Socceroos draw up a plan
Comments and replies 8 June 2010-AAP

If the football gods offered Australia a draw in its World Cup opener against Germany it would snap it up right now.

"Yes, we would take it," Australian captain Lucas Neill said without hesitation when the proposition was put to him. "A draw would be a fantastic result.

"Germany are a superior team to Australia.

"Clearly they are favourites and we have the underdogs tag.

"Their record suggests they are the most consistent team in world football, and the pressure is on them to win.

"Nobody in the world, apart from our team, expects us to beat them."

As the Socceroos enjoyed their first full day relaxing at their new camp, the luxurious Kloofzicht game lodge 50 kilometres outside Johannesburg, Neill said it was important not to lose the first game in Durban.

"If we draw it means other results can go for us and against us and we've still got everything in our own hands," he said.

"If we manage to win, we will shock the world."

Midfielder Mark Bresciano was quick to agree with his captain.

"Yes, yes, I would definitely take it (a draw)," he said.

"Germany are a very hard team to beat so a draw would be a massive result for us.

"It would be a very positive start, knowing we would then have two games to go (against Ghana and Serbia) to try to scrape a win.

"Getting any result, apart from a loss, would be good."

Neill may be engaging in some gamesmanship when he says some of the younger Socceroos probably have posters of Germany's heroes on their bedroom walls.

But his comments indicate the magnitude of Australia's task against a nation that has won the World Cup three times and shares with Brazil the record of seven finals appearances.

With Tim Cahill over the effects of a neck injury, and Brett Emerton expected to be fully fit despite a troublesome calf that has restricted his training, coach Pim Verbeek's only real selection issue appears to be the striker's job.

He has five days to decide whether to play big Josh Kennedy up front or the underdone Harry Kewell.

Many observers speculate he will bring Kewell off the bench in the second half, depending on how the game is going.

Australia is still smarting over the sad news of a family illness, which forced reserve goalkeeper Brad Jones to quit the World Cup camp.

But it is trying to use the incident to spur it on to greater heights.

It is also delighted to be out of the big smoke and in the peaceful surrounds of its safari lodge.

It has also solved its training pitch problems at nearby Ruimsig, whose sandy surface cut up badly in the warm-up games against Denmark and USA.

It will now alternate between Ruimsig and St Stithians College in suburban Johannesburg, the ground it had purpose-built for its early arrival in South Africa.