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Nickname: Socceroos

Number of World Cup appearances: 2

Best World Cup finish: Second round (2006)

Team Breakdown
The Asian qualifying region was no match for Australia, and the Oceanic country steamrolled their way with a quick confirmation they would be in South Africa in 2010.

Australia’s 2006 World Cup appearance was the only one of its kind in the team’s history, however it wasn’t without some drama. First, the Socceroos advanced to the Round of 16 despite no one expecting anything from them. Secondly, they were bounced via some major controversy when Italy’s star Francesco Totti was awarded a bogus, napkin-soft penalty in the final minutes with the game tied, leading to the game-winning score. Albeit a totally unfair way to leave the tournament, Australia earned the respect from the field and that run four years ago is something that will no doubt be called upon this June in the hopes of again playing the role of the underdog.

2010 Australia World Cup Odds
Australia is currently listed at 100/1 futures odds to win the World Cup.
They are 9/1 to win Group D.

Key Player To Watch
Everton’s Tim Cahill has not only established himself as a name in England’s Premier League, but he is the most reliable weapon for his national side. Cahill scored twice for Australia in their thrilling WC victory against Japan in 2006 and his play on both levels has made him a world-class player and someone to keep your eye on in South Africa.

Best Team Asset
The best thing going for Australia is, despite their success in 2006, again no one expects them to duplicate moving past the group stage. This allows them to grab the underdog role and run with it, playing free with the sense that anything is possible because no expectations are there.

Key Team Weakness
The Aussies will have to deal with the fact that they are the least explosive offensive side in Group D. Germany and Ghana blow them away on paper, and even Serbia possesses talent that gives them a better shot this summer. Now that doesn’t necessarily dictate results, as seen in 2006, but it really will be too tough with this much deeper group than last time around.

Australia World Cup Predictions
Australia shook off naysayers and did the impossible by advancing out of group play in 2006 when they made their first-ever World Cup appearance. That, however, is going to be awfully difficult to make happen again. Not only is Germany a lethal side as the quartet favorite, but Ghana and Serbia make this foursome a landmine to navigate through and likely leaves Australia as the bottom feeders as an encore performance.

Key First Round Match (best betting opportunity)
If you are looking for an underdog with skill but also a lot of betting value, look no further than down under. Australia can be found at around +500 to win against Germany, but that would be ambitious, to say that least. If you still want to wager on the Aussies but want a more realistic bet, look at the ‘over’ when they face Germany on June 13. Australia is capable of pushing forward with some success against the Germans, and we know Germany, itself, will fire with full forces on the Australian defense. The ‘over’ is a good bet to hone in on come their group play opener.

Australia World Cup Group Play Schedule

v. Germany, June 13, 2010 – 10 a.m. ET at Durban (Durban)
v. Ghana, June 19, 2010 – 7:30 a.m. ET at Royal Bafokeng (Rustenburg)
v. Serbia, June 23, 2010 – 2:30 p.m. ET at Mbombela (Nelspruit)

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