Kennedy: No route one

Australia striker Josh Kennedy has denied he is playing a Lone Ranger role up front for the Socceroos and claims goals will come soon.

But, he suggests, playing the long ball is not the way to score them.

Kennedy has struggled to find both his touch and the net since Australia's FIFA World Cup campaign began in Melbourne last month but believes sharpness will soon come.

"I wouldn't say that I fight a lonely battle [up front]," Kennedy said after the 3-1 loss to the United States. "There are always team-mates near me. Sometimes [as a striker] you have your good days, bad days, sometimes you score goals and you don't score goals. Unfortunately, today, it was one of those days when it was quite tough but there will be many times when it is positive."

The man fans call 'Jesus' said Australia plays a similar style to his Japanese club Nagoya Grampus but that Australia should avoid playing 'route one' football to take advantage of his towering height.

"At club level, we play pretty much the same formation [as Australia]," Kennedy said. "First thing first is to keep the ball, so most teams are going to build up from the back. I think the thing is not to play too many long balls and not too early in the game. You only need a long ball to the front to give you an outlet sometimes. I am sure we will work on that at training this week."

Kennedy said airborne passes were harder to judge with the controversial Jabulani ball.

"Today, it was extremely difficult to anticipate where it was going to go and sometimes it went a few metres either side," Kennedy said. "Our first game is at sea level, so I will see how we go."

Although he spent almost 10 years of his career playing in Germany, Kennedy said he would treat next week's game as any other.

"The victory might be that little bit sweeter if we win but it is the same as playing any other team that we have got in the group," he said.


http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1006457/Kennedy:-No-route-one