Adrian Segecic has staked a claim for a starting role in Sydney FC’s strongest XI – but will head coach Ufuk Talay alter with the magic formula that’s turned the young forward into a genuine super sub?
Segecic came off the bench to score two goals in Sydney’s 2-2 draw against Bangkok United in the AFC Champions League Two Round of 16; the 20-year-old looked set to be the match winner having hauled his side from one goal down to lead 2-1 but a 95th-minute equaliser from Thitiphan Puangchan left the tie perfectly poised at 2-2 heading into the second leg this Wednesday night (11pm AEDT kick-off).
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Last week’s brace against Bangkok continued a sensational season for Segecic in which the rising star has done the bulk of his damage off the bench in both the ACL Two and the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Segecic has seven goals and two assists to his name in domestic competition, having made just eight starts in 15 games. In the ACL Two, Segecic has four goals in six games. He received starts in his first three ACL two appearances this season but has since been used off the bench, as he has been for most of the Isuzu UTE A-League campaign to date.
Speaking after the first-leg draw to Bangkok, Sydney head coach Talay was asked whether Segecic’s form had become too hard to ignore when selecting his starting XI.
“It’s not easy as coaches to make these decisions because we all look at the starting XI and we also look at the players that are going to come off the bench and give us that energy – and Sega (Segecic) is definitely doing that for us,” Talay said.
“Does he deserve to start? Yeah, definitely, I agree he deserves to start. For him it might be frustrating but I look at it within the gameplan and what we need to do at times to make changes. And Sega is definitely doing a fantastic job when he does come on.”
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Segecic is enjoying the best season of his career to date and on current form, could prove the difference for Sydney in their quest to defeat Bangkok on the road and progress to the ACL Two quarter-finals.
Talay believes Segecic’s deployment as a number 10, rather than a winger, has been the catalyst for his career-best form.
“Sega, I think previously under Stevie (ex-Sydney FC head coach Steve Corica) he played wider, more as a winger,” Talay said. “But I think Sega’s attributes are actually working in between lines a little bit more central. I think (putting) him in the right spaces and then (utilising) the attributes that he has, has been more effective.
“Sega (Segecic) has given us a lot of energy when he comes on, that’s why we bring him on, to give us that energy. And he’s scoring goals, which is very important for him,” he added.
“I think the biggest thing for Sega is we’re playing him in the position he should’ve been playing a long time ago. He enjoys playing in between lines and receiving the ball in between lines, he makes some very good forward runs and he’s scoring goals which is a positive for Sega as well.”
Match details
Bangkok United v Sydney FC
Date: Wednesday, February 19 2025
Competition: AFC Asian Champions League Two
Stage: Round of 16 – Second Leg
Venue: Thammasat Stadium, Bangkok
Kick-off: 11pm AEDT
Broadcast: Live and FREE on 10 Play
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