Filip Kurto had a message as Macarthur FC celebrated their second Australia Cup title: “We want to win everything”.
Kurto became the first goalkeeper to win the Mark Viduka Medal after making six saves and keeping a clean sheet in a backs-to-the-wall display at AAMI Park, where goalscorer Marin Jakolis silenced a crowd of more than 13,000 fans in Melbourne.
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With qualification for Asia also secured, Polish star Kurto was bullish about Macarthur’s prospects in 2024-25, with the Bulls scheduled to kick-off their Isuzu UTE A-League campaign at home to Perth Glory on October 20.
“I think it’s not about me, it’s the whole team. We come into the season with a good achievement winning the cup. Full of confidence,” Kurto told reporters.
“I know we can achieve even more.
“Before the season we said to each other that we want to win everything and I truly believe it’s in our hands.”
Macarthur head coach Mile Sterjovski had a similar tone when fronting the media following the club’s triumph over the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Finallists.
Last season, the Bulls reached the Elimination Finals having also featured in the AFC Cup Zonal Finals.
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Missing a number of key personnel, including captain and star forward Valere Germain, Sterjovski said: “The biggest thing I’ve seen in this squad… a couple of years ago when we’d come up against a very tough opposition and when we were under the pump, we’d concede.
“I think they’ve grown mentally stronger and able to see out games. We’ve seen that in the last three games we’ve played. It’s very pleasing to see.
“When we have our whole squad back – we’re still missing quite a few quality players, I think we will be a team fighting for finals football for sure.”
The Australia Cup achievement caps a significant feat for Macarthur following a “tough off-season”, headlined by the departure of fan favourite and star Ulises Davila.
It means a lot,” Sterjovksi told reporters. “Everyone at the club, the players and staff, the office staff, they’ve been working tirelessly to make the club better and try and move forward from everything.
“To win the Australia Cup and qualify for Asia means a lot to everybody involved. We look forward to playing in that competition again next season.”
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Sterjovski added: “Sometimes things like that galvanises teams and brings everyone together. The players we’ve brought in play a big part in that. They’re great characters in the change room, they’re very positive and teach the young boys. They create that winning culture.
“We want to be successful in the league. We want to grow our fanbase. The people we’ve recruited understand this.”
Meanwhile, Victory counterpart Patrick Kisnorbo explained Daniel Arzani’s shock absence.
Arzani was left out of Victory’s matchday squad entirely for the Australia Cup final in a surprise selection decision by new boss Kisnorbo.
Afterwards, he said: “It’s just my decision.
“Come Round 1 he won’t be in the game either because he’s suspended. We sort of had to be ready for that scenario and I decided to do it today.
“The issue isn’t about Daniel, it’s about the team. I made a decision and I stick by it.”
On the match itself, Kisnorbo said: “For me it was pretty much one-sided.
“They had maybe two shots at goal. It was a dominant performance, but we go away losing 1-0.”
“A sort of counter-attack which maybe we could’ve dealt with a bit better…but I can’t be too critical. My boys were fantastic tonight for pretty much the entire game.”
