Simple. We need Harry. If he is on the pitch he'll garner attention, opposition game plans will change, and it'll allow others to make an impact. He's already shown (and will continue to do so for mine) that he can do something special.

I agree with Neasden . . . players like Emerton offer a tonne of hope for us. He's almost as important. . . and has the skill and drive to change things, Fck I hope he's OK, he's massively important.

For me, Harry and Emerton are key in regards to our attack, the worry is they haven't had the best prep.

Just having Harry on the field will distract the oppos enough for our good right side/central attackers to get in and score some goals. And they better be distracted because Harry really is a world-class shot. Check out his reels if you don't believe, he can score as well as anyone and he's usually on target.
I'm more worried about Emerton. When he is on the pitch we get a huge boost to performance. We need that calf to heal smartly or we won't be going anywhere much and I would hate to see all the negative nancys proved right.

Kewell has the x-factor we need. I hope he gets a run against USA for 20 mins.

I agree xfirestormx. Milan Baros looked to harry to help him find form after an injury because harry is the world's best at this. He actually has been training for a while,(see 60 mins story). He actually was playing in the turkish league 1 month ago (albeit for 5 mins). Its just the latest niggle that stopped him for a few weeks. Its very different from someone coming back from a broken leg, who is just starting to find his touch with the ball, after an extended period out. In this sense i would argue that his form would be better than Bresc, with his back. I dont buy the arguments that he will lack sharpness, (maybe match fitness). He is always dangerous, remember the 2005 qualifier against Uruguary. He had a serious groin injury, and hadnt played for months, before that game. But when he came on sparked the Bresc goal.

harry kewell is one of the best and most important players in australia's squad. i saw kewell play for gs last year after coming back from a month long injury... he didnt miss a beat. he was insane on the pitch.

im not worried about harry kewell. he will be great in the wc, he is ready to start. the first competitive match he played for gs (after about a year on the sidelines) he scored with his first touch. harry is pure class and is ready to show it.

I just think he's going to be so underdone, and the situation with the speed through midfield so chronically slow, his impact will be minimal.

Nothing would please me more though than to be totally wrong.

Realfootball: I agree.

But he was still scoring regularly, and some really skillful goals. He's not as good as he was. But at his best he was EPL young player of the year or whatever it was, so less than this level may well be still be valuable.

He still has a great first touch etc - most of the things we lack most in our in our football.

If the others can provide the hard work etc, he maybe able to give us that moment of skill that makes the difference. Maybe not. I think he is worth chance, at least in the squad, maybe on the bench, if he can give us something that no-one else can.

But I agree it is a gamble. But hey, our attack is limited enough for us to gamble on Harry

Saviour, of course not.

But our attack has become some dire under Pim, it's obvious that his presence will improve significantly.

She hasn't won it yet.

And you sir, need some better investigative skills if you believe that Australia will win this world cup.

I reckon if Samantha Stosur can come out of nowhere and win the French Open then we can win the World Cup with Harry on crutches even.

Problem is, Gnome, he was doing them a lot more slowly.

I reckon we have a chance with Harry but without him lets fact it no one on our team is good on the ball!

Realfootball: "He's light years from the player he was anyway."
Don't agree.
In half a season uninjured at Galatasaray he became a cult hero, with some magic goals.
If Frank Rijkaard rates him, there aren't many better endorsements.
Harry's limits have nearly always been his injury problems. When fit at the end of 2009 at Gala, he was doing all the same magical things he did when younger.
I reckon that's why Verbeek is risking him, just as Guus Hiddink did. Hiddink looked for superfit players, yet played Harry on one leg against Croatia in 2006. And he scored. Suggests that these managers think he's special, even if fragile.

Spain have been turning in poor results as well, but that doesn't mean they won't be favourites.

Pre tournament friendlies don't mean anything. We haven't turned in the greatest performances either.

I've been away for 3 months so I donno how big a deal this was. I think we should be right anyway with Serbia, Ghana and Germany all turning in some poor results.

If he doesn't get a little bit of time against USA then I think Pim is crazy. What if he does the groin in the first 5min against Germany (or even worse, in his first couple of min after being brought on!)?

Unless they have Grella "tackling" him at training to simulate real harsh match conditions then I think it's a massive risk. Please Pim, give him some game time against USA.

I am still amazed that in a full contact session, this close to a World Cup, these blokes do not wear shin pads. All it takes is one loose tackle (i.e. Vince Grella) and your gone. Good to see HK back though, even at half fitness he is worth having in the squad.

I just LOL'd.=d>

Is your name perchance Kurt Angle? And did you win an Olympic Gold Medal with a broken freaking neck?!

He'll need some time (even 15 minutea) against USA just to see where he is at.

Didn't Pim Verbeek say that anyone who wasn't playing regularly during the last 2 months wouldn't be considered for the world cup squad? And he was even talking about fully fit players, not injury cases like Harry Kewell who hasn't kicked a ball in months.

whats wrong with these guys.....when i were young i played with broken arms,toes,nose,ripped groins,water on the knee,calf strain broken fingers and that was all in one match.....

Anyone who thinks that after 6 months out and a handfull of training sessions under his belt that he'll be the saviour of our attack is, at best, dilusional.

Hope he is alright..,

How can he possibly be ready to play in a World Cup finals.

He's light years from the player he was anyway. Lot of fuss about not much.

one complete training session and he's ready for the world cup

what are the odds of him snapping his groin in this tournament?


What do you think about the FourFourTwo article Harry's Back At Last?
HARRY Kewell made the biggest step towards being fit for the World Cup opener against Germany by participating in a full contact training session with his team-mates for the first time since arriving in South Africa.

Have your say.