Cahill, who was named Oceania Footballer of the Year in 2004, has been struggling with a thigh injury and team officials were tight-lipped about his prospects of making Saturday’s quarter-final showdown. Iraq pulled off a shock 3-1 win over the Socceroos in 2007 in the group stages, a victory which set them on the way to continental glory.
“I don’t think revenge is the word,” said midfielder Brett Holman. “But it would be nice to get a win as they’ve won the last couple of games against us and had the upper hand.”
Fellow midfielder Mile Jedinak has been a major player so far for Australia, scoring twice in the group stages including the winner in the 1-0 victory over Bahrain that ensured they topped their group.
Asked if it was a revenge mission against the champions, Jedinak said: “Personally, not being there last time, I’m not thinking about that, though I’m not sure about the rest of the boys and this is a different game.”
The 26-year-old warned his side: “Let’s not kid ourselves – they are the defending champions for a reason. They are a good side and we are expecting a tough game.”
Jedinak, who plays in Turkey, said he had seen some of the Iraq games, including the 1-0 victory over Korea DPR on Wednesday that guaranteed them a last eight spot against the Socceroos.
“I thought they were pretty impressive,” he said. “In saying that, I feel very confident.”
Story courtesy of FIFA.com.
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