Garang Kuol is embarking on a life-changing adventure abroad after his move to Premier League giants Newcastle United. Is Melbourne City’s Marco Tilio destined to follow his Socceroos team-mate to Europe?
Tilio dazzled in Melbourne City’s 4-0 humbling of Western United on Saturday, the Australia international scoring and named Man of the Match against the defending champions at AAMI Park.
The 21-year-old – part of Australia’s FIFA Men’s World Cup squad in Qatar – opened the scoring with a stunning run into the box and finish for the reigning premiers and current league leaders.
A Leo Lacroix own goal, and goals from Jamie Maclaren and Andrew Nabbout sent City six points clear atop the standings with yet another merciless performance, this time in the Grand Final rematch.
Afterwards, Tilio was showered in praise as former A-Leagues striker Bruce Djite tipped big things for the exciting Australian talent.
“He has that confidence, why? Because technically he is fantastic, his dribbling? Superb,” Djite said on Network 10.
“You what I love when I watch him dribble, he is always looking up. He isn’t looking at the ball. He is looking at Lacroix, how am I going to get around this guy? Where is Jamie Maclaren? How am I going to get the ball to him?
This is a 21-year-old player with the world at his feet. He really can go on and do something special, and I love the mentality.
“Another benefit of being in a very strong squad with depth? There is pressure. You have to perform if you want to keep your spot in the team. How else are you going to improve without that kind of competition?
“He is at the right club. He is performing very, very well. He has just been to a World Cup. A phenomenal, phenomenal player.”
‘I don’t know a striker in my time that’s like him‘
Another game and another goal. Yes, you guessed it. Jamie Maclaren was on target in City’s humbling of Western.
Reigning Golden Boot winner and current leader Maclaren took his season tally to 13 goals as Isuzu UTE A-League-leading City put Western to the sword in their Grand Final rematch at AAMI Park.
After Tilio opened the scoring and Leo Lacroix turned the ball into his own net, Socceroos forward Maclaren – who became the first player in A-League Men history to score in nine straight games – joined the fun with his fourth goal in three appearances.
Maclaren stands on the cusp of another record-breaking feat. With 133 goals in his Isuzu UTE A-League career, the Australia international is within nine of Besart Berisha’s all-time record.
After Saturday’s showdown, the Network 10 crew heaped praise on Maclaren.
Network 10 host Tara Rushdon set the scene by saying: “Jamie has enough time to do a pirouette, make a cup of tea and then slot it in. But it feels like that from what he’s doing. He does make it look very easy.”
Djite added: “He does make it look easy.
“Lets not take away the quality of Melbourne City. Yes, Western United had individual mistakes but Jamie’s run, he’s pilled off that defender, he’s found himself in space, those defenders are all rushing back, he has the composure. Great first touch which really sets up the strike.
He picked his spot, hit that spot. The execution was fantastic. That’s a striker in red-hot form.
Then one of the greatest players in Isuzu UTE A-League history, Archie Thompson – a three-time champion – said: “You can see in that interview with [Michael] Zappone at the end there. He is counting the goals. That’s the mentality he has. He is just prolific in that box.
“When you have the likes of [Mathew] Leckie, Tilio and [Andrew] Nabbout who can take players on and deliver in areas where you know you need to do be and score goals… we were talking before this game about getting some videos of Jamie Maclaren scoring wonder goals, it’s not. It’s clinical and it’s in the box. It’s where you need to be. He doesn’t score worldies but what he does, he does unbelievably well.
I don’t know a striker in my time that’s like him. He doesn’t care if he is involved in the game whereas me, I loved to be involved in the game. I needed a touch of the ball.
“But he just pops up and scores goals. Exactly what you want from your striker. He scores goals. It’s ridiculous. Seriously. Sometimes I come to the game and think I wonder if he won’t score today and he always scores!”
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