The kids are alright.
Throughout the opening few months of the Isuzu UTE A-League season, a number of top-quality players under the age of 23 have either; thrusted themselves into the spotlight with eye-catching performances or continued to build on green shoots shown in seasons prior.
KEEPUP had a look at which player (or players) from your team have particularly stood out this season thus far.
Adelaide United – Alexandar Popovic and Joe Gauci
There may not be a more impressive young centre-back and goalkeeper duo in the Isuzu UTE A-League than Alexandar Popovic and Joe Gauci.
Since debuting late last season, Popovic has fit in seamlessly in the heart of Adelaide United’s back four, starting only six games in the run-in to finals before featuring from the onset in each of the Reds’ crunch post-season clashes – where he and his team-mates were knocked out in agonising fashion by Melbourne City in the semi-finals.
Popovic particularly stood out against a range of top-quality opponents including Socceroos strikers Jason Cummings and Jamie Maclaren, along with former Central Coast striker Marco Urena.
This season, Popovic has continued his solid form, starting and playing in every minute of 10 of Adelaide’s first 11 games of the season.
Not only is his defensive qualities winning plaudits, but his technical ability too, showcasing calmness on the ball and a wide-range of passing that makes him integral to kicking off attacks for the Reds.
Equally, the man behind him has been just as impressive, with Gauci’s performances between the sticks thrusting him into conversations for who could be the heir apparent to Mat Ryan at Socceroos level.
READ: WHY GAUCI IS IN FASHION AS HUNT INTENSIFIES FOR SOCCEROOS GOALKEEPERS OF THE FUTURE
Gauci has shot ahead of fellow promising goalkeeper James Delianov in the pecking order over the past couple of seasons and his quality performances throughout this time haven’t gone unnoticed either, with national team head coach Graham Arnold calling him up as a train-on player in March last year.
This season, his output hasn’t waned either, particularly catching the eye in Adelaide’s 4-2 win over Western United earlier this campaign – keeping the reigning champions at bay with a number of top-quality saves.
Brisbane Roar – Carlo Armiento
Back from a year on the sidelines with a vengeance, Carlo Armiento has been on a war-path since arriving at Brisbane Roar.
Armiento, who arrived in Queensland in the off-season after missing the whole of last term with a knee injury, has taken the Isuzu UTE A-League by storm with a sensational start to the campaign.
In a season where Brisbane’s performances have been typified by hard-nosed defending and resolute performances, Armiento has been the Roar’s best attacking outlet on the flanks – combining solid football IQ, with great dribbling and an eye for goal.
But it’s been his form upon the resumption of the competition after the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup that have stood out enormously, especially his ability to hit a ball from range – as showcased in the Roar’s 1-1 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers – his banger winning the Isuzu UTE Goal of the Month in December.
He followed it up with a well-worked team goal against Western United, capping off a brilliant month for the 23-year-old winger who also took out the December nomination for Isuzu UTE Player of the Month.
And who knows what his ceiling is?
Central Coast Mariners – Sammy Silvera
While a lot of the discourse surrounding the Central Coast Mariners has centred around the likes of Jason Cummings, the out-going Garang Kuol and the recent burst of form from Marco Tulio, another of their attackers has quietly forged a solid campaign.
Sammy Silvera has had a quality start to 2022-23, rediscovering the form that put him on the map initially at the Mariners with an eye-catching run of performances on the flanks.
After a short stint overseas in Portugal, Silvera struggled to regain his footing at the Mariners’ rivals Newcastle Jets last season, but has since hedged his bets with a return to Gosford on a three-year-deal this campaign with, according to coach Nick Montgomery: “unfinished business”.
The move has helped spark a resurgence for the 22-year-old, who despite not always being a fixture in Montgomery’s starting XI, has performed brilliantly when called upon – whether it’s as a starter or substitute.
Silvera has scored three goals this campaign, including two in his first two games, along with three assists to go with it.
However, with Kuol now on the move to the United Kingdom, Silvera has been given first-crack at replacing him in the XI – after the former won his spot in the starting line-up in December – and so far the move looks to be an inspired one.
In Central Coast’s 4-0 win over Adelaide, the winger tallied two assists and was a thorn in the Reds’ side all evening with his speed causing all sorts of headaches.
Macarthur FC – Al Hassan Toure
Another of the league’s young attackers to shine this season has been Al Hassan Toure – who has reignited his career at Macarthur FC in the past season.
Toure broke onto the scene initially at Adelaide in 2019, with an impressive string of games en route to the Reds winning the Australia Cup (previously known as the FFA Cup) – scoring five goals, including one in their 4-0 win in the final against Melbourne City and winning the Mark Viduka medal on the night for his performance.
However, from there, Toure never reached the same heights at the Reds, thus moving to Campbelltown at the start of last season to kick-start his career once more – but it’s been in his second season under Dwight Yorke where he’s been able to really kick on and showcase his enormous ability once more.
The 22-year-old striker burst back onto the scene in the tournament that helped launch his career initially, again firing home five goals in five games to help the Bulls to their first-ever piece of silverware.
READ: TOURE A BULL AT A GATE UNDER UNITED GREAT YORKE
His form carried over into the the league, where he’s solidified a place in Macarthur’s stacked attack, scoring two goals and tallying three assists. Toure also ranks equal-third for big chances created (four) alongside team-mate Daniel Arzani, former Mariners winger Garang Kuol and City’s Richard van der Venne.
“He (Yorke) has always told me to express myself,” Toure told AAP in October.
“He has given me the confidence, he has always told me to believe in myself and every time I go out there to show people what I am made of.
“And that is what he has brought to the team. Being an attacker himself, he has told all the attackers to be free, to do what they want.
“Obviously you have to help out with the team, you have to do the team work. But when you get the ball in the final third, you do what you’re best at.”
Melbourne City – Marco Tilio and Jordan Bos
There’s no denying that Marco Tilio and Jordan Bos are two of Australia’s most promising young players coming through the ranks right now.
The duo have become staples in Melbourne City’s best XI this season, both usurping veterans Andrew Nabbout and Scott Jamieson in the pecking order and making their respective positions – on the right-flank and in left-back – their own.
Tilio has gone from strength to strength with each passing season since arriving in 2020 from Sydney FC. There’s never been any denying his natural ability, showcasing it in spades throughout his two-and-a-half seasons at City, but has had to be patient for regular starts due to the likes of Mathew Leckie, Nabbout and before that, Craig Noone – all preferred under previous boss Patrick Kisnorbo.
But each time he stepped on the field, he made his case for starts and even Socceroos selection harder and harder to ignore and since breaking into the XI in Round 3 this season, Tilio hasn’t looked back – putting together a brilliant campaign thus far.
READ: ‘WITH THE WORLD AT HIS FEET’, TILIO BACKED TO DO ‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’ AFTER CITY EXPLOITS
The 21-year-old is equal first with former City team-mate Noone and Socceroos team-mate Craig Goodwin for the most assists in the league with four – along with scoring three goals this campaign.
His early-season form also warranted a last-minute Socceroos call-up to the FIFA Men’s World Cup and despite not featuring in Qatar, Tilio’s future in the Green and Gold looks bright.
Another who looks set to break into the national-team fold is Bos, who is quickly evolving from a young prospect to now one of the league’s top full-backs following an incredible start to the season.
Bos broke into the XI late last season when Jamieson went down with injury, but lost his place during finals after the latter returned.
READ: ‘ONE OF THE SHINING LIGHTS IN THE A-LEAGUE’: CITY YOUNG GUN TIPPED FOR SOCCEROOS BREAKTHROUGH
However, this campaign, the 20-year-old has gone to another level with his performances – starting the opener after Jamieson was forced to play in centre-back due to a plethora of injuries in the heart of City’s back-line and not looking back since.
Bos has started every game this season, winning plaudits for both his defensive and attacking efforts – with interim coach Rado Vidosic tipping him for stardom after his brilliant showing against Central Coast Mariners in December.
Melbourne Victory – Ben Folami
It’s been a tough season for Melbourne Victory.
Languishing at the bottom of the table after three straight defeats, Victory have been a shadow of themselves compared to last season, but in moments there have been glimpses of individual brilliance from some of the obvious quality that is still at their disposal.
One of those is Ben Folami, who hasn’t quite reached the heights of his breakout campaign last season, but has shown in moments the obvious quality that he possesses.
Folami has been in and out of the starting line-up this season, battling with Chris Ikonomidis for a starting position and now, a system change which has seen Tony Popovic adopt wing-backs instead of playing with traditional wingers that best suits the 23-year-old’s game.
But as of late, his performances have seen an up-tick, particularly post FIFA Men’s World Cup break, where he scored in Victory’s last win – which came against Macarthur – where he scored the winner as a substitute.
He has since returned to the XI against Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar, standing out particularly in the clash against the former.
Now, it’s just a matter of whether he can reach the same heights he reached last season, which saw him selected for the Socceroos squad in March and particularly with Nani missing for the rest of the season – there will be more scope for Folami to see minutes.
Newcastle Jets – Mark Natta
Much has been made of Newcastle’s defensive struggles over the last two seasons, but there’s no denying that Mark Natta has been a welcome addition since arriving at the club.
Natta, who joined the Jets from Western Sydney Wanderers in the off-season, has fit into the Jets defence like a glove – making the position in the heart of defence his own after falling out of favour at his former employers last campaign.
READ: ‘PHENOMENAL’ NATTA RELISHES PHYSICAL IBUSUKI TEST TO HELP JETS ACHIEVE SEASON-FIRST SHUTOUT
The 20-year-old has shown a level of maturity akin to that of a seasoned veteran and has won plaudits for his performances as of late – particularly in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Adelaide United in December.
Faced with the task of defending giant Adelaide striker Hiroshi Ibusuki, Natta blanketed him, making five clearances (an equal game high), engaging in five duels, three aerials, and making four ball recoveries.
The sky is the limit for the young defender who is only going to get better as time goes on.
Perth Glory – Keegan Jelacic
Keegan Jelacic. Remember the name.
Perth Glory have a number of quality players at their disposal, but none have perhaps impressed more over a longer duration this season than Jelacic – who has taken like a duck to water in the middle of the park since getting a prolonged opportunity post World Cup break.
Jelacic, 20, who arrived from NPL Queensland side Olympic FC after a short stint at Brisbane Roar, had to bide his time for an opportunity, due to fellow promising youngster Giordano Colli’s early-season form.
However, Jelacic won his spot in the team after the break, becoming an immediate among Glory supporters – particularly after being handed his first start with the club in their 2-1 win over Western United in December – where he teed up Jack Clisby for his scintillating goal.
Since then, Jelacic has started every game, adding plenty of energy in the middle of the park that sorely needed another dimension when going forward.
And now he’s added goals to his game, opening up his account with a wonderful game-winning strike in Perth’s 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers last weekend.
So impressive are his performances, that a call-up to the All Whites can’t be a far off possibility for the New Zealand youth international – who continues to go from strength to strength.
Sydney FC – Patrick Yazbek
There’s a lot to like about Patrick Yazbek.
Versatile, smart, savvy on the ball, good engine and can defend. He ticks all the boxes for a midfielder who can essentially play anywhere in a midfield three.
Since making his mark last season for the Sky Blues, Yazbek has started the majority of the games this season, but has found himself in and out of the team as Steve Corica searches for his perfect midfield mix – recently turning to experience to get their season back on track.
His best performances have come as a deep-lying six, but since Luke Brattan’s return from injury, Yazbek has played primarily more as a box-to-box midfielder – where he’s shown that he can get forward and impact the game from an offensive stand-point.
In the first two weeks, Yazbek tallied assists against Melbourne Victory and Western United, but his performances since then have somewhat tapered – dropping in and out of the starting XI.
Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, his last start in Sydney’s 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix saw Yazbek come off after only ten minutes due to concussion – having been given the chance to impress again from the onset with Luke Brattan missing due to illness.
Wellington Phoenix – Sam Sutton
Is Sam Sutton next to follow in the foot-steps of predecessor Liberato Cacace to greater success? Perhaps.
Since the departure of Cacace to Europe, Sutton has taken the mantle as Wellington Phoenix’s starting left-back to aplomb.
Sutton started this Isuzu UTE A-League season like a house on fire, picking up where he left off last campaign with a solid run of performances, particularly impressing with his ability to get forward and provide an outlet in attack from left-back.
The 21-year-old scored only his second-ever goal for Wellington in their come from behind 2-2 draw with Melbourne City on the road, before tallying an assist in their 4-1 win over Macarthur.
Unfortunately, Sutton hasn’t been able to kick-on since the resumption of the season, playing only 45 minutes off the bench against Perth Glory and missing the last two games due to illness.
But a return for the ultra-talented left-back would be a welcome-sight for Wellington fans, as they look to launch themselves into the top six.
Western Sydney Wanderers – Kusini Yengi and Calem Nieuwenhof
The impact of Kusini Yengi and Calem Nieuwenhof to this Wanderers side can’t be understated.
Both players, who arrived in the off-season from Adelaide United and Sydney FC, have helped Western Sydney begin to rise up the table again after many seasons lingering on the outside looking in of finals football.
Yengi’s impact on the Wanderers front line has been enormous, adding a new dimension for a Western Sydney side who thrive playing off the break and with speed. The 23-year-old is a ball of energy and a handful for almost every defender he comes up against – given his mix of speed, power and sharpness on the ball.
But it was a moment of sheer individual brilliance that saw Yengi write himself into Wanderers folklore, scoring the memorable winner in the Sydney Derby earlier this season; before returning to the side and having a huge impact in their 4-0 win over fellow geographical rivals Macarthur – tallying two assists on the day.
However, the biggest concern surrounding Yengi has been his fitness, missing three games after the Derby due to injury, before going down hurt again in their last clash with Perth on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Nieuewnhof has been just as impressive and hasn’t missed a beat since signing for the club from the Sky Blues.
His performances in the early part of the season won rave rewards, winning plaudits for his outings in the heart of midfield – particularly, for his maturity and calmness on the ball, along with his hard-nosed edge off it (sitting second in the league for tackles won with 29).
So eye-catching were his performances early in the campaign that he was nominated for the Young Player of the Year in October/November, as well. Not a bad start to life in Wanderland, hey?
Western United – Nicolas Milanovic
It seemed like for a while everything Nicolas Milanovic touched turned to gold.
Milanovic was a bright spark during a difficult start to the season for Western United, thrusting himself into the spotlight with a string of brilliant performances – scoring three goals in his five appearances of the campaign – with most of them coming from the bench.
The 20-year-old’s case for selection became deafening by the week for his game-changing impact that had fans wondering what he had to do to finally earn a start. In the opening five weeks of the season, no player had scored more goals (2.0) and shots on target (3.3) per 90 minutes in the entire competition.
And he had only played 134 minutes accumulatively too, which made it all the more incredible.
As of late, the goals have dried up, but he still ranks third in goals per 90 this season at (0.70) – only sitting behind Golden Boot leader Jamie Maclaren and former Wellington striker Ben Waine.
However, his impact to Western’s team hasn’t, with arguably one of his best performances coming in their 1-1 draw with Brisbane Roar – where he, and a number of Western’s youngsters came on and changed the game.
“He’s (Milanovic) getting his minutes because he deserves it and he’s doing well. Is there a lot more improving to do? Yes, he knows that and so we’ll keep working with him and then when he does get his minutes and takes the opportunities he will get more,” Aloisi said after the Roar game.
