Brisbane Roar’s dominance of the Hyundai A-League season has been reflected in the Professional Footballers Association Team of the Year, while legendary striker Mark Viduka was awarded the Alex Tobin medal on the night.
Twelve months ago, the Roar were one of the league’s great strugglers after a season that saw them lose coach Frank Farina and a host of senior players like Craig Moore, Danny Tiatto and Sergio van Dijk.
But Ange Postecoglou’s effort to rebuild the side into the most fearsome unit the competition’s seen was rewarded by the PFA at a gala dinner on Monday evening as seven Roar players were named in the starting line-up for the Association’s Team of the Year.
The Team is:
Goalkeeper: Michael Theoklitos (Brisbane Roar)
Defenders: Ivan Franjic (Brisbane Roar), Matt Smith (Brisbane Roar), Luke Devere (Brisbane Roar) and Cassio (Adelaide United)
Midfielders: Marcos Flores (Adelaide United), Matt McKay (c)(Brisbane Roar) and Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar)
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses (Brisbane Roar), Sergio Van Dijk (Adelaide United) and Robbie Kruse (Melbourne Victory)
Subs: Glenn Moss (Gold Coast United), Josh Rose (Central Coast Mariners), Kasey Wehrman (Newcastle United Jets), Carlos Hernandez (Melbourne Victory) and Jean Carlos Solorzano (Brisbane Roar)
Coach: Ange Postecoglou (Brisbane Roar)
Referee: Matthew Breeze
Striker Jean Carlos Solorzano also made it onto the subs’ bench in the Team of the Year, while Roar coach Postecoglou was rewarded for masterminding a 25-match unbeaten streak – an Australian professional football record – by being named coach of the Year.
Postecoglou joins an elite club that includes past winners Vitezslav Lavicka (Sydney FC 2009-10) and Aurelio Vidmar (Adelaide United 2008-09) and was amazingly voted the coach of the season by 71 per cent of players.
Roar skipper Matt McKay was named the team’s captain, following on from Kevin Muscat and Moore.
Only four players from outside Brisbane were included in the starting line-up, those being Adelaide’s Cassio, Marcos Flores and Sergio van Dijk, along with Melbourne Victory’s Robbie Kruse.
Despite finishing second on the Hyundai A-League table, only one Central Coast Mariner featured in the entire team and that was Josh Rose, whose move from Romania in the off-season has been rewarded with some handsome performances.
The night’s biggest honour, the Alex Tobin medal, was presented to former Qantas Socceroos striker Mark Viduka, who joins Johnny Warren, Joe Marston and Craig Johnston as the only recipients of the PFA’s most prestigious honour.
“In Europe, he enjoyed an outstanding playing career at the highest level, scoring 202 goals in 409 games in the English Premier League, Scotland and Croatia,” said PFA president Simon Colosimo on the fourfourtwo website.
“He was a true leader among the Socceroos, and will always be remembered for his captaincy of Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.”
Viduka said he would cherish winning the medal.
“It is special to be recognised by your peers,” said the 35-year-old.
“They’re the ones who know the sacrifice and determination and what you need to get to that level. That’s why it’s special for me.”
