Australia vs. Holland: A preview of Brazil?

Australia's game against Holland this Sunday is effectively Australia's last competitive warm-up match before before opening their World Cup campaign against Japan on June 12. In between the two matches, Australia will play Liechtenstein (who?) in hopefully a confidence booster for the Socceroos and a chance for Hiddink to cement his preferred starting XI.

Holland is a class team and are tipped by many to dazzle in the tournament (they are equal sixth favourite with Spain and France on most betting websites).

Dutch coach and former striking superstar Marco Van Basten prefers a 4-3-3 formation with an attack led by Manchester United's Ruud Van Nistelrooy with Arjen Robben (Chelsea) and Robin Van Persie (Arsenal) supporting him from the wings.

In choosing his World Cup squad Van Basten took the hard line by ending the international careers of veterans Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf leaving Mark van Bommel (Barcelona), Philip Cocu (PSV) and Rafael Van der Vaart (Hamburg) to lead the midfield in Germany. Apart from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, their defence is similarly anonymous with no place for Milan’s veteran Jaap Stam.

Apart from the prolific Van Nistelrooy, the Dutch team is lacking the calibre of players that Aussie Guus led to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 however they are a talented team with a great deal of potential.

Australia will benefit from playing Holland as they will be exposed to a classy side playing a formation very similar to Brazil. Indeed Australia's defence will need to show in Sunday's game that they can hold off a multi-pronged attack and should they finish the Holland game with a clean sheet (no goals conceded) hopes will be high that they can also thwart Brazil's attacking play in the tournament proper.

Hiddink will most probably stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and most of his preferred XI. One position that is still up for grabs is the goalkeeper with Hiddink yet to decide on who is his preferred no.1. With Zeljko Kalac playing the whole game against Greece it is expected that Hiddink will hand the gloves back to Mark Schwarzer to keep both keepers vying for the coveted spot right up until the Japan match.

Schwarzer
Emerton - Neil - Moore - Chipperfield
Grella - Culina
Bresciano - Skoko - Sterjovski
Viduka

Against Holland's attacking trio, defensive midfielders Culina and Grella will have huge role to play in front of the back four - one they will have to repeat when we play Brazil.

Expect substitutions from both sides at roughly the 60 minute mark as both coaches endeavour to protect their players from injury. John Aloisi will be keen for a run. Hiddink might also use the game to switch formations to see how the team can adapt to either protect a lead or to chase the game.