Admit it, as much as you felt for Marks Viduka and Schwarzer, the sight of the SocceRoos crashing out of the World Cup left a smug grin on your face. Well, not their new manager. Most of us revel in seeing the Aussies put in their place, so superior is their sporting prowess, so rare their failures. True, we've got the Ashes, but for how long? And their rugby union lot have only just given ours a lesson in egg-shaped excellence. The last time we played them at our own game - that's football Bruce, not soccer - we were humbled 3-1. At home. And up until last Monday Viduka and Co looked like making a serious dent on Germany 2006. Enter Fabio Grosso, one dodgy dive and a Francesco Totti spot-kick winner seconds from time and it was not so much `G'day' as `Goodnight'. Within days Viduka (right, with Newcastle's Craig Moore) had hinted at international retirement, Schwarzer at playing in South Africa 2010 - but whatever the future holds for the pair, Gareth Southgate insists they can be proud of their achievements over the past three weeks. "There's no question that you have to feel for Australia," said Southgate. "I spoke to both Marks after the game and they were understandably very disappointed with the outcome. Both feel it was a great opportunity to go further. "But when they look back at the competition, they can be very proud of what they've done in getting out of a very tough group with Brazil." MIDDLESBROUGH may not be a "Small town in Europe" this season, but a new book gives fans the chance to relive the UEFA Cup glory nights of the past two years. The Road to Eindhoven - by Bernie Slaven, Alastair Brownlee and Gordon Cox - charts the Teessiders every European step from their historic first match against Banik Ostrava to May's heartbreaking final defeat at the hands of Sevilla. Packed with anecdotes, stats and 60 colour snaps, it is priced £15 and is available from the club shops at the Riverside and Captain Cook Square, and a host of local book shops. Signed copies are also available by sending a cheque for £17 - payable to UEFA Cup Book - to Linthorpe Publishing, 38 Westwood Avenue, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, TS5 5PX. EX-BORO badboy Abel Xavier is confident of an imminent return to football after last week's appeal against his drugs ban - and the Portuguese star claims he already has a new mystery club lined up. The 32-year-old (left) made just five appearances for the Teessiders before testing positive for the anabolic steroid methandienone following a UEFA Cup tie against Greek team Xanthi last September. He was banned by UEFA for 18 months and sacked by Boro but took his appeal to the Court of Arbitration last Thursday, after which he said: "I'm optimistic. "I have already fulfilled eight months of my suspension and there is a new issue here. "I have an agreement to join a club if my sentence is reduced." | 
