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Socceroos sweat on next World Cup draw
Socceroos star Mark Bresciano says he and his teammates are well aware
they have a target on their backs as they prepare for their 2010 World
Cup finals path to be revealed on Friday night.
The Asian Football Confederation will hold its final stage draw in Kuala
Lumpur, with Australia one of the last 10 teams chasing four automatic
Asian qualifying berths for South Africa.
After negotiating a group of death in the previous stage in which Asian
champions Iraq and usually powerful China were ousted, Bresciano believes
the Socceroos will face a difficult, but not impossible task in the next
stage.
But Bresciano is wary that other Asian teams lift when playing Australia,
who go into the draw as No.1 seeds and the No.1 ranked team in Asia.
"I think it's harder for us going into the Asian group stages because
they're all going to be out there to beat us so we've just got to be careful
and switched on every game," Bresciano said.
"Passing this group stage, you know all the teams have got their
own qualities. They're all going to be very competitive.
"In the long run it's more beneficial for us, playing more games
together, playing more quality teams.
"It gives us a good chance to be together more as a team."
The Socceroos can expect no easy draw in their five-team group - just
varying degrees of difficulty depending on how the balls fall.
Under the seedings, they are certain to get at least one of Japan, Iran
or Saudi Arabia in their group, and possibly two.
Two of those Asian powerhouses would be a worst-case scenario, with only
the top two teams in each group earning a direct berth to South Africa.
Italian-based Bresciano, currently enjoying a well-earned holiday in Australia
before the European season starts in August, remains unsure of his club
future.
Four English clubs are believed to be chasing his signature from Serie
A side Palermo, among them Premiership outfits West Ham and Fulham.
But Bresciano said he would leave his future in the hands of his management,
though he reiterated he would be interested in moving from Italy where
he has spent the past decade to the English Premiership.
"I'd like to give (England) a go. I think it's come to the stage
where I would like to try it out, you know try something different, try
a different league," he said.
thetimes.co.za,
25th June 2008
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