Iran debacle spurs Viduka

foxsports - MARK Viduka is using his most painful memory in football to fire himself up for Australia's World Cup showdown with Uruguay.

The Middlesbrough striker, back on form after a string of injury problems, will be crucial to the Socceroos' hopes of reaching next summer's finals in Germany by overcoming South American over two legs in Montevideo and Sydney on November 13 and 16.

Viduka has been here before, of course, most notably when the Aussies let slip a two-goal lead against Iran in Melbourne 1997 to fall at the final hurdle.

They also lost out to Uruguay four years ago when a 1-0 first-leg lead was torn to pieces by the former world champion at the Centenario in Montevideo.

But Viduka admits it is the defeat to Iran eight years ago that still rankles the most with him.

"We were winning 2-0 with 15 minutes to go and then an idiot ran on the pitch and the game was stopped," he recalled.

"All of a sudden we lost our rhythm and they made it 2-2 and we were out. I was only in my early 20s at the time and I've never felt hurt like that in football."

Now 30, Viduka knows that this could be his last chance of playing in a World Cup and he believes Australia has sufficient quality to make it third time lucky under new coach Guus Hiddink.

"The squad we have now is better than it was four years ago, particularly as a lot of our players have more international experience with club and country," he said.

"Our new manager is amazing, everything about him so far has been superb.
"He's been to the World Cup, took Holland and South Korea to the semi-finals and managed Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven.

"You can't help but pick up confidence from a manager like that and to know that someone is in charge with so much experience is important for us players who haven't reached the finals before."

Meanwhile, resolute defender Ljubo Milicevic will make one final push for a starting spot in the Australia team to face Uruguay when his Swiss club Thun face Ajax in the Champions League tonight.

Milicevic is likely to attract the full attention of Hiddink with a strong performance against the Dutch heavyweights in Berne.

Despite a strong showing in the Confederations Cup, Milicevic was dropped by Hiddink when the Dutch master selected his first Australia squad ahead of the Oceania playoff with the Solomon Islands in September.

The 24-year-old was given an opportunity to impress Hiddink first-hand when he regained his place in the squad ahead of this month's friendly with Jamaica, but chose to miss the training camp in Holland and the game in England to attend his brother's wedding.

He is yet to play under Hiddink but Milicevic said his first season in the Champions League was an important stage in his career.

"There's no better competition to play in than the Champions League," Milicevic said.

"You just realise the different level of football. It has brought me along quite a bit and it's a big experience playing in front of big crowds in foreign countries."