No easy ride for Spain, Dutch against ‘Aussie tough guys’
Saturday, 24 May 2014 00:00
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Reuters: Spain, Netherlands and Chile can expect a rough ride from an Australia side desperate to buck their underdog status in the opening round of the World Cup finals next month, striker Mathew Leckie said on Friday.
The Socceroos are the lowest ranked team at the tournament and their chances of progressing to the last 16 were further reduced when they were drawn in Group B with the two teams that contested the 2010 final and South American powerhouse Chile.
Coach Ange Postecoglou, keen to accelerate the transition from Australia’s ‘golden generation’, has selected an inexperienced squad for the finals but Leckie said they would not be intimidated.
“We know the three teams are world class but everyone’s human,” the 23-year-old told reporters on Friday. “Us Aussies, we’re tough guys, we go out there and give it our all, and we’re always there to give a bump or two but also to play good football as well. It can also be an advantage for us that they don’t know many of us or the way we play, so we may be able to go over there and surprise them.”
Leckie, a physical and pacey striker with six caps to his name, said Australia would be out to make a statement in their opening match against Chile in Cuiaba on June 13.
“If we can get a result from that it’s going to give us a lot of confidence,” he said. “So we’re definitely looking at that first game going into the World Cup and not worrying about the other two until we get past that.”
