Kisnorbo stands by squad selection after 'frustrating' Australia Cup final
Despite a strong performance in the Australia Cup Final, Patrick Kisnorbo and his Melbourne Victory side had to settle for runners-up.
They had 63% possession across the 90 minutes and created 21 strong chances, but Macarthur’s defence stood tall and kept them out.
It was a frustrating night for Victory, but despite that, Kisnorbo has found different aspects of the game he is pleased with.
“For me, it was pretty much one-sided, I think they had maybe two shots on goal, one that ended up being the goal and one more,” he said.
"It was a dominant performance, but we go away losing 1-0. I can't be too critical; my boys were fantastic tonight for pretty much the whole game."
The chances came thick and fast for Victory, in both halves, but eventual Mark Viduka Medal winner Filip Kurto made six important saves to keep his side in front.
Kisnorbo said perhaps his side missed a killer pass and at times found it hard to break down the stubborn defence.
“We tried, we penetrated a lot, we had numbers in the box, and they blocked a lot of efforts, maybe a final pass wasn't there for us. It's frustration, and that's part of football,” he said.
“But also, they defended with, I think 11 inside the box, so it's very hard to break down at times, but again, at times, we did break them down very easily, so that's one thing I'm pleased at.
There were some shocks to the team selection for the final as former Australia Cup winner with Macarthur (2022) and current Socceroo Daniel Arzani was left out of the matchday squad.
“It was just my decision, it was a selection decision that I chose, and come round one, he won't be in the game either because he's suspended,” Kisnorbo said.
“The issue isn’t about Daniel, it is about the team, and it's about the team tonight, not about an individual, we should concentrate and focus on the players in the squad on the day. I made a decision, and I stick by it.”
Looking ahead, Kisnorbo believes the squad is in a good place going into the Isuzu UTE A-League season, and he wants them to trust the process.
“I've always thought it's about the process and we’ve just got to keep working hard and keep pushing, because tonight for me showed really good signs, especially leading to the start of the season,” he said.
“So, we can’t stop, we'll keep going and dust ourselves off and keep pushing forward for Round One.”
