He was the hero in his side’s 1-0 victory over Adelaide United on Sunday but Sydney FC super-sub Mark Bridge fully expects to be back on the bench next week – such is the strength of the squad this season.
Bridge’s 77th minute strike off a clever give-and-go with Alex Brosque proved the difference in a tense struggle between two evenly matched outfits at the Sydney Football Stadium.
However, the 23-year-old, who joined the Sky Blues last season from the Newcastle Jets, knows it won’t be enough earn a spot in coach Vitezslav Lavicka’s starting line-up to face the Central Coast Mariners next Saturday.
“We’ve got a lot of depth, everybody’s fit so I just have to be patient and when I get my chances make the most of it,” Bridge said.
“Everybody wants to play but when you look at the team and the experience we’ve got in my positions, I mean we’ve got Stevie Corica and John Aloisi, who am I to say I deserve to start over those two,” he said.
“So it’s just a matter a staying patient and doing what I can for the team.”
Lavicka lauded his players following their impressive outing and empathised with those players currently on the outside looking in.
“I have to say it was team success, all players gave more than 100 percent tonight,” he enthused.
“I appreciate the approach, the quality, discipline and patience tonight. Team work and team unity, every player gave more than 100 percent for the team victory.”
“It’s difficult for them because some players cannot play, we can use only three subs during the games but I’m happy each player is available play.”
“It’s good news for me … but sometimes difficult for players, but that’s professional football.”
Bridge, meanwhile, confirmed his clever one-two play with Brosque was a move the pair honed on the training pitch during an arduous off-season.
“We’ve done it a couple of times on the training field, me and Brosquey seem to work well together,” he said.
“Actually when it left my foot I prayed that it went to his head because if it didn’t I was going to cop a lot of trouble from (assistant coach Tony Popovic) for using that little flick so lucky it came off and went in so it was good.”
While it was all smiles in the Sydney camp, Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar was left to lament his side’s second-half let down which he believes cost them a well-deserved point.
“I thought the first half was quite good in terms of both teams were really well structured and it was a bit of an arm-wrestle, but certainly in that second half we fell to pieces really,” he admitted.
“We just gave the ball away too easily, the goal came out of giving the ball away and they started to get a fair bit of momentum and it was very hard to stop.”
But Vidmar paid tribute to the Sydney siders who he says are a ‘more dynamic’ side under Lavicka’s guidance.
“They’re a very good side and they’ll be a very strong side throughout the course of the year,” he said.
“It was pretty close but one goal’s enough and they got the three points.”
