Group D (Australia, Germany, Ghana, Serbia)

[Shaggy]

Australia: (provisional)

Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Adam Federici (Reading), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide United)

Defenders: Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), Craig Moore (unattached), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), David Carney (Twente Enschede), Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow), Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough), Shane Lowry (Aston Villa), Mark Milligan (JEF United), Jade North (Tromso), Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazeera)

Midfielders: Tim Cahill (Everton), Mark Bresciano (Palermo) Vince Grella (Blackburn) Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Jason Culina (Gold Coast), Bruce Ramsay (Erinsborough Rovers), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), Richard Garcia (Hull), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace), Tommy Oar (Utrecht), Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg), James Holland (AZ Alkmaar)

Forwards: Josh Kennedy (Nagoya), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough), Nikita Rukavytsya (Twente Enschede).


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Germany

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Schalke), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Hans-Jorg Butt (Bayern Munich)

Defenders: Dennis Aogo (Hamburg), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart)

Midfielders: Sami Khedira (Stuttgart), Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg)

Strikers: Cacau (Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Cologne).

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Ghana:

Goalkeepers: Richard Kingson (Wigan), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals), Stephen Ahorlu (Hearts of Lions)

Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (FC Basel), Jonathan Mensah (Grenada), Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea), Rahim Ayew (Zamalek), Hans Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen), John Mensah (Sunderland), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim), John Paintsil (Fulham)

Midfielders: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan), Derek Boateng (Getafe), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese), Andre Ayew (Arles-Avignon), Stephen Appiah (Bologna), Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth)

Strikers: Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda) Asamoah Gyan (Rennes), Prince Charles (Hoffenheim), Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan)


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Serbia:

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Sporting Lisbon), Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin), Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria)

Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivan Obradovic (Real Zaragoza), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio)

Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Nenad Milijas (Wolves), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United) , Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege)

Strikers: Nikola Zigic (Birmingham), Marko Pantelic (Ajax), Danko Lazovic (Zenit St Petersburg), Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina Novi Sad).

Sunday, June 13

3pm - Serbia v Ghana - ITV ~
7.30pm - Germany v Australia - ITV

Friday, June 18

12.30pm - Germany v Serbia - BBC 

Saturday, June 19

3pm - Ghana v Australia - BBC 

Wednesday, June 23

7.30pm - Australia v Serbia - ITV 
7.30pm - Ghana v Germany - ITV

[Trippendicular]

I may be biased (I'm Australian), but I think this group is at least on par with the supposed "Group of Death". If you go off both the official FIFA world rankings (which have Portugal at a ludicrous 3rd) and the ELO rankings, then this group has a higher average rank than any other group, including Group G.

Oh, and Bruce Ramsay was a last minute casualty from the squad

[Matt]

Oh, and Bruce Ramsay was a last minute casualty from the squad

If Prince Charles hits form for Ghana, the Aussies could be out.

Tough group though, I agree. Was surprised to hear that the Serbians got beat by NZ.

[Fernandinho]

yeah the serbs do have good wingers and good central defenders, but the rest of the team is average i think

[spud_gun]

The Germans ain't getting out of this group

[Matt]

I think it'll be Germany and whoever gets the result in the Oz/Ghana game.

Serbia v Oz could be a bit of a war considering half the Aussie squad is Croat.

[SK]

If Prince Charles hits form for Ghana, the Aussies could be out.

Tough group though, I agree. Was surprised to hear that the Serbians got beat by NZ.

the serbs played with a "reserve" squad from what i've read.

yeah the serbs do have good wingers and good central defenders, but the rest of the team is average i think

aye stanković and milijaš are poor midfielders, žigić&pantelić are awfuls strikers..


though group this one, and imo if any team has a slightly poor start they're out. anyone can go to the next round in this one.

[Matt]

Weren't the Serb fans kicking off though? My boss is from NZ and she said that Vidic had to get on the microphone and plead with the fans to calm down.

[Daffy Duck]

Weren't the Serb fans kicking off though? My boss is from NZ and she said that Vidic had to get on the microphone and plead with the fans to calm down.

Yeah, they don't take their friendlies lightly really, most of their football fans are insane - right wing extremists (with some demented war weterans trown into the mix), hooligans, murderers... And they are all completely fanatic and don't give a crap about the consequences. It's a shame really, because when it comes to the actual support on the stadium, they are amongst the best in the world (untill they start stirring **** like this and chanting songs in support of war criminals).

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ0BfSfV3w0"]YouTube- GROBARI Madness!!! Keep OUT![/ame]
Fans of Partizan Belgrade :O

[Matt]

Cant watch that in work but I imagine it'll be insane

[-V-]

This group will be the closest of them all I think. Germany are nothing special this time round and the rest are all capable of winning games

[Craig_H]

I think Germany will walk it, to be honest. Others fighting for 2nd place.

[Shaggy]

Serbia to top it, Germany 2nd and facing England in the 2nd round

Ghana will miss Essien massively.

[Craig_H]

I honestly think Serbia are being slightly overrated and will fail to live upto it. They could well go through, but i dont think they'll trouble the Germans.

[-V-]

Serbia can score goals but aren't so good defensively. Yeah Germany should win the group but their squad doesn't look all that does it? Gomez and Klose have barely played this year and their midfield looks weak tbh. Defence is a joke too. I see them getting knocked out in the 2nd round if they come up against a decent team