The celebration said it all.
Alanna Kennedy thumped the back of the net with all the venom of a player who has had over a month to wait between a red card and getting another shot for her country.
[Her first half goal against New Zealand in a 2-0 win in Adelaide was the highlight of the second international friendly against the Football Ferns.](https://football360.com.au/live-blog/matildas-vs-new-zealand-live-scores-blog-updates-2/)
But it wasn’t just a brilliant goal; it was significant for the Matildas veteran Kennedy as she vies for her place in the starting XI in the Asian Cup – now as a central defensive midfielder, rather the central defender, where she has been ever present over the last decade.
“It does feel good for me,” she said on Paramount+
“Was disappointing to miss the last game – but you make a mistake, that’s what happens. I was looking forward to tonight’s game and happy we got a positive result.”
Kennedy has been ever present as a centreback for the Matildas, but if she’s going to start at the Asian Cup, it looks like it will be in the No.6 role.
Kennedy explained: “I am playing there for club and country and it has fallen into my lap at the moment.
“The role of being more of a defensive player, Joe likes.
> “I have always felt I was a midfielder at heart – so I am happy to be able to live it out and help the team where they need.”
With Kennedy’s red card in England, Montemurro never got the chance to look at the midfield trio with the veteran at the heart of it in a traditional No.6 role.
Here, with Clare Wheeler and Emily van Egmond, he was left with something to ponder over the next few months, given how well – and fluid – Kyra Cooney-Cross and Katrina Gorry were on Friday.
Kennedy’s goal will steal the headlines, but her passing range, composure, aggression and discipline in front of the back four contributed to an impressive performance in every metric.
Montemurro pinpointed her performance as one of the key outcomes of the night.
“One tonight was very, very important – you saw Alanna Kennedy as sort of a deep-lying midfielder, sometimes as a centre-back.
“We want our centre-backs to be proactive, [you saw Steph Catley pushing forward, Clare Hunt not so much, but when you’ve got that protection in front of midfield, we can rotate and it hurts teams. It’s a way of breaking down teams when you can send centre-backs forward and it becomes a chain reaction we can go forward.](https://football360.com.au/matildas-new-zealand-highlights-reaction-kennedy-raso-goals/)“
Kennedy’s former teammate Elise Kellond-Knight, speaking on Paramount+ said Kennedy as a midfielder could be the key to unlocking the rest of the park for her teammates.
“It’s like Busquets-esque,” she said, a reference to Barcelona and Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets, who was the fulcrum that allowed the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi to flourish in attack.
“Having that central pivot the game can rotate around.
“We haven’t really had that role anchored in for years now. I think having the opportunity to have Alanna do that allows freedom for the entire team.”
Former Matilda Amy Chapman added: “She brings a totally different presence to that midfield. We talked about those agile, small, dynamic, fast players in there, she brings a really composed, excellent ball vision and execution… it was a great game for her tonight.”
For Kennedy, it comes as she settles at London City Lionesses after moving from Manchester City to Angel City to London in 2025.
“It has obviously been three different major cities in last 6-7 months, but for me it has been hard to find that stability,” she reflected.
“I feel that now at London.
“Now it is about solidifying my spot, doing what I can when I get the minutes. My focus is always on the Matildas as well.”