To see the Socceroos fans in Sydney...

 

Despite ending with the same points tally of four years ago in Germany - when the Socceroos reached the knockout stages for the first time - Australia is going home early despite ending its campaign in style with a 2-1 win over Serbia.

Australia's tally of four points from three matches meant it finished in third place - behind second-placed Ghana on goal difference - as the 4-0 loss to Germany in the opening game ultimately proved costly.

However Verbeek paid tribute to the fighting spirit of the Australian team for the way it overcame that disappointment to then draw with Ghana and beat Serbia to come desperately close to reviving a World Cup campaign that had been all but written off following the disaster in Durban in the opening match.

"It was a great result today and a great performance but we are not in the final 16," a disappointed Verbeek said after the game.

"That was the plan - to go to the final 16 - and it didn't work out that way but on the other hand I don't think we can blame the players."

"They did a great job in the last few weeks - they worked very, very hard and stepped up when everybody thought it was all over."

"We are all disappointed we didn't make it through to the final 16 - four points was good enough four years ago in Germany but this time it was not good enough."

While Verbeek, who now leaves to take up the job as national youth technical director for Morocco, refused to discuss just what he thought his legacy to Australian football would be after his time in charge, he said the future was bright for the Socceroos.

While a host of senior players are expected to retire from international football following this World Cup, including Craig Moore and Scott Chipperfield and possibly Mark Schwarzer and Harry Kewell, Verbeek said there was plenty of young talent coming up through the ranks.

"I think absolutely there is some (promising young) talent there," he said.

"You see what some of the younger players did in the (training camp) and players such as (James) Holland, (Tommy) Oar, (Shane) Lowry, (Rhys) Williams, (Dario) Vidosic and (Mark) Milligan are all good players, talented players who worked as hard as this current generation at the moment."

"They still have to show something in the upcoming years but they made big steps in the last few weeks training with the big boys and they can be as proud as the other boys, even if they didn't play one minute."

  

To see the Socceroos fans in Sydney...