Barbarouses fifth on all-time goalscorers list
Kosta Barbarouses has moved up to fifth on A-League Men’s all-time goalscorers list and he’s “not planning on stopping any time soon”.
The All Whites forward’s 91st career goal secured the Wellington Phoenix a 2-1 win over Sydney FC at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday that sent them back to the top of the ladder.
It also moved him past his former Melbourne Victory team-mate Archie Thompson, who netted 90 times during his storied career.
“Archie is a proper legend of the league,” Barbarouses said afterwards. “Similar with me, his game is not all about his goals.
“Ninety is an incredible amount, but his quality over the years speaks more than the goals he scored.
“To be passing him is pretty surreal. He’s someone I looked up to and then when I got to play with him, I learned a lot from him.”
Next in Barbarouses’ sights is his former international team-mate Shane Smeltz, who scored 92 times during his playing days with the Phoenix, Gold Coast United, Perth Glory and Sydney.
“I probably could have equalled him today, but one was enough to get the win,” Barbarouses said, referring to the fact that he spurned several chances before and after his left-footed winner in the 69th minute.
Melbourne City forward Jamie Maclaren tops the charts, having scored his 152nd goal in their 7-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers last Tuesday, ending a 10-match run without one.
Barbarouses has taken his tally from 80 to 91 with 11 in what is now his third-most prolific campaign, one that has earned him a national team recall this month.
For now, he was just happy to have secured the Phoenix a crucial three points and rueful that he won’t get credit for assisting the own goal that drew them level.
“I’m always on [defenders’] shoulders, and that’s where the two goals came from.
“With the cross for the own goal, I won't get the assist, but it counts the same as a goal. It’s my job while Oskar [Zawada] is out to play a little bit further forward. The goals need to come from somewhere, and I'm happy to be providing them.”
The Phoenix’s win left them top of the A-League Men ladder after round 21 with 43 points, three more than the Central Coast Mariners, who didn’t play this weekend, and now have a game in hand.
Macarthur FC and Melbourne Victory both have 35 points from 22 matches, the same number the Phoenix have played, while Sydney have 31 from 21 and Western Sydney Wanderers have 31 from 22, after beating Perth on Saturday.
Melbourne City, with 29 from 21, are the team most likely to break into the top six in the final five rounds of the regular season, with it looking increasingly likely the Phoenix will finish in the top two.
That would give them a bye to the second round of the finals series, with their April 6 clash with the Mariners in Gosford looming large as a potential Premier’s Plate decider.
First, after a weekend off for the March international window, where the All Whites are in action in Egypt, the Phoenix host Brisbane Roar at Sky Stadium on Easter Sunday, March 29.
The clash with the Roar in two weeks’ time is the first of three home matches the Phoenix have left, and coach Giancarlo Italiano was eager for them to be well-supported.
After noting he now has hamstring injuries to fullback Tim Payne and centre back Isaac Hughes to worry about, he said “any support we can get, any boost, from the 12th players, as I call them, the crowd, is going to be massive”.