Ben Kennedy (goalkeeper)
Encyclopedia
Ben Kennedy is a football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 goalkeeper who plays for the Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets
Newcastle United Jets Football Club is a professional football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The club competes in the A-League and plays its home games at Ausgrid Stadium . The Jets have won one A-League championship, defeating arch rivals the 1–0 in the 2007–08 Grand Final...

 in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

.

Biography

Kennedy was a train-on player for the Jets, but with obvious potential he was brought into the full squad for the 2006/07 Hyundai A-League season. Until half-way through the 2006-2007 A-League season, Newcastle only had the inexperienced Ben Kennedy as a registered goalkeeper in their squad, until former Socceroo Ante Covic
Ante Covic
Ante Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...

 joined the squad.

Kennedy had to wait a long time for his chance to be Newcastle's first choice keeper, but grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Kennedy became the Jets first-choice goalkeeper for the 2009-10 A-League season
A-League 2009–10
The A-League's 2009-10 season was the fifth season of the Australasian A-League football competition. The season marked the addition of two new teams from Queensland. and the made their A-League debuts at the start of the season. Because of this, were re-named to , as they were no longer the...

 thanks to some strong performances in the 2009 AFC Champions League, after the departure of Ante Covic
Ante Covic
Ante Čović is an Australian football player. He is a goalkeeper who currently plays for Melbourne Victory in the Hyundai A-League...

 to Sweden. However, he was criticised by his coach Branko Čulina
Branko Culina
Branko Čulina is a football coach and former player. He is currently without a club after being sacked by Newcastle Jets.-Club career:...

 for poor performances during the season and making mistakes that cost the Jets vital points.

He was replaced as Newcastle's first choice keeper by Neil Young
Neil Young (footballer born 1979)
Neil Young is a football goalkeeper who currently plays for A-League club the Newcastle United Jets. Playing the majority of his career in the Football West State League with Sorrento FC Young had trials with Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County and Bournemouth FC in England before moving to...

, due to impressive performances by the 30-year-old. Young was injured when he broke his nose and Kennedy came back into the team. Kennedy was the hero in the match against Gold Coast United, making crucial saves throughout the game and saving two penalties, in a game that Newcastle won 6-5.

Honours

With Newcastle Jets: A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

 Championship: 2007-2008
A-League 2007-08
The A-League 2007-08 season was the third season of the Australian A-League football competition, won by the Newcastle Jets. Football Federation Australia hoped to build on the success of the previous two seasons and on the interest generated by and playing in the 2007 AFC Champions League, and...


External links

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