Australia V Paraguay

[holicman]

How times have changed in the intermitting period between Socceroos internationals in Brisbane even if, six years after the previous national team outing there, the opponent has not.

Paraguay was the visitor in 2000 when barely 3,500 fans turned up to watch Australia carve out a forgettable goalless draw at the Gabba in a series of three friendlies against the South Americans.

Saturday night, though, will be a different story when a full house of 52,000 is predicted at Suncorp Stadium with only a few thousand tickets reportedly remaining 48 hours before kick-off.

With up to six substitutes allowed, interim coach Graham Arnold will use the occasion to farewell at least four, and possible five, deserved servants to Australian football.

It seems likely those calling an end to their international careers will be handed the opportunity of starting for the final time meaning Zeljko Kalac will be in goal, Tony Vidmar and Tony Popovic in defence and Stan Lazaridis on the left side. Josip Skoko is als tipped to call it a day.

Craig Moore's unexpected return to England allows Arnold to field Vidmar and Popovic alongside Lucas Neill who will wear the captain's armband for the first time.

Newcastle United Jets defender Jade North has been called in to the squad as a replacement.

The FFA has given FC Basel duo Mile Sterjovski and Scott Chipperfield, who both featured last month against Kuwait, special dispensation to arrive on Saturday morning following a request from the Swiss side and will not be considered for selection for the Paraguay game.

Meanwhile, Luke Wilkshire sat out the Socceroos' first training session on Wednesday evening with a bandaged right knee after suffering a slight injury in club side FC Twente's 4-3 win last weekend.

Mark Milligan, who did take his full part in the 90-minute session, might also be rested as a precaution ahead of next Wednesday's AFC Asian Cup clash with Bahrain after taking a knock in Sydney's 4-1 win over Adelaide.

Paraguay captain Carlos Gamarra, 35, is another bowing out of international football this weekend after a record-breaking 109-cap international career including three consecutive World Cup finals.

Sixteen of coach Raul Amarilla's 19-man travelling party were present at the World Cup in Germany with the notable inclusion of Argentine-based striker Oscar Cardozo this time around.

The uncapped 23-year-old, who has scored seven goals in eight matches for Newell's Old Boys this season, has replaced Borussia Dortmund's Nelson Valdez in the squad.

Bayern Munich's elegant striker Roque Santa Cruz was named in the squad for the match, but he has subsequently confirmed that he is staying put in Germany along with club team-mate Julio Dos Santos, Paraguay's footballer of the year in 2005.

Australia team from: John Aloisi, Michael Beauchamp, Alex Brosque, Marco Bresciano, Tim Cahill, Ante Covic (gk), Jason Culina, Travis Dodd, Brett Emerton, Vince Grella, Zeljko Kalac (gk), Stan Lazaridis, Mark Milligan, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Tony Popovic, Mark Schwarzer (gk), Josip Skoko, Archie Thompson, Tony Vidmar, Luke Wilkshire, Jade North.

Paraguay team from: Justo Villar (gk), Derlis Gomez (gk), Delio Toledo, Carlos Gamarra, Pedro Sarabia, Paulo da Silva, Julio Manzur, Carlos Bonet, Edgar Barreto, Roberto Acuna, Diego Gavilan, Cristian Riveros, Jose Montiel, Jose Domingo Salcedo, Salvador Cabanas, Oscar Cardozo, Nelson Cuevas.

Head-to-head
Three meetings:
Australia - 1 win
2 draws

Previous meeting
Australia 2 defeated Paraguay 1 (Olympic Park, Melbourne, June 2000)

Last five results
Australia: Loss - Draw - Loss - Win - Loss
Paraguay: Draw - Win - Loss - Loss - Win

[Mr.Chicken]

Hopefully the Socceroos can send off their players in style and win or at the very least draw. They can't afford to lose. Though I suppose if they lose the next 2 games, it will convince the FFA that they can't have Arnold as coach and replace him.