Kewell: Failing not an option

Qantas Socceroos superstar Harry Kewell says failing to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup finals simply isn't an option as Australia prepares for its vital qualifier against Oman at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

Qantas Socceroos superstar Harry Kewell says failing to qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup finals simply isn't an option as Australia prepares for its vital qualifier against Oman at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.

Kewell, who incredibly will play his first match in Melbourne for eight years with his last appearance being the World Cup qualifier against Uruguay at the MCG in 2001, said not only are the Qantas Socceroos determined to put their qualifying campaign back on track but the team is also determined to put on a better show come the 2011 finals in Qatar than it did during its failed 2007 Asian Cup campaign in Thailand and Vietnam.

While the rest of the world might be engrossed in the final stages of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa right now - Australia, which is one of 19 countries already qualified for the world's biggest sporting event next year, has switched its focus firmly back to its own region following Saturday night's 0-0 draw against the highly-rated Dutch team in a friendly in Sydney.

After being forced to use a team made up of solely Hyundai A-League players in its first two Asian Cup qualifiers - resulting in a 0-0 draw with Indonesia away in January and a shock 1-0 home loss against Kuwait in Canberra in March - the Qantas Socceroos are on the bottom of their four-team group with just one point from two matches.

In contrast Wednesday night's opponents Oman are on top with four points with only the top two to qualify.

Kewell said there was no room for error for the Qantas Socceroos on Wednesday night as the country's international stars now attempt to get the Asian Cup qualifying campaign back on track.

"It's important we win and if we win we are back in the hunt (to qualify)," Kewell said on Monday.

"Our next two games are against Oman so if we beat them twice we are in front of them by three points."

Kewell said the tournament meant a great deal to the players who were determined to make amends for their first campaign in 2007 when the team lost in the quarter-finals to Japan after having been held to a draw by Oman in their opening group game.

"It (not qualifying) is not an option," Kewell said.

"And we have taken that advice on early on in camp this time around and even though we had that game on Saturday, we knew the important one was Wednesday and it's a must win."

"The Asian Cup is important. It's a competition that we are favourites in, not like the World Cup where we aren't favourites, because we are right up there with the best teams in Asia so that is where the pressure (to perform) comes into it."

"And we didn't perform well in the last Asian Cup so we have got to set the record straight this time."

Kewell said the players would have no trouble switching their focus from the World Cup to the Asian Cup and promised a more attacking approach than the one taken during the dour 0-0 draw against Holland when the Aussies rarely looked like scoring against the world's third ranked team.

"I'm sure the performance you will see from us on Wednesday night will be very powerful and very strong and we have got to go out there full steam ahead (to score goals)," Kewell said.