He has won a Hyundai A-League premiership and championship so far in 2010, but Simon Colosimo feels that the biggest moment of his career is yet to come.
Colosimo topped off his best season in the Hyundai A-League with a powerful defensive performance in a gripping Grand Final against Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Sky Blues prevailed 4-2 on penalties after an epic 120 minutes ended 1-1. Colosimo was voted as the best player on the ground in a match which embodied the physical nature of the Australian game with the two biggest clubs in the Hyundai A-League putting their best foot forward.
It will most likely be Colosimo’s last game for the club and he departs for a loan stint with Seoul FC on Sunday. The reason behind that is so he can remain playing while in contention for selection for Australia’s squad of 23 for the World Cup in South Africa.
The experienced defender feels that everything has progressed perfectly this season after a nightmare 2008/09 which was ruined by injury.
“So far everything has been ticked off. Minor premiership, playing every game, injury-free. I missed a couple through suspension but made them up with the couple of Socceroos games,” he said.
“We believed in ourselves, as players and as football staff, backroom staff, sponsors everybody at Sydney FC believed we could be minor premiers and we did that. We went the long way around to play in the Grand Final and we did that and personally I’m off tomorrow to fulfil the biggest dream of my life which is going to South Africa.”
If Colosimo returns to the Hyundai A-League after his loan stint, it is likely to be with new franchise Melbourne Heart. He said it was difficult to leave all that he has achieved over two years in Sydney behind.
“I had a tear. In two years at a club we’ve all had the same goal and you become very good friends with players, coaching staff, and it-s not easy to leave a club,” he said.
“I’ve got to thank Sydney FC, they’ve stuck by me, especially through last season when I had injuries,” he said.
“The new coaching staff had faith in me, and I worked really hard and it’s going to be hard. I guess it’s easier because I’ve got a goal that’s set and I’m leaving on a very big high. That’s going to make it a lot easier. I’ve achieved what I’ve wanted to at Sydney FC and now it’s a next chapter of my career.”
Colosimo can feel proud that his last significant act as a Sydney player was converting the first penalty of the shootout, setting the Sky Blues on the way to a memorable victory.
“I knew I wanted to take one. There was discussion about who was taking them, there was all of that. You can’t predict anything though,” he said.
While he ended up with the Marston Medal around his neck, he praised the efforts of both goalkeepers, Clint Bolton and Mitch Langerak, in the shootout and said it showed the closeness of the two teams.
“It’s harder for the goakeepers, there was two penalties saves and a couple of misses. Those two saves were absolutely brilliant in the penalty shootout. It’s very difficult for them to stand in there,” he said.
“There was absolutely everything out there. It’s a testament to Melbourne and ourselves we’ve been by far the best sides in it this year.”
