To see the Socceroos training in Dubai...

In the five matches since Pim Verbeek has been in charge of the Socceroos, they have yet to concede a single goal.

It is now 581 minutes - a shade short of ten hours - since the Australian defence was breached by Argentina's Martin Demichelis in the friendly at the MCG last September.

That's a pretty extraordinary record and one that speaks well for a much-maligned Australian defence which Verbeek admits has given him his fair share of headaches.

The only two constants across at the back for much of that time have been goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and left-back David Carney.

That's the same David Carney who played on the left wing for Sydney FC and was often criticised for his defensive awareness. Now he finds himself in charge of the left side of the Australia defence.

It was an experiment started at the Asian Cup by Graham Arnold and it was one of the few things that worked for Australia in that tournament. Carney's athletic ability allowed him to step into Scott Chipperfield's spot and make it his own.

"I played at the Asian Cup, I was playing left back and I doubted myself to be fair," he told reporters in Dubai this week.

"I think a lot of others did as well. I took a lot on. I worked hard and took everything in. All the advice that the coaches and staff gave me.

"I really worked hard at it. When I first started there I was a bit nervous, but now I'm getting a lot more confident."

Carney's progression has been nothing short of stunning. He marked Lionel Messi with distinction in that Argentina game and then scored a memorable goal against Nigeria to show that he still possesses that attacking spirit.

He admits it's hard sometimes to remember his defensive responsibilities, especially when he's left alone out wide.

"I just see glory and I want to have a go. I want to do step-overs and everything. But I know if I lose it, they could breakaway and score. I just try to work with the players. But if I get the chance I'm not afraid to have a go," he said.

Last Sunday's match against Iraq in Brisbane saw Carney given a ridiculous amount of space, which he didn't really exploit.

The sight of Harry Kewell and Scott McDonald drifting into attacking areas made it hard for Carney to judge his runs forward.

He said that there often has to be an unspoken communication between himself and Brett Emerton on the right-hand side that one stays at home in order to prevent counter-attacks.

"If Brett Emerton goes forward, I stay back or if I go forward, Brett stays back and that's just what we were doing," he said.

"I think some of the positional play we got caught out a couple of times, I don't think it's a major thing, it's more of a unit, more than just individuals."

But while much of the focus has been on Australia needing to defend against Iraq on Saturday, Carney believes scoring first will be vital to the end result.

He added: "It's going to be really hard, with the heat and they're used to that. It's important we start off well.

"I think if we get the first goal, that's crucial. In this heat, if we get the first goal, that would be a huge bonus for us."

To see the Socceroos training in Dubai...