Australia now have many players plying their trade in Europe's top leagues and they should not be underestimated despite their big World Cup odds.
Australia are still some way off being good enough to win the World Cup as their World Cup odds would suggest but they are capable of causing a few upsets and a very decent side.
| Date | Team | Scores | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 3 - 0 | Qatar | |
| China | 0 - 0 | Australia | |
| Australia | 1 - 0 | Iraq | |
| Iraq | 1 - 0 | Australia | |
| Qatar | 1 - 3 | Australia | |
| Australia | 0 - 1 | China | |
| Uzbekistan | 0 - 1 | Australia | |
| Australia | 4 - 0 | Qatar | |
| Bahrain | 0 - 1 | Australia | |
| Japan | 0 - 0 | Australia | |
| Australia | 2 - 0 | Uzbekistan | |
| Qatar | 0 - 0 | Australia | |
| Australia | 2 - 0 | Bahrain | |
| Australia | 2 - 1 | Japan |
With just two losses Australia had a very good qualifying campaign for the World Cup and they are a very solid side. With ten clean sheets they are going to be very hard to break down meaning teams with shorter World Cup odds should still struggle against Australia.
| Goalkeepers | Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Adam Federici (Reading), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough) |
| Defenders | Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Craig Moore (unattached), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), David Carney (Twente Enschede), Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira) |
| Midfielders | Tim Cahill (Everton), Mark Bresciano (Palermo) Vince Grella (Blackburn), Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Jason Culina (Gold Coast), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), Richard Garcia (Hulll), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg) |
| Forwards | Josh Kennedy (Nagoya), Nikita Rukavytsya (Twente Enschede), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray) |
| Year | Stage of Exit |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Eliminated by Italy in Second Round |
| 2002 | Did Not Qualify |
| 1998 | Did Not Qualify |
| 1994 | Did Not Qualify |
| 1990 | Did Not Qualify |
Back Australia to win the World Cup and either lay off when the price halves, or when they reach the second phase, whichever happens soonest. They may well go out at the Group Stage but they do have a chance of qualifying and that could yield a good profit.
But Australia in the Outright Index at 7
There will be a nice upside to this if Australia succeed in qualifying from the group which we think they have a good chance to do.