17-year-old Max Caputo became Melbourne City’s youngest ever goalscorer when he nodded home a dramatic late equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle Jets.
Down a goal and a man, Melbourne City needed a hero.
Enter Max Caputo.
The 17-year-old striker, who had only made one appearance in the Isuzu UTE A-League season, was thrusted on late in search of an equaliser and he did exactly what head coach Rado Vidosic instructed him to do – find the net.
Caputo rose highest among a sea of bodies to nod home fellow substitute Florin Berenguer’s corner in the 92nd minute to snatch an equaliser in their clash with Newcastle Jets and thus, become City’s youngest ever men’s goalscorer.
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“When it went in, it didn’t really feel like it happened… just went in and that’s it,” Caputo told Network 10 after the game about the goal.
“He (Vidosic) just told me to get in the box, really. Get in behind (Jamie) Maclaren and get in the box as much as I can.
“Look, I didn’t really get marked in the box so I kind of had a good shot at it and… I just headed it bottom corner.”
Caputo is one of a number quality scholarship players on City’s books including Socceroo Jordan Bos, Young Socceroos Raphael Borges Rodrigues and James Nieuwenhuizen – along with Luke Oresti, Kerrin Stokes, Emin Durakovic and Arion Sulemani.
However, Caputo has had to be patient for his opportunities, since debuting as a 15-year-old in a behind-closed-doors Melbourne Derby in May 2021. In fact, it was only his fifth senior appearance side in all competitions.
The wraps on him, however, are enormous.
A 15-year-old Caputo started to make waves in a shortened 2021 NPL3 Victoria season, where he scored 12 goals in 13 games for City’s Academy side – doing it against opponents much older than he was.
His form also saw him recognised as part of The Guardian’s Next Generation 2022 list of the 60 of the best young talents in world football and earn a call-up to the Young Socceroos squad in October 2022 – where he helped the Aussies secure qualification for the 2023 U-20 Asian Cup with a goal in his single substitute appearance against India.
“Of course, that’s why I brought him on,” Vidosic said when asked if he thought Caputo would find the net.
“Max is a fantastic player, he’s been injured and some problems so we couldn’t use him. But he’s a predator, he’s a goalscorer and you can see in his chance he can put it away.”
The point keeps City two points clear of Adelaide United on top of the table, with a game in hand to be played on Wednesday against Melbourne Victory.
When play does resume in a few days time from the 21st minute, City do lead 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aiden O’Neill in the suspended Melbourne Derby back in December.
More late heartbreak for the Jets – ‘keep that and it’s going to cost us a finals spot’
When Max Caputo’s header hit the back of the net, it must have felt as if deja vu was setting in again for the Newcastle players.
For the second consecutive game, the Jets surrendered a late lead in second-half stoppage time from a set-piece – missing yet another golden opportunity to heap the pressure on the top six.
Arthur Papas’ side could have cut the deficit to only goal difference behind sixth-place Sydney FC but as a result of Caputo’s equaliser – they sit two points further back heading into the final four games of the season.
“It’s disappointment, two weeks in a row in the 90th plus minute header from a set piece,” Jets goalkeeper Michael Weier said post-game on Network 10.
“It’s basic stuff… pick up your man and you don’t concede the goal, see out the game and you win. It’s just disappointing. That’s the word to sum it all up.”
“It’s concentration. That’s all it is. You gotta go 95 minutes of pure concentration, we’re just not doing that. We’re letting a player run and get a free header. We turned off, it’s not good enough. Keep that and it’s going to cost us a finals spot and we don’t want that.”
For the most part, the Jets showed that they can match it with the league leaders, taking an early lead as a result of Beka Mikeltadze dispatching a controversial penalty.
They even had an extra man on the field for most of the contest after Scott Jamieson was dismissed just before half-time.
Despite the dropped points, Weier remains confident that the Jets can still jump back into the six, with a trip to bottom-placed Brisbane Roar up next on Saturday.
“100%, like we’ve taken it to the ladder leaders, both games we have played them,” he said.
“Disappointing both times so we prove, then again and again that we can do this and we’re a good enough team, and we all believe it. It’s just getting the points and getting up the ladder.”
Contentious handball and red card overshadows contest
It’s fair to say that the first-half was far from ideal from a Melbourne City perspective.
City went down a goal after Mikeltadze scored a first-half penalty, as a result of Andrew Nabbout being harshly penalised for handling Carl Jenkinson’s header inside the box.
After VAR review by referee Jack Morgan, Nabbout was deemed to have had his arms in an unnatural position despite being in a downwards motion after jumping for the ball.
“I think we are going to have to administer straitjackets to defenders for set pieces. You are supposed to jump and leave your arms on the ground?” Network 10 analyst Andy Harper said after the incident.
Moments later, captain Scott Jamieson was given his marching orders for a challenge on Mikeltadze – after receiving a second yellow card.
Despite the comeback, City midfielder Valon Berisha spoke about the disappointment of not being able to come away with all three points – despite “dominating” their opponents.
The Kosovan midfielder also circled back to the penalty, saying he was confused why it was awarded in the first-place.
“We are not happy with just one point,” Berisha told Network 10 post-game.
“We gave it away… but what you can do with a penalty like that? I also now don’t understand every time it’s a handball… if it’s an unnatural, like movement of the hand and he’s trying really to block it. But he’s standing with his hands down and he’s heading the ball into his hand and you give a penalty.
“In the end, of course, it’s our own mistake. We are way better than them, the whole game even with 10 men we were destroying them. We were penetrating, we’re moving the ball, we are creating chances just the ball didn’t didn’t go into the net as often as we wanted.”
“One point is not enough in this kind of game. Even with ten men, we deserve more and we showed it and that’s the class that we have here that we never give up even with ten men.
“Outplaying the opponent like that. That’s why we are on top of the table but we should have won this game. We’re not happy and we will continue working for the next game to get the three points again.
“I can understand the red card, but it’s a 50-50 duel and he’s not really going for him to take him out but that’s the game, the referee has to make some difficult decisions and I think we responded well.”
City coach Vidosic also weighed in on the penalty decision post-game: “a lot of these handball inside the penalty box, you don’t know if you’re going to get it against you or you’re going to get it for you.
“Those decisions are very tough. I don’t know the rules to be honest. You just kind of close your eyes and hope that it’s going to go your way. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way today.”
Jets set to lose midfielder in the off-season?
Blink and you miss it, but Network 10 commentator Robbie Thomson dropped a transfer bomb just as the second-half was about to begin.
As the camera panned to Newcastle Jets midfielder Angus Thurgate, Thomson said he has “strong mail” that the midfielder could be on the move at the end of the season.
The 23-year-old has spent his entire career at the Jets and has made well over 100 appearances for the club, since debuting in the 2017-18 season.
Thurgate remains the only player to have started in every game for the Jets this campaign, but is reportedly out of contract – meaning he is free to sign for any other club at the expiration of his current deal.
“There’s plenty of talk at the moment, rumours about that Thurgate may have signed for a rival A-League club for next season,” Thomson said.
“So we’ll have to see how that one plays out in the coming weeks.”
Thomson also added that “he could be headed south”, with his co-commentator Andy Harper responding by saying: “there’s only one northern destination and that’s Brisbane Roar!”
MATCH REPORT – AAP
Teen striker Max Caputo was 10-man Melbourne City’s unlikely saviour, scoring an equaliser at the death to earn a 1-1 draw with Newcastle.
City appeared poised for a shock defeat when the Jets took the advantage via Beka Mikeltadze’s spot-kick in the 31st minute after Andrew Nabbout was harshly penalised for handball.
Things got more difficult when City went down to 10 via Scott Jamieson’s second yellow card in the 41st minute.
Caputo, 17, came on in the 90th minute and scored his first goal two minutes later to wrench a point away from Sunday’s clash at AAMI Park.
But City’s hold on top spot is under threat.
Rado Vidosic’s charges top the table on 42 points but just two points ahead of in-form Adelaide, while eighth-placed Newcastle (26 points) are two points outside the finals.
Newcastle enjoyed a massive let-off in the 12th minute.
Matt Jurman hit a pass straight at Jamie Maclaren, who shot straight at goalkeeper Michael Weier.
City centre-back Nuno Reis hobbled off in the 21st minute and six minutes later the Jets screamed for a handball after Carl Jenkinson headed the ball down into Nabbout’s arm.
Following a VAR review, referee Jack Morgan pointed to the spot, with Beka Mikeltadze coolly converting.
Jamieson, booked in the 21st minute for holding back a surging Trent Buhagiar, was shown his second yellow card minutes before half-time.
The City skipper went in for a 50-50 challenge with Mikeltadze, getting to the ball just before the Newcastle striker.
But as he attempted to kick the ball, he missed and landed on the striker’s foot.
Jamieson was aghast when shown his second yellow after Morgan consulted with fourth official Jonathan Barreiro.
Newcastle’s Kosta Grozos spurned a couple of good chances early in the second half while City fluffed a golden chance to equalise in the 83rd minute.
Nabbout burst down the right touchline but put his squaring ball behind Jamie Maclaren.
But they earned a share of the points when Caputo, in his third game, rose highest to head home a wonderful corner from Florin Berenguer.
