It is all football in Australia, as after finalising their bids for the 2018 and 2022 football world cup the national squad for the World cup 2010 in South Africa is unveiled.
The team affectionately known as Socceroos has a modest goal for the prestigious quadrennial event that will test their abilities to the fullest.
A country renowned for its cricket, hockey and rugby expertise has achieved little in football over the years, and featuring in the World cup is a rare occurrence.
The squad was unveiled by the national coach Pim Verbeek and he does not expect much from his side in the event, targeting a spot in the second round to match their 2006 campaign in Germany.
Australia, currently ranked 20th in FIFA's latest world rankings, will play sixth-ranked Germany, world number 16 Serbia and 32nd ranked Ghana in Group D, one of the toughest at the June 11-July 11 tournament.
In the last edition of the world cup four years ago saw the Australians make their first World Cup appearance in 32 years.
The Socceroos advanced to the second round where they lost to eventual champions Italy after controversial last-minute penalty.
Verbeek named the thirty one man preliminary squad in Sydney Tuesday, adding it was tough to monitor all the players especially as most of them are based with clubs all over Europe.
"Tough job because they are playing everywhere and spread out over the world and because you can't see them all you need a good staff. I had a good staff, and I'm here two and a half years so I know my players. It's not that I see a player and think hmmm I've never seen him before. I know them," Verbeek told Reuters Television.
"My expectation is that we can go to the final 16 and we all know we have a tough group, but we all know that the Australian mentality is that they love a challenge, they love to play tough games and that's what I have heard from my players. They know it's tough and they will be prepared and we will do everything possible to be in the final 16 and then we will see what is going to happen," he said of the goals for the tournament.
Some pundits have tipped the Socceroos, enriched by their experience binding the Europe-based veterans of the 2006 campaign, to progress as far as the quarter-finals.
With most of his first team expected to remain the same throughout Verbeek unveiled few surprises in an expanded 31-man squad for the South Africa finals on Tuesday, ensuring speculation for the final 23 to be named on June 1 remains squarely on the fringes.
Despite injury concerns dogging first-choice selections, Verbeek said one of his greatest dilemmas was sifting through a number of candidates in defence.
Verbeek named Middle-East based defender Michael Beauchamp to compete with Middlesborough rookie Rhys Williams, Japan-based Mark Milligan and uncapped Aston Villa junior Shane Lowry to compete for back-up spots behind stalwarts Lucas Neill and Craig Moore.
The injured Harry Kewell recovering from groin trouble will play only a few minutes for Turkish side Galatasaray this year and cast his World Cup preparations in doubt.
Eighteen year old Tom Oar, who has been dubbed Australia's "next Harry Kewell" by enthusiastic local media, was chosen in the expanded squad.
"Oh very happy obviously. Yeah, didn't really know what to expect so obviously, just looking forward to the experience at the training camp, hopefully working hard and trying to get to that final twenty three," he said.
Goalkeepers - Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Adam Federici (Reading), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United)
Defenders - Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Craig Moore (unattached), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), David Carney (Twente Enschede), Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Jade North (Tromso), Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazeera)
Midfielders - Tim Cahill (Everton), Mark Bresciano (Palermo) Vince Grella (Blackburn) Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Jason Culina (Gold Coast), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), Richard Garcia (Hull), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar)
Forwards - Josh Kennedy (Nagoya), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough), Nikita Rukavytsya (Twente Enschede).
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