TERRIGAL, Australia -- Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak will lead Australia at the World Cup after getting the nod over Tim Cahill to replace long-term captain Lucas Neill. Air Max Baratas Outlet . Australia coach Ange Postecoglou announced the decision Wednesday, five days ahead of the Socceroos last friendly on home soil before the squad leaves for Brazil. The 29-year-old Jedinak was a mainstay for Palace last season, playing every game until he had to be replaced due to a groin strain during the last Premier League match. Jedinak has played 43 times for Australia and was considered a longer-term option than 34-year-old Cahill, the New York Red Bulls star who will be playing at his third World Cup. "It is a privileged position and an accolade he richly deserves after the incredible job he has done at Crystal Palace in the toughest club competition in world football," Postecoglou said. "Mile Jedinak embodies everything that is great about Australian football and Australia as a nation. "He has risen to the top ... and done it the hard way from humble beginnings where he has battled and believed in himself to overcome the odds with an enormous work ethic and passion for what he does. I have no doubt he will lead the team with distinction in Brazil." Postecoglou told the 36-year-old Neill before unveiling the extended 30-man World Cup squad last week that he wasnt in the Socceroos future plans. Jedinak, who played in a defeat to Germany in 2010 in his only previous World Cup match, will be only the fourth Australian to lead the Socceroos at footballs marquee tournament, following Peter Wilson (1974), Mark Viduka (2006) and Neill (2010). Cahill and Mark Bresciano, who is also going to his third World Cup, were appointed as vice-captains. Jedinak led Australia for the first time during a 4-3 loss to Ecuador in a friendly in London in March. "To be handed the responsibility of captaining my country at the World Cup is humbling, yet incredibly exciting," Jedinak said. "It is an honour to be named captain but it is also a huge responsibility and I look forward to providing leadership for the team along with Tim and Mark as we take on some of the biggest nations in world football." Australia plays South Africa in a friendly on Monday before leaving for South America. The Australians were drawn into a difficult Group B with defending champion Spain, 2010 runner-up Netherlands and Chile and are considered long shots to advance to the knockout stages in Brazil. Postecoglou said Jedinaks lead-from-the-front mentality was crucial to the selection. "Hes led a group of players and a team in the English Premier League that many had written off. A lot of those characteristics apply to us right now and I know that when we get to Brazil and face up to the challenges we need to face up to, Mile and Timmy and Mark will be leading from the front," he said. "Ive challenged these guys as well to have their best World Cup ever." Comprar Air Max Baratas Online . The Raptors (15-15) posted six road victories last month and have won seven of their last nine games overall. Toronto visits the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Air Max Outlet España . Bryce Harper? He also came into Wednesday without a long ball and hadnt driven in a run. He was hitting .160, had nearly three times as many strikeouts as hits and was dropped to seventh in the batting order. http://www.baratasairmaxoutlet.es/ . First, the Red Wings scored the tying goal after officials missed the puck hitting the protective netting, then the Kings wound up losing in a shootout. That could affect playoff positioning in the Eastern and Western Conferences, and thats a concern for everyone.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The easy part for the Washington Nationals was signing former American League Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to a contract. All they had to do for that to happen was shell out $210 million over seven years. The hard part, of course, will now be living up to some lofty expectations since most gambling web sites have pegged the Nationals as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series in the wake of Scherzer signing. With or without Scherzer, though, the Nats were going to have an extra eye or two on them. Thats what happens when you win an NL-best 96 games and bow out in the first round of the playoffs. In fact, the Nats have won two of the last three NL East titles and still have yet to win a playoff series since 1981 when the franchise was located north of the border in Montreal. In fact, no team has done less with more than the Nationals over the past three years. But with a $200 million-plus pitcher like Scherzer at the top of that rotation now, there is no more wiggle room. Speaking of that rotation. Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister. Tanner Roarke. Five spots for six guys. Someone figures to be the odd man out, especially when realize the rotation alone makes $61 million-plus this season. By the way, this is a problem 29 other managers wouldnt mind having. What our plan is right now is to make sure everybody is training to be a starter. All of our guys are training who were scheduled to be starters are training as starters because you just dont know, Washington manager Matt Williams said. Well go into spring training in that mode. Again, during spring training you need multiple starters anyways, you need multiple starters for sure. It will work itself out. Right now everybody is getting ready for spring. Weve got less than a month before we get down there. Everybody is working hard and getting prepared. All of those guys are getting their arms in shape to be starters for us. You can never have enough pitching anyway, right? Of course, this is a formula that doesnt always worrk. Air Max Baratas España. . Ask the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, who boasted Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Yes, they may have won 102 games, but they didnt get out of the first round of the playoffs. The smart money would be on Roark being the odd man out, but his 15 wins a season ago were one behind Fister for the team lead. But, Roark is the least distinguished of the group and he has pitched out of the bullpen in the past. Zimmermann and Fister are free agents at seasons end. There was some speculation that Zimmermann was going to be dealt earlier this offseason. And that could still be the case, but Id doubt it. Why deal him? Go for it this year, let Zimmermann walk at the end of the season and settle for the first-round pick that would come the Nats way. Some have even said they could deal Strasburg. Again, I just dont see it. He hasnt been as good as advertised, but at times he is electric. Plus, hes only 25 and still under contract for at least two more seasons. And in case you are keeping score, Strasburg is a Scott Boras guy, the same agent who just got the Nats to break the bank for Scherzer. Boras also represents Washington sluggers Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth. By the way, there is no truth to the rumor the Nationals are changing their nickname to the Fighting Boras. Scherzer, though, is a horse. If I was running a team, Jon Lester would have been my target, but Id hate to live on the difference between the two. Both are awesome. The 30-year-old Scherzer won the 2013 AL Cy Young Award, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He wasnt as sharp last season, but was still one of the best pitchers in baseball, posting a 18-5 ledger with a 3.15 ERA. I think this team is capable of winning and winning a lot, Scherzer said. When you look at near term and long term, this is an organization you want to be a part of. I want to win and thats why Im here. Scherzer doesnt give the Nationals the best rotation in baseball. They already were without him. It may give them a better shot in October. And at the end of the day, thats all that matters. ' ' '