Skipper Lucas Neill has denied the Socceroos are a team of whingers.

Australia's two successive World Cup red cards - and coach Pim Verbeek and his players' criticism of the decisions - has led to suggestions the Socceroos complain too much when things don't go their way.

But on the eve of the match against Serbia which will decide whether they stay alive in the World Cup, Neill launched a strenuous defence of the Socceroos.

"Every single player went out of that dressing room the other day, and took it on the chin," Neill said about the decision to send Harry Kewell off in the 1-1 draw with Ghana at the weekend.

"My quote (after the match) was: 'We didn't get a big decision go our way'. That's not whinging, that's just the way it is.

"Australia's never been a team that whinges, and we don't ever want to be regarded as a team that whinges.

"Did we whinge when we went down to 10 men? No. We took it on the chin, stood up and probably could have won the game.

"That's not a team that whinges. A team that whinges would have lost three or four-nil, and then come in complaining about the ref."

Verbeek says he is still mulling over how best to structure his starting 11 for a game Australia must win to have any hope of progressing to the round of 16.

Melbourne Heart centre-back Michael Beauchamp is set to replace suspended veteran Craig Moore.

How Australia line up without Kewell - one of only three recognised strikers in the squad - remains unclear.

Tim Cahill, who returns from suspension, is certain to start.

But Verbeek hinted Brett Holman, excellent against Ghana and Australia's only goalscorer at the tournament, may also be shoehorned into the starting side.

Australia must beat Serbia to have any hope of progressing beyond the group stage.

They also need either Ghana to beat Germany by any margin, or Germany to hammer Ghana by enough to redress a poor goal difference equation in the Socceroos' favour.

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