Skoko strike gives Australia 1-0 victory

Australia gave 95,000 home fans a rousing World Cup send-off with a 1-0 win over European champions Greece at the MCG in the Australian city of Melbourne.

Midfielder Josip Skoko, who plays for Stoke City in the English Championship, scored the winning goal in the 16th minute with a cracking left-foot volley from outside the penalty area.

It was perfect tonic for Dutch coach Guus Hiddink as he takes his Australian squad to Holland Friday for a pre-World Cup training camp ahead of another warm-up match against the Netherlands in Rotterdam on June 4.

The Australians make their first appearance for 32 years in the World Cup finals with an opening match against Japan in Kaiserslautern on June 12.

Hiddink's team were full value for their win, showing sharpness on the ball, superior organisation and fluid passing, while Greece looked slower and off their game in comparison.

Skoko stunned Greece with his spectacular volley after a corner from Marco Bresciano in the 16th minute.

Bresciano found Lucas Neill on the far post and his header was directed by Mile Sterjovski into the path of Skoko, who powered a first-time volley into the top left corner of the goal with goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis stranded.

Australia dominated the opening half as the Greeks struggled to make their passes with moves often breaking down.

The Greeks' only first-half chance came in the fifth minute when their Euro 2004 goal hero Angelos Charisteas scooped his volley high over the crossbar.

Bresciano almost stretched Australia's lead when his 24th-minute long-range free kick skimmed just past the right post away from Nikopolidis' despairing dive.

Sterjovski, who was proving lively up front with skipper Mark Viduka, brought a diving save from Nikopolidis minutes later in Australia's fourth shot on target.

The Australians believed they had a genuine appeal for a penalty three minutes before half-time when Viduka appeared to have his shirt tugged by his marker Sotirios Kyrgiakos as he chased the ball inside the area, but English referee Mike Riley waved play on.

Coach Otto Rehhagel introduced more urgency into his Greek team for the second half, bringing on four substitutes as the European champions pressed more and gave the Australians less space than the first half.

Skipper Theodoros Zagorakis, who came on in the second half, had a great chance to equalise in the 70th minute but he fired high over the bar.

Sterjovski headed just wide after a neat cross from Bresciano minutes later as Archie Thompson, on for Viduka, added more pace to the Australian front line.

Midfielder Jason Culina brought another sprawling save from Nikopolidis three minutes from time with a full-blooded drive and Australia comfortably saw out the remaining minutes for a morale-boosting win as they head to Europe in the countdown to the World Cup finals.

Australia - Zeljko Kalac, Brett Emerton, Lucas Neill, Craig Moore, Scott Chipperfield (Tony Popovic 50), Jason Culina, Josip Skoko (Luke Wilkshire 61), Vince Grella, Marco Bresciano, Mile Sterjovski (Stan Lazaridis 74), Mark Viduka (captain/Archie Thompson 61)

Greece - Antonios Nikopolidis, Georgios Seitaridis, Trainos Dellas, Angelos Basinas (Theodoros Zagorakis 45), Stykianos Giannakopoylos (Panagiotis Lagos 45), Angelos Charisteas, Georgios Karagounis (Theofanis Gekas 86), Panagiotis Fyssas, Konstantinos Katsouranis, Sotirios Kyrgiakos (Georgios Anatolakis 45), Georgios Samaras (Dimitrios Salpigidis 45).

Referee: Mike Riley (ENG)

Crowd: 95,103