Socceroos Must Seize Limited Chances at World Cup, Says Kewell
Former Socceroo icon Harry Kewell has stressed the critical need for Australia to be clinical in front of goal during the upcoming FIFA World Cup. With opportunities likely to be scarce in the tournament’s structured environment and challenging climate, Kewell believes the team cannot afford to squander the immense talent of young attacker Nestory Irankunda.
Kewell, who will be part of the SBS broadcast team for the World Cup, anticipates a tournament characterised by tactical discipline rather than free-flowing football. The anticipated heat in the USA, Canada, and Mexico is expected to contribute to a more compact and strategic approach from most nations.
The ex-Leeds and Liverpool star predicts the Socceroos will likely adopt a similarly stifling defensive strategy, aiming to catch opponents on the counter-attack. “When we get our opportunities to attack, it’s whether we can be deadly enough,” Kewell stated. “We may only get one or two opportunities in a game. Hopefully, we get more, but we need to be able to strike in those moments.”
This is precisely why Kewell sees the 20-year-old Irankunda as a potentially vital player for Australia’s aspirations of progressing to the knockout stages.
“Irankunda, he’s interesting for me,” Kewell commented on the young attacker, who recently concluded his debut season with English Championship club Watford. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but what I want to see is for him to go out and enjoy himself. He’s had a tough season. The Championship is a tough league, but you can see he’s powerful, and you can see he’s strong.”
Kewell was particularly impressed by Irankunda’s performance in Australia’s recent 1-1 draw against Switzerland in a World Cup warm-up match held in San Diego.
“The athleticism of him, the way he got could get knocked down but got straight back up again… in the second half, he took the ball down just outside the box on his chest, got knocked down, sprang back up and sprinted forward – that excites me,” Kewell enthused. “He had a ferocious shot in the second half. He pushed off and he let go – I had to rewind it a couple of times. The keeper made a great save in tapping it on to the bar. They’re the type of things you want to see in games. Hopefully, we can create opportunities for him to be able to create those moments.”
Looking ahead to the group stage, Kewell admitted he would have preferred a different opening fixture for the Socceroos. Australia is set to face Turkiye in Vancouver on Sunday (AEST), followed by matches against the USA in Seattle on June 20 and Paraguay in the San Francisco Bay Area on June 26.
“If I could restructure the group, I would change the first game and play USA,” Kewell revealed. “(Turkiye) will be the strongest in the group, and if they get off to a great start, they may rest one or two players towards the end of it. If we can get something against them great, but if we don’t, it’s going to put us in a tough position in the games against America and Paraguay because we’re going to have to go for it.”
In related news, Kewell is set to unveil his all-time best XI of players he has shared the pitch with. This exclusive reveal will take place on Saturday at 7pm during an eBay Live streaming event titled “Harry Kewell’s all-time XI, Live!”. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase a full collection of trading cards featuring these legendary players, along with other Kewell memorabilia, during a special “Penny Drop” moment at the conclusion of the stream.
