We\'ll be up for China
By David Davutovic
February 09, 2008 WITH Australia focused on China, Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill believes next month\'s World Cup qualifier will be a test of character that could define the first phase of their campaign.

Australia tackle China at altitude on March 26, a game that will again be sandwiched between weekend club fixtures for the Europe-based players.

After the switch to Kunming (1890m above sea level), which will also test Australia logistically, and with China\'s players already promised whopping qualification incentives, Neill is expecting more surprises from their Group One rivals.

It\'s going to be a real challenge, he said. Altitude, China away. Probably a dodgy hotel, dodgy food, a dodgy ground - they\'ll try and do everything they can to test our character.

But we\'re Australian, with big hearts, and we\'ll rise to that challenge and relish it.

We know that if we can sneak a win over there, we\'re probably only four points away from getting through the group, which would be fantastic.

Because I don\'t fancy us going to Dubai in the middle of June at 40C and playing at our best, and the same again in Qatar, so we\'ve got to get the points on the board early.

Neill was one of only a handful of top-line overseas players who made the trek to Guangzhou last year.

On that occasion, the Socceroos shot out of the blocks thanks to a masterful Mark Viduka display and sat on a 2-0 lead without being seriously tested.

Graham Arnold was the coach on that occasion but the man who has replaced him - Pim Verbeek - has the full blessing of Neill.

Technically he\'s very sound and there\'s a nice and relaxed atmosphere, but at the same time keeping the discipline that we were starting to be used to.

The West Ham captain admitted that it would be a test backing up at home to Birmingham this weekend, just 33 hours after stepping off a flight from Melbourne.