ROJAS HAS HIS EYE ON PRIZE
MARCO Rojas believes he’s playing better football now than he did in his Johnny Warren Medal-winning first A-League stint with the Melbourne Victory.
But irrespective of whether he gets the nod for a second top gong at the FFA awards night on Monday, he’d prefer a first taste of club success.
For all of his talents, Rojas has never tasted club glory.
The closest he has come was in 2013, when Ange Postecoglou’s Victory was bundled out at the semi-final stage by eventual champions Central Coast.
The chance to be called a champion is what’s driving Rojas ahead of Sunday’s semi-final with Brisbane Roar.
“Through my career I haven’t been lucky enough to win anything ... I’ve only won one tournament and that was with the national team, the Nations Cup,” the 25-year-old New Zealand international said.
“It (winning the A-League) would rank very highly.”
Rojas has netted 12 goals and provided 11 assists in another outstanding campaign.
No one has contributed more goals – teammate Besart Berisha’s 19 strikes and four assists equals his tally – through the campaign.
Rojas’ form has justified the move back to the A-League for both club and player, after three stuttering seasons in Europe.
“I’m a better player than back then,” Rojas said. “I’m not a big one for comparing years but I do think that this year has been pretty good.
“I’ve matured both on and off the field and I’m happy with how it’s gone.”
Victory has spent the past fortnight in a vastly different manner to the Roar. Brisbane endured a 120-minute elimination final slog with Western Sydney before its Wednesday night Asian Champions League match in Thailand.
It means the Roar will have played three matches, including a late Round 27 match, since Victory was last on the park.
Yet Rojas says that wasn’t necessarily a positive for Victory.
“I doubt (Brisbane’s fixture run) will be much of a problem for them given what’s on the line,” he said.
“Not having a game, we didn’t want that to be a setback so we’ve worked hard. We’ve done it before and we’re focused. We know what’s at stake and we’re ready for it.”