I reckon we'll get raped.

The travelling supporters or the team?

I don't think we're as strong as we were last time, but i'm hoping for a miracle! It's like the footy finals - once you're there, anything can happen.

Australia's 31-man squad named today:
Michael Beachamp, Marco Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Nick Carle, David Carney, Scott Chipperfield, Jason Culina, Brett Emerton, Adam Federici, Eugene Galekovic, Richard Garcia, Vincenzo Grella, James Holland, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Brad Jones, Joshua Kennedy, Harry Kewell, Shane Lowry, Scott McDonald, Mark Milligan, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Jade North, Thomas Oar, Nikita Rukavytsya, Mark Schwarzer, Carl Valeri, Dario Vidosic, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams.

No Colosimo, Heffernan, Sterjovski.

Thoughts?

A good squad, as usual for WC squads there are a few that just miss out. We have too many good right-side midfielders/attackers so it was inevitable that some (like sterjovski) were going to miss out, ditto goalkeepers.

We could have really done with Kisnorbo in the defence...Milligan can hardly compensate

In Ruka we trust!

I hope that Vidosic gets some game time, I was converted to a Dario fan after his performance against the Netherlands

In the end a reasonably predictable squad. James Holland and Shane Lowry were probably the biggest surprises to me, but that will most likely mean they will be turfed from the final 23 man squad.
Galekovic is, IIRC, the actual back up reserve reserve goal keeper (as in number 4). So he won't be in the 23 unless one of Schwartzer, Jones or Federici get injured.

Galekovic, Carle, Holland, Lowry, Garcia, North, Beachamp and one of either Oar, Ruka or Vidosic to be dropped.

Did Michael Petkovic retire or something? Seems to have gone right off the map...

Carle in or out of the team will determine whether I'm petrified or just worried.

I take it you will be petrified if he is in the team.

He's basically the opposite of England - exciting to watch and borderline useless.

Hahaha! I personally think Holman's more scary! Starting 11 scary, too!

Hopefully the team can actually sit down and work out how to actually play the right balls in to Kennedy; him and McDonald have the potential to bang goals in all day if they just figure out what the hell they're doing.

I fukn hate 4-5-1. It's a useless formation, even against the most hopeless opposition (eg/ Indonesia)

I wholeheartedly disagree. The problem isn't the formation. The problem is that we're sh*t. A 4-2-3-1 is meant to have a tight back six that's tough to break down but a very flexible front 4. Our problem is that our attackers are as threatening in front of goal as Stephen Hawking with ninja stars - they're there, but they're not going to hurt you.