Ex-Leeds, Liverpool ace Kewell surprised by A-League standard
Melbourne Victory star Harry Kewell admits the standard of the A-League has taken him by surprise.
The former Leeds United, Liverpool and Galatasaray forward joined the Victory ahead of the recently-commenced 2011/12 A-League season and told The Age that he has been pleasantly taken aback by the quality of his home domestic competition.
“I believe that the games are tough, physical - they are not what everyone talked about, that it's a slow game, that it's an easier pace,” he said.
“The last few games I have played in have been very physical, up and down, very open. It's been tough.
“I would say the standard is better than what I expected. It's a lot harder.''
Meanwhile, the Victory tonight played out a 0-0 draw with crosstown rivals Melbourne Heart in front of just under 40,000 fans at Etihad Stadium, continuing their scoreless beginning to the new campaign.
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Results & Fixtures
Matches
| Home | Away | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Apr 22nd | |||
| Brisbane Roar | Perth Glory | 2 - 1 | 06:00 |
Tables
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Coast Mariners | 27 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 51 |
| Brisbane Roar | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 49 |
| Perth Glory | 27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 43 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 40 |
| Sydney | 27 | 10 | 8 | 9 | -5 | 38 |
| Melbourne Heart | 27 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 37 |
| Newcastle Jets | 27 | 10 | 5 | 12 | -3 | 35 |
| Melbourne Victory | 27 | 6 | 11 | 10 | -8 | 29 |
| Adelaide United | 27 | 5 | 10 | 12 | -18 | 25 |
| Gold Coast United | 27 | 4 | 9 | 14 | -12 | 21 |
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Comments (1)
He wouldn't have said anything else, however the league has certainly improved significantly. He's in a good team (on paper) but their manager is clueless.
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