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Australia (composition) For more than 30 years, not making it to the World Cup and missing out on the last Confederations Cup, Australian footballers will seek victories at all costs. It was precisely the Confederations Cup that allowed the Socceroos (a mixture of the words Soccer and Kangaroos, the nickname of the Australian national football team) to celebrate their achievements. In the Confederations Cup held in Riyadh in 1997, Australia advanced to the final, but were shamefully crushed 6-0 by the Brazilians, with Ronaldo and Romario each scoring three goals. However, in 2001 they avenged their tormentors at the Confederations Cup in South Korea, winning the match for third place with a score of 1-0. Half of the sixteen players who won third place four years ago are also in the current team led by Frank Farina. But now the team has strengthened, and doubts are dispelled by Tim Cahill, Brett Emerton, and Mark Viduka - players who play in one of the strongest leagues in the world, the English Premiership. The team could be even stronger, but it will not have the injured H. Kewell, and V. Grella and M. Bresciano, who play with "Parma" in the "Serie A". With only half a year left until the end of his contract, F. Farina's position is not very secure, but no one could criticize the results achieved by his pupils over the last 12 months. During that period, the Australians won 6 out of 9 matches and played three draws, including defeating their main rivals New Zealand and playing honorable draws with Norway. F. Farina will most likely use the tactical scheme 4-3-3 in this year's Confederations Cup, with Mark Schwarzer guarding the goal. The cornerstone of the experienced defense quartet will be team captain Craig Moore, and in the midfield, Tim Cahill should stand out clearly, having scored 7 goals for the national team in as many matches. He should be the "playmaker" who creates opportunities for the attacking trio and for the striker who will most likely be the team's most famous member, Mark Viduka. The Australians are certainly not pleased that their national team has been placed in the so-called Group A, also known as the group of death, in the Confederations Cup, where the tournament hosts Germany, Argentina, and Tunisia will also play. It is already clear that the Australians will need to be in their best form if they intend to repeat the success of 2001.
