Australia striker Tim Cahill has bemoaned his side's lack of fortune with referees after they ended each of their first two World Cup games with 10 men.

Cahill was dismissed during the 4-0 defeat by Germany, while Harry Kewell suffered the same fate after handling on the line during the 1-1 draw with Ghana.

The Everton player told the Sydney Morning Herald: "I don't know what position we have ever been in where the odds have been with us.

"I think for us as a nation, we have never been given the fair go. But this is it, the mentality is we are very positive and we are a team."

Cahill was sent off by Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez for a lunge at Bastian Schweinsteiger, and was forced to sit out the Ghana game, which saw Italian Roberto Rosetti red card Kewell, who will now miss the final Group D encounter with Serbia in Nelspruit on Wednesday.

Cahill, who will be available for that match, said: "Obviously it's going to be a very hard week for H [Harry].

"We are professionals and we have to accept this whether the decisions are borderline.

"It's one of these things, in two games, two red cards is hard to take, but how can we change the decision?"