...Ghana vs Australia ............all the LATEST NEWS

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

GORILLAH OUT......



Australia midfielder Vince Grella sprained his knee at training and is out of the World Cup Group D encounter against Ghana in Rustenburg, but is expected to be available to face Serbia.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/100 ... Ghana-game

[Chaos]

GORILLAH OUT......



Australia midfielder Vince Grella sprained his knee at training and is out of the World Cup Group D encounter against Ghana in Rustenburg, but is expected to be available to face Serbia.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/100 ... Ghana-game

Although IMO he seems a little past it. Aussies will miss him. He anchors the middle ok. Hopefully a re-shuffle in the middle will sort things out for us. Grella never plays the ball forward and constantly gives niggly fouls away in dangerous areas.. This could be a blessing in disguise for us

[looprevil]

Would have dropped him anyway.
Emerton Holman Culina & Valeri in Midfield.
Kennedy & Kewell up forward.

[Jean Claude]

Would have dropped him anyway.
Emerton Holman Culina & Valeri in Midfield.
Kennedy & Kewell up forward.

This is a must IMO.

[Outlaw 2.0]

Grella out!

THANK FUCK!

[Bomber]

Agree - a blessing. He's been shocking lately and I can understand Blackburn showing him the door.

[Blotto]

Agree - a blessing. He's been shocking lately and I can understand Blackburn showing him the door.

agreed. like 75% of the starting 11 for Australia, he's past it.

[metaldomes]

Blessing.

[Kosta Utd]

two blessings in one day

[ADEL.GOONERS]

Would have dropped him anyway.
Emerton Holman Culina & Valeri in Midfield.
Kennedy & Kewell up forward.

This is a must IMO.

i to would like to see this

[COLOSSUS]

Grella out = Australia a chance. Thats one selection Pim cant get wrong now in Australias 2nd game

[the_gun]

bring in jedinak!

[p21c]

Would have dropped him anyway.

this is Verbeek we're talking about

[Chelsea4thewin]

Would have dropped him anyway.
Emerton Holman Culina & Valeri in Midfield.
Kennedy & Kewell up forward.

This is a must IMO.

i to would like to see this

you guys are dreaming

when was two strikers dutch football?

we are the dutch without the quality lol

[Stitch This]

we are the dutch without the quality lol

Spreek voor jezelf verstoppen jongen

[Red-4-Life]

his omission can work both ways. hes a tough nut, was Australia sometimes needs.

But his tackling has been disgusting and form not so good recently, maybe it could be good hes out and give someone else a chance

[admin]

He has been so poor for the Socceroos that Galatasaray suddenly withdrew their contract offer to Grella this week after having already agreed terms with Blackburn.

[COLOSSUS]

He has been so poor for the Socceroos that Galatasaray suddenly withdrew their contract offer to Grella this week after having already agreed terms with Blackburn.

Now expect Blackburn to terminate the contract he has with them, will help the Rovers a lot more by just paying him out and getting rid of him

[ozzie owl]

On form won't be missed.

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

BESIEGED coach Pim Verbeek must decide whether to ignore the concerns of Socceroos medical staff and start stalled superstar Harry Kewell in Australia's death-or-deliverance World Cup clash against Ghana tonight.

Socceroos' medicos believe Kewell, who is down on match fitness having played just 58 minutes of football since December, has no more than 45 minutes of football in him.

They want Kewell kept in cotton wool until the break, when the African Cup of Nations finalists are beginning to tire and he can see out the match.

However Verbeek is desperate to start Kewell. He hopes a healthy helping of vintage Harry will provide the spark that will revive Australia's fading World Cup dream, despite having ignored his claims for the entire 90 minutes of Monday's 4-0 humiliation against Germany.

Despite his wishes, it appears the medical team will win and Kewell will start off the bench.


Verbeek views Kewell as his resurrection man as he plots Australia's rise in Rustenburg. The decision on how many minutes Kewell plays is not only crucial for Verbeek, however.

Kewell, 31, is playing for more than his international future. He is out to salvage his club career with a new two-year deal with Galatasaray, the Turkish Super Lig giant, dependent on him proving his fitness in South Africa.

He is out of contract at the end of this month and failure to get any game time against either Ghana, or in Australia's final Group D game against Serbia four days later, could leave him clubless and struggling to resurrect a career already marred by catalogue of long-term injuries, which first surfaced at Leeds United and followed him to Liverpool and then on to Istanbul.

Kewell underwent groin surgery in February, leaving him underdone and under scrutiny going into the tournament.

But he insists he is "110 per cent fit" and is there if Verbeek wants him, which he patently now does with Australia's World Cup entering the realms of death row.

He has been working tirelessly with Socceroos fitness conditioner Darren Burgess since late May and has been in full training with the team for the last 10 days.

Verbeek now believes it's time for him to deliver, albeit belatedly. His plan, though, will probably see Richard Garcia - a surprise starter up front against Germany - again lead the line before Kewell is uncloaked after the interval as a central striker.

There appears to be no reprieve in sight for gangling striker Josh Kennedy, who didn't feature against Germany and appears to have fallen sharply out of favour with Verbeek.

Unwilling to further destabilise the precarious position of Verbeek, Kewell is happy to abide by whatever decision the under-pressure Dutchman makes explaining: "I dont pick the team, the boss does and I respect whatever he wants to do. Of course I want to play and I believe I'm in good shape.

"If I start I'll be delighted but I'll also be pleased just to get on and try and make something happen for the team whenever I am needed."

Only victory will keep Australia in running to make the last 16 for the second successive World Cup following the Germany debacle, a result which most Australians and several of Kewell's own teammates perplexed that he was not called upon to try and ignite a corpse-like Australia back to life.

Mark Bresciano is also almost certain to return to the side against the Black Stars, despite a post-game tirade at Verbeek after being left out against Germany.

Along with Kewell, he could hold the key to unlocking a side with three points already in the bag and favourites to progress along with Germany.

With Tim Cahill suspended following his red card ginst Germany, it's likely that Brett Holman, who impressed in a 45-minute cameo against Joachim Low's side, will start in the hole behind Garcia or Kewell.

[MG&Son]

Why play Kewell up front. Wide left would be his most effective position IMO

[Knight7]

Just got up about to head off for the fairly long trek to Rustenburg. Just a few thoughts on SA. The people are very friendly and excited and honoured to have the World Cup and the atmosphere is amazing. Australia is fairly unknown and they really don't rate us but there have been so many upsets that everyone gives us a chance. I hope we get a result today and have something left to play for. I like everyone else agres Pim is a complete joke however I also know I wouldn't be here if Australia hadn't qualified so even if we fail it's been a great experience unlike so many World Cups where I could only watch as a neutral

[swannsong]

[seanason]

So Grella will be a free agent?

Does anyone know of a club looking for an intimidating hardman?

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

OPENING-match outcasts Harry Kewell and Mark Bresciano looks set to start tonight's decisive World Cup qualifier against Ghana.

[seanason]

WHERE THE shiraz IS KENNEDY YOU FREAKY DEAKY DUTCH sherry?!?!?!?

[Loppermann]

Why play Kewell up front. Wide left would be his most effective position IMO

10 years ago maybe
doesn't have the pace anymore

[Loppermann]

So Grella will be a free agent?

Does anyone know of a club looking for an intimidating hardman?

would be good for the A-League

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

Ghana ready and waiting



BRING IT ONNNNNNN.............

Kevin-Prince Boateng...Ghana realises what's at stake in tonight's Group D clash against the Socceroos (Getty).

Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng has likened the upcoming World Cup meeting with Australia at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium to a Champions League final, insisting the entire team is aware of what is at stake.



Ghana is currently second in Group D after its opening win over Serbia and is well aware another victory will put the team in full command of its pool.

This became even more apparent after leader Germany was beaten by Serbia yesterday and the Portsmouth midfielder insists they are prepared.

"I think against Serbia we did very well," he said. "We won the game and everyone in Ghana went crazy.

"But now I think, as the coach (Milovan Rajevac) said to us in the dressing room, 'this is the game of the season'.

"So we have to go there and play. This is our Champions League final and we have to do everything to win the game."

Boateng, who only recently qualified to represent the African country, played a prominent role against Serbia in the absence of regulars Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah.

Talking about the spirit in the Ghana camp, he said: "We have a very great spirit in the team, it's like a big family.

"I'm not here for a long time now, but I can say I'm a family member.

"There is a lot of love and we pray a lot, so there is a fantastic spirit, which we try to take on to the pitch."

Earlier this week, some of the Ghanaian players talked up their chances against Australia, with forward Andre Ayew especially vocal following the Socceroos' 4-0 loss to Germany.

But Boateng added: "I think Ayew is a young boy that sometimes may come across as arrogant, but I know him very well.

"He's not an arrogant player. I think their game against Germany, we cannot even begin to compare it with our game.

"This game Australia are fighting for their lives. They all know they have to stick together even more. I think it's going to be a tough, tough game for us."

Australia captain Lucas Neill has described the clash as the biggest in his career.

The former Blackburn, West Ham and Everton defender, who now plays for Galatasaray, said: "It's the biggest in my career, especially because I am the leader of this group.

"I'm the captain of Australia and I don't want to be a guy who looks back on his career as somebody who led Australia to a World Cup and failed to get Australia out of the group.

"I have that responsibility, but it's a shared responsibility."

And Neill disclosed how the thought of failure had driven him and his team-mates.

He added: "We all don't want failure and we're driven by failure. We're driven by fear of not getting out of the group, not winning a game and that's all we need at the moment.

"I've played in big games before and I'm sure everyone in our team has. But as it stands, this is the biggest game in Australia's history anyway."

[TOPGUNJIMMYAUFC]

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics ... index.html