IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Soccer

Aussies keen on Hiddink

Australia has made tentative contact with former coach Guus Hiddink about the national team coaching job left vacant by the sacking of Holger Osieck, Football Federation Australia chief executive David Gallop said on Sunday. Osieck was sacked after Australia was hammered by France in Paris on Friday, the second time in a month it had lost 6-0 after a similar humbling at the hands of Brazil in Brasilia. German Osieck had led the Socceroos to qualification for next year's World Cup finals, now just eight months away, and Gallop said the FFA was keen to get somebody in place as soon as possible.