One to watch ... Tomas Rogic. Photo: Getty Images
CENTRAL COAST Mariners' teenage star Tom Rogic has put the rest of the A-League on notice to recognise his club as the team to beat, following their 7-2 thrashing of Sydney FC on Saturday night.
Rogic was the architect as the Mariners handed the Sky Blues their biggest defeat in what was also one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history.
Central Coast have been the league's quiet achievers over the past two seasons but Rogic believes the win warned all nine other clubs that the Mariners are no longer the A-League's underdogs.
''We've always been underrated as a side but that doesn't really bother us. We were premiers last year and I think we proved last night that we're still there and we're not going anywhere,'' Rogic said. ''It was a great performance and we're looking to build on that.''
Rogic pulled the string for the Mariners on Saturday night, scoring twice and playing a pivotal role in what was credited as an own goal by Sydney defender Seb Ryall.
The 19-year-old is one of the most highly rated prospects in the game and is already being tipped by his coach, Graham Arnold, as a candidate for the next Socceroos squad. Australia coach Holger Osieck was part of the 15,686 crowd at Bluetongue Stadium and could be enticed to select the impressive youngster in the squad for the match against South Korea, according to Arnold.
''I don't think Holger's got a tough job to pick if he's going to play with a No. 10, because he [Rogic] is the only Australian No. 10 in the whole league. Everyone else has foreigners,'' Arnold said. ''Tommy, he's a player for an occasion. You could see it in his face when he walked into the dressing room. It was like 'here we go, this is what I want to play for'. The kid's still a player in nappies when it comes to outdoor football … but his natural talent is scary.''
Osieck is expected to use the friendly in Hwaseong on November 14 as an opportunity to experiment with young players before World Cup qualifiers resume next year. The squad will likely comprise more A-League and Asian based players which could boosts Rogic's chance to earn his first senior cap.
Despite receiving a chorus of praise the teenager says that he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground by not paying much attention to the hype.
''I try not to take too much notice to what people are saying in terms of my career, my performances, but I've been working really hard with Arnie [Graham Arnold] and the rest of the coaching staff to develop my game and improve,'' Rogic said.
''I think in all honesty, it worked really well and we had a great performance from everyone in the side. From the team's perspective, I did well and it was great to get off the mark and score a couple of goals as well.''
The attacking midfielder scored the vital equaliser only eight minutes after Sydney FC hit the opener, before giving the Mariners breathing space with their fifth of the evening.
While their ability to convert their chances was lauded, Rogic was just as proud of the team's mental strength to twice score only minutes after conceding. ''We showed great character to bounce back straight away … it was probably the biggest game of my career to date,'' Rogic said.
with AAP
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