Archie Thompson has urged Melbourne Victory fans to buy their tickets for the friendly match with Olympiacos at Etihad Stadium on May 19 to see how their team is progressing under new coach Ange Postecoglou.
Archie Thompson has urged Melbourne Victory fans to buy their tickets for the friendly match with Olympiacos at Etihad Stadium on May 19 to see how their team is progressing under new coach Ange Postecoglou.
Victory’s record goal-scorer believes it is already clear that Postecoglou has had a positive influence on his new playing group after almost two weeks of training.
Victory finished in the bottom three of the Hyundai A-League last season but Thompson is confident that Victory supporters will like what they see from their team against Olympiacos.
“With Ange on board, hopefully… you can see a little bit…next week but what’s more important is the start of next season,” Thompson said at the Melbourne Victory-Olympiacos launch at Alphington Grammar School on Wednesday.
The friendly match was launched in front of hundreds of screaming school children on Wednesday and Marco Rojas expressed his excitement at the prospect of testing himself against the most successful club in Greek football.
Victory players will take three weeks off after the Olympiacos clash but despite the game interrupting their off-season break, Rojas believes no Melbourne players would give up the opportunity to play such a big team.
“For the champions of Greece to come down and play against us is something special,” Rojas said.
“These are the types of games you play football for.
“The big crowds, the big atmosphere, there’s nothing better than that and hopefully I’ll be able to get some time on the pitch and just enjoy myself.”
Rojas played in Victory’s pre-season clash with Glasgow Celtic last year and impressed against the big Scottish club.
He hopes a few more of Melbourne’s younger players do the same against Olympiacos.
“It’s not every day you get to play against these sorts of teams,” Rojas said.
“Last year we got to play against Celtic, this year Olympiacos and they’re going to be a tough team and it’s a chance probably for some of the younger boys to have a chance to look and see how close they are to that level.”
For Thompson, the game against Olympiacos is an important one with World Cup qualifiers coming up in June.
“I’m using this too to hopefully give myself every opportunity to be a part of that Socceroos team,” the 33-year-old striker said.
“(Qantas Socceroos head coach) Holger (Osieck) said to me he was very impressed with the last camp and I said I want to give myself every opportunity.
“So hopefully I can put in a good performance next week.”
