By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, June 1 (Reuters) - Short on star power but always up for a fight, Australia head to the World Cup eyeing another trip to the knockout rounds but dogged by the usual questions about whether they have the attacking quality to trouble the top teams.
The Socceroos have made a habit of qualifying for the global soccer showpiece, making it to the last six tournaments and reaching the last 16 for a second time in Qatar four years ago.
Despite a dearth of world-class players, they broke
new ground in Qatar under former coach Graham Arnold, winning multiple matches for the first time after scraping through qualifying via an intercontinental playoff.
With the benefit of an expanded 48-team tournament, qualifying for North America was a relative breeze under coach Tony Popovic and left staff with plenty of time to plan.
Home fans are expectant but Australia find themselves in a tricky group with co-hosts the United States, a resurgent Turkey and 2010 quarter-finalists Paraguay.
Popovic's squad is no more blessed with elite-level players than Arnold's was, but it carries a similar swagger.
"We're not hoping, we are really believing that we can go further than any Socceroos team ever before," veteran midfielder Jackson Irvine told Reuters.
Since replacing Arnold midway through the World Cup cycle, Popovic has cast the net wide in search of talent.
While relying on old hands such as goalkeeper Mat Ryan, his roster is laden with World Cup debutants and rising talents such as full back Jordan Bos and winger Nestory Irankunda.
A late entrant to the squad was former Italy under-20 international Cristian Volpato, who plays for Serie A side Sassuolo and, as a dual citizen, switched allegiance to Australia last week.
The Socceroos retain the same physicality and doggedness they had under Arnold but are even more wedded to structure and defensive organisation under Popovic.
That may serve them well as they negotiate the group stage but could prove less effective in the knockout rounds when goals tend to be harder to come by.
Australia have made do without a notable target man since Tim Cahill was in his pomp and lack top-shelf midfielders to serve their limited forwards.
There is plenty of excitement around 20-year-old Irankunda and 22-year-old striker Mohamed Toure, who have impressed for their clubs in England's second tier.
Expecting them to fire Australia into the last 16 with a flurry of goals may be a bit much but former Socceroos striker Archie Thompson reckons the African-born duo can make a name for themselves.
"These young players are an X-factor," Thompson, who scored 28 goals in 54 internationals, told Reuters.
"They could come on to the world stage and dominate. Or it may take another World Cup when they're more hardened."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
