Tired and bleary-eyed, Socceroos striker Josh Kennedy and wife Jacinta Hamilton wander through Tokyo’s Narita airport looking confused and more than a little out of place.
It’s June 2009 and, with Kennedy having just signed for J-League outfit Nagoya Grampus, the Australian couple and their two young children have arrived in the country to start their new life in Japan.
The first thing that strikes you about the Kennedy family as they wade through Narita airport is their height.
Next to his tall Australian Opals representative basketballer wife, the lanky Socceroos striker seems in his element, but drop the couple into a sea of short Japanese “salary men” rushing to catch flights home at the end of a working day at one of the busiest airports in East Asia, and things are decidedly different.
As the young family makes its way through customs and hurries off to catch their third and final plane in the long journey from Australia to the industrial city of Nagoya they look like Giraffes walking through shrubbery.
While in that moment Kennedy found himself feeling both excited and unsure of exactly what lay ahead of him, he has gone on to be “big in Japan” in both a figurative and literal sense.
Scoring at a rate higher than a goal every second game, the 29-year-old has found a level of consistently that eluded him throughout his nine seasons in Germany – he’s already scored more goals during three seasons in Japan than he did throughout his entire time in Germany.
Of most interest to Socceroos fans though is that this year Kennedy has finally begun to replicate his club form at international level, banging in eight goals in his last six games wearing the green and gold.
With Harry Kewell coming back into the squad for this week’s World Cup qualifiers for the first time this season, the question for coach Holger Osieck is does he drop his inform goal scorer or leave the highest profile player in the squad on the bench?
Working against Kennedy is the Socceroos tendency to take the easy way out when struggling to build up from the back with the 194cm tall striker in the side. A fact that was most prevalent against Thailand in September (http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/09/08/holger-osieck-and-the-cahill-conundrum/).
While it remains to be seen whether Kennedy has the ability to perform consistently against the highest level of opposition international football can provide, the Wodonga born striker couldn’t have done much more to earn his place in Osieck’s starting XI throughout the opening stages of World Cup qualifying.
Yet, if the man Australian fans like to call “Jesus” is to become the Socceroos’ saviour, than both he and his long-ball susceptible team-mates will need to keep answering their critics.
Follow Davidde on Twitter @DaviddeCorran
Roger
Guest
Kewell was subbed because Victory were down to 9 men, and chasing Brisbane players for 60 minutes. Not hard to guess why a 33 yo Kewell was subbed at 60 minutes.
Roger
Guest
Great line up. Question though - why Zullo instead of Williams?
Realfootball
Guest
I also think that Partaalu is a better player than Valeri, Jedinak or Kilkenny (who I find a relentlessly ordinary footballer).
Realfootball
Guest
Jedinak, Valeri and Kilkenny are all well short of international class. Before 2014 we will have both Herd and Williams playing central midfield in the EPL. Barring injury, that will surely be our starting 11 combination.
fatboi
Guest
I'd love to see Spiranovic, Oar, Kruse, Rukyvitsa, Leckie, Langaraak, Burns and co become socceroo regulars too. But it's important they they are playing week in week out first team football and be in good form to be banging at the door. As far as I know, out of the current fringe soceroos, Jedinak, Rhys WIlliams, Kilkenny, Macdonald, and perhaps a handful others are playing regularly. I can definately see more improvement on our first 11 going forward to the final stage of WC qualifiers. Dearly would love to see Nicky Carle unleash his magic again on the international stage. Under Holger, the team wants to keep the ball more, play the ball on the floor, quick passing exchanges and movement. oh boy I'd love to see Nicky operate as a no.10 in such a positive attacking football structure under Holger. As for the much debated central midfield positions, I feel that nobody has done enough to cement their place. Valeri seems like he's Holger's first choice with Jediank and Kilkenny competing for the other position. I would push for Luke Wilkshire's involvement, for Rhys Williams to be given an opportunity either at Centre Half or Centre Midfield, Matt McKay to be unleashed in the middle of the park, Erik Partelu to be given half a chance. We've seen Valeri and Jedinak for a few years now. Good players they are. But in a world cup, I'm not so sure.
Bondy
RF , Griffo, Good points i've not seen The Roos with as many options as we have now and would suspect in two years time i think more a league based players will be on the plane probably bar a few BIG Names .
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Fatboi----Not a bad line up, just wondering about Kewell's fitness these days, he was subbed last week and not sure why---is he fully match fit? I would like to see Oar given the chance to shine for once.
fatboi
Guest
will be a tough call for Holger. But in Holger we trust. Kennedy and Holman cannot be dropped as their recent games have been too good. Question is will Holman play as the second striker/in the hole or as a wide attacker? Would also love to see Wilkshire push on to midfield, everytime he plays there he gives us so much drive. Emerton can play right back- our white Cafu if you like. Cahill is sadly a bench player for Everton these days and unless Kennedy and Holman are injured, should be a just-in-case bench option for the Socceroos too. i love how we seem to be having more depth this time. I can easily see a squad of 23 with two genuine options for every position. As we move on to the next round of qualifiers, I hope Rhys WIliams is given a chance at central midfield, and Nicky Carle comes back to the fold. personally i would like to see this team for the next match: .........................Kennedy......................... .......Kewell.........Holman.......Emerton...... ...................Mackay....Valeri.................... Zullo........Oggy.............Neill........Wilkshire
Realfootball
Guest
I had reservations initially, but Holger is turning out to be a very astute appointment. Not only is he managing generational change superbly, but the team's overall play is on an upward trajectory.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Yes, this is a very different scenario to 2006 when Hiddink indicated there was no real depth to the squad in Germany, and Pim more or less relied on the 2006 squad in South Africa. Whether the likes of Hiddink would have done the work Holger has done to ensure at least two players for every position is another debate, but there is no denying that the old 'Golden Generation will leave a void' scenario is going to be a complete non-event. I think Holgers work here and now for the national team is going to leave a legacy for at least two world cup cycles, whether he is at the helm for 2018 or not. Exciting times ahead.
Realfootball
Guest
The upshot of this is that the concerns about the passing of the "Golden Generation" are well and truly dead. The depth in the squad is impressive. Rukavytsia, Oar, Leckie and Vidosic aren't even part of this squad. Then there's Antonis coming through. I would say that 2014 is looking very interesting.
Griffo
Roar Guru
I think Holger has made it clear that form and not name defines a players likely starting spot. That and the 'conditions of the day' that Holger thinks the team will come up against. My feeling from Holgers comments recently is that Kewell will be on the bench, with Kennedy and Holman starting for the Oman game. A win there may see a different lineup in Thailand for experience (for younger players) and exposure back in to the likes of Kewell. Regardless the 'Roos will do well to keep their passing game going, even if Thailand stack the defence again. Yes we are susceptible to long ball when Plan A doesn't work all to readily, which is why I would like to see Holger's spit fly out of the technical area if this type of play happens again against Thailand. I think Thailand will play a different game at home though, particularly if needing points. They were full of flair and attacking intent at home to Oman, no reason that won't occur against us with the vocal home crowd behind them.
Roger
Guest
Kennedy = in form. Use him. As for Kewell, he's an attacking midfielder, not a striker. If anything, Kewell will be able to feed Kennedy. I don't see a problem here.
Matt F
Roar Guru
I'd hardly call a player who is scoring goals for fun in the J-League a burden. At the moment he is probably the best striker that we have and he and Holman are working very, very well together which is resulting in good wins for the team. Harry, Brett and Tim need to prove that they deserve a spot in the side by playing good, consistant football. They are no longer walk up starts and, as none are full-time strikers, they're not really competing with Kennedy anyway.. Cahill is the unfortunate one in that, despite being one of our best players, he doesn't seem to fit into the current system alongside Kennedy and he happens to be competing for one spot with Holman, who has been our best player recently. It's a nice problem for Holger to have.
ish
Guest
I would say kewell for australia plays as a second striker/wing striker. On the note of kennedy, he is a fine striker and using his height is all good in certain situations. For instance kennedy has improved his post play alot. The issue is australia plays in asia where they are on average much taller then their opponents and you use every advantage you can. Their opponents also dont have the same level of skill or physical ability as the european teams so when they go up against better opposition, physically they can compete but technically they lose. Im a huge fan of the direction japan is going, i think japan has an amazing culture for soccer in that they actively train alot of technical ability, some of the japanese midfielders and fullbacks are up there with the best in the world. Many top european powerhouses would love to get kagawa, honda, hasebe and endo. Add to it the younger players coming through and australia just doesnt have any where near that level of technical ability.
peter
Guest
Form is very important ... but so too is class. Its a great problem for Holger to have.
JohnL
Guest
Shouldn't a player's form decide if they play or not instead of their surname?
Realfootball
Guest
The Kewell issue is irrelevant. Kewell isn't a striker, and has always been an inconsistent finisher, The issue is who plays alongside Kennedy, It would appear to be an either/or situattion with Kewell and Emerton. Either Holman drops to the right flank and allows Harry to play in the hole, meaning Emerton is on the bench, or the status quo stays as is and Harry is on the bench. And what about Cahill? I suppose the other option is Harry on the left flank, moving McKay inside and leaving Emerton and Holman where they are, but that still leaves Cahill on the pine. We are entering a new era. Kewell, Cahill and Emerton are all 32 or older. Frankly, none of them are really starting 11 players in the Roos now (I would select Kruse ahead of Emerton) and will be even less so in another year's time.