Head Coach Tony Popovic spoke to the media after Victory’s Elimination Final win against Melbourne City
On Paul Izzo’s performance…
“Phenomenal performance.”
“Character, ability, and he stepped up in a big game and showed us the growth that he has made throughout the year.”
On how he made the comeback happen…
“They produced it, I didn’t. That’s the players.”
“They have a lot of belief. They have quality. They’re fit, they’re strong.”
“The key was, when Zizou was sent off, I thought until half-time it was crucial not to concede a second. And for the first 10-15 (minutes) of the second half, it was crucial not to concede a second because they’ve got the advantage, they have quality players, they’re fresh.”
“The longer the game went on, we definitely were in the game. There’s no doubt about that.”
“The players were amazing. Young players (that) came on all made an impact.”
“The leaders all stood up, in a big game.”
On substituting Bruno Fornaroli and Daniel Arzani…
“They gave their heart and soul. Bruno and Daniel gave everything they had.”
“We just needed fresh legs to get a goal.”
“I thought Jordi (Valadon) made a great impact when he came on. Could have scored just before full-time.”
“We finished a big match with two young players in midfield that really stood up against high quality.”
On Kasey Bos…
“He has a lot of potential. He’s very similar to his brother.”
“Last year Kasey trained for six months with us without playing any games. We identified him quite early through the academy.”
“He did six months of hard work to get to the point that he could be more involved with the first team.”
“He looked confident when he came on, set up a goal, dealt with some quality players.”
“He’s an athletic player. Has a lot of belief and confidence.”
“A lot of work to do, but we’re delighted of course and we put him on because we trust him.”
On Damien Da Silva and Roderick Miranda…
“It’s not just what they do on the field. It’s the presence that they bring, the aura that they have that, for the rest of the group, knowing they’re there gives them confidence to keep pushing.”
“I believe you can mention every single player and I would agree that they were sensational tonight.”
“You can’t really single anyone out.”
On playing younger players…
“There’s talent there, but also players can’t get an A-League contract or an A-League appearance based on being young.”
“It’s not enough. You have to have quality. You have to have character. You have to have determination.”
“Nothing is given to you. Kasey Bos trained for six months before he even got close to the first team…that’s hard work, that’s determination, that’s dedication.”
“I’m fortunate that I’m at a club that, we’re seeing the young players are growing. Franco Lino’s gone overseas, (Nick) D’Agostino went overseas.”
“Now we’ve got young players coming through, but they’ve earned it. I haven’t given that to them. I haven’t just played a young player because he’s young. No, they’re playing because they deserve it.”
