The build-up has been long and fraught with on and off-field dramas: squabbling federations, changeable kick-off times and referees, injury concerns and big-talking players. But at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Saturday evening (Sunday morning AEDT) football will be doing the talking as Australia attempts to break a 30-odd year hoodoo and qualify for the World Cup.

There’s been plenty of conjecture as to who will start for Australia in the first leg of the play-off. Several players are nursing injuries and fighting to be fit for the game, including Vince Grella, Marco Bresciano and Archie Thompson. This could well provide an opportunity for Australia coach Guus Hiddink to start Harry Kewell, who despite an indifferent few years riddled with injury, is still seen as a potential hero.

Hiddink is expected to play a defensive team that will be quick on the counter-attack. Mark Schwarzer is likely to start in goal behind a three man defence of Lucas Neill, Michael Thwaite and Tony Vidmar. Grella should get up to play the defensive role in midfield with Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Jason Culina in front of him supporting lone striker Mark Viduka. Scott Chipperfield and Brett Emerton will almost certainly start on the wings.

Australia will be looking to take at least a draw to Wednesday’s game in Sydney, giving themselves every chance of qualifying. The team goes to Uruguay a more seasoned group than in 2001, when they were spat on and pushed around by local hooligans. Under Hiddink they are definitely better prepared.

Uruguay it seems is ready for the challenge, and not surprisingly full of bravado. “Our advantage is that we’re Uruguay, one of the teams that have won the most World Cups,” Inter Milan star Alvaro Recoba said this week. Meanwhile Uruguay coach Jorge Fossati has said the Australians aren’t ready for the type of football his team will dish out.

But that team will be without star striker Diego Forlan, top goalscorer in Europe last season, after he tore a leg muscle playing for Spanish club Villareal. Also missing will be three suspended players, including highly rated defender Diego Lugano, who will travel to Sydney early to prepare for the second leg of the play-off.

The side still contains the likes of Juventus striker Marcelo Zalayeta and Pablo Garcia of Real Madrid, not to mention Dario Silva and Richard Morales who tormented the Australian defence last time round.

But if Australia has learnt the lessons of 2001 (and indeed, those of 1993 and 1997), if it survives the Montevidean cauldron on Saturday, the team could well be on the way to a
historic World Cup berth in Germany next year.