The moment you realize you are going to play against Spain and the Netherlands in the group stage, it becomes crystal clear that you are not going to move further at the World Cup 2014. With Chile also in Group B, Australia is very likely to finish in the last place and the only thing they can do is to avoid a total humiliation.
What makes Spain and the Netherlands so dangerous is that they have players capable of ripping apart defenses that are unable to withstand a prolonged siege. To make matters worse, Australia doesn't have too many gifted strikers that could keep these teams in check, so that they won't get the chance to exercise constant pressure on their own back line. To put things into perspective, know that Bet365 prices Australia win the World Cup at 501 to 1.
Group stage and event prospects
There is no reason for why the Australians would even think about such an outcome, as they have more pressing matters to concern themselves with. To start with, they need to find a way to properly defense against the European superpowers, while collecting as many points as possible. The only team that they could defeat, at least in theory is Chile but the South Americans have greatly improved over the years.
The qualifying campaign was relatively easy, but this means nothing since the opponents they faced were week and lack experience at this level. In Group B, they won't enjoy the same luxury and their opponents will make sure that every mistake they commit will cost them dearly. Ange Postecoglou is the new manager and his team has very little chances to survive the groups, with the odds right now being 8.00.
Key players for Australia at the World Cup
Those who try to see the glass half full, should know that despite the flawless qualifying campaign, Australians are not the kind of people to set overly ambitious goals for their football team. They know that the odds are stacked against them and the manager won't get sacked even if they finished last in the group. As long as they can collect one or two points, they won't return home humiliated.
The new manager won't make too many changes in the starting formation and will once again rely on those players that are more experienced. Lucas Neill is a shining example and even though he doesn't score many goals, he is one of their best options upfront. Joshua Kennedy is another player capable of scoring goals and is the only Australian that was given odds by Bet365 be the top scorer at the World Cup. Let's just say that they are not too flattering at 501 to 1, but it is still better than nothing.
The bottom line
It is very important for Australia to start on the right foot, since they face Chile in the opening match and it is very likely that the points collected here are the ones they will take home. Nobody is under the impression that they will achieve anything remarkable in Brazil and punters could make a decent profit by betting against them.
