If ever Pim's strategy of clean sheets and ground out wins needed vindication, witness our World Cup draw.

This is not a Group of Death. This is a Group of Grind.

In 2006, no-one expected us to beat Brazil except disturbed optimists and those fans who judged Brazil on their ability to play rugby and cricket.

We hoped for a win against Japan and a draw or win against Croatia could see us though. And it did. One impossible task, one likely task and one that could go either way. That was the gameplan from Day One.

In 2010, there is no single team that we can't beat. Unfortunately every single one of them can beat us too.

Germany are just the type of team that, on our day, we can sneak a win. That north European style of play is perfect for our (generally) composed play.

We've beaten Holland, we've beaten England, we can beat Germany, especially given their often erratic opening World Cup matches.

More importantly though, we can definitely grind out a draw against them using our most experienced side.

Likewise Ghana. We've played them once and beaten them in Sydney. In South Africa, it's almost a home game for them and there's no question it will be a tougher tie.

Speed will be the main issue facing us and we risk being made to look old and slow without the introduction of some zippy youth into the side - maybe Rukavytsya upfront and Spira or Milligan into defence.

If we can contain their marauding runs and keep one of those precious Schwarzer clean sheets, we have the chance of a Cahill matchwinner or at the very least a stalemate draw.

Finally Serbia, in a match that has the making of another Croatia 2006 epic with everything to play for.

If ever there was a looming tie to bring a certain Socceroo striker out of his hermit-like reclusion, it is this.

I have no idea how strongly Viduka feels about the Balkan War - but World Cup battles against your nearest neighbour and historic rivals fire everyone's passion.

Viduka's Croatian roots must be tingling at the prospect of being able to kick Serbia out of the World Cup. Can he resist the temptation to find a club and work his arse off for six months to get that chance?

With or without Dukes, this match will be warfare. In such a tightly contested group, everything is likely to be on the line.

A win would see us through but if we can just hold firm and get yet another draw, we could be home and dry IF Germany bounce back from an opening draw against us to rout the opposition in their remaining two group games.

So long as Ghana and Serbia draw, in a worst case scenario, we can sneak through with just three goalless draws to our name. If we can pull off even just one win, we should be home and dry.

We don't need flair football to take us through the group stages. In fact, any attempt to play flair is liable to be punished dearly by any one of those teams.

We don't need upsets, we just need to be steady and unflustered. It would be as lacklustre as much of our qualifying campaign has been - but just as effective...and tee up a possible do or die match against England (as if qualifying for the knockout stage wasn't reward enough.)

Pim's grindhouse football can get us there. National pride can get us past England. After that, though, adrenalin alone may have to be enough...