry.”
It has been an ill-fated World Cup for Australia, getting thumped 4-0 by Germany, losing Cahill and Kewell to red cards in successive matches and defensive linchpin Moore banned after two yellow cards.
Serbia will have plenty of attacking firepower with wingers Milos Krasic and Milan Jovanovic to supply giant striker Nikola Zigic.
Their defence is marshalled by Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic with Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic alongside him, Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic at right back and Real Madrid-bound Aleksandar Kolarov on the left.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2010.
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