Australia

QUALIFIED: Defeated Honduras 3-1 on aggregate in an intercontinental playoff FIFA WORLD RANKING: No. 40 BEST FINISH: Round of 16 (2006)

MANAGER: Bert van Marwijk. The 66-year-old Dutchman has managed numerous teams, including Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord, and the Netherlands.

BEST PLAYER: Tim Cahill. The Socceroos’ all-time leading scorer is back for a fourth World Cup. While this isn’t a particularly good Aussie side, Cahill, 38, gives his team a chance with his ability to score sensational goals. He’s also the consummate leader on an Australian side that boasts a number of players competing in lower divisions around the world. While Cahill is far from the player he was a decade ago, he still could be the deadliest set-piece specialist in the tournament — something a side like Australia needs given its inability to create chances from the run of play. Cahill’s final World Cup could signal the end of an era for an Aussie side that has failed to progress from its group since reaching the second round in 2006.

OUTLOOK: The Socceroos won just half of their games in AFC qualifying before needing extra time to slip past Syria in an AFC playoff. While the Aussies did well to outlast Honduras in an intercontinental playoff, the fact they finished behind Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying is beyond troublesome. Emerging from a competitive Group C isn’t an impossible task, but it seems highly unlikely given Denmark’s professionalism and Peru’s ability to survive a tricky South American qualifying campaign. Truth be told, Australia no longer has enough talent competing at a high level. Compare Australia’s current crop to its 2006 roster and you begin to see the picture.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Round of 16 WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Australia could lose all three group fixtures. LARSON’S PREDICTION: They’ll take a single point off Denmark or Peru.