Sterjovski proud of everyone involved with Macarthur after Australia Cup glory
Three years ago Mile Sterjovski was a special guest representing Macarthur FC to carry the Australia Cup trophy to the pitch before the Bulls faced Sydney United 58. This year he held it aloft as his first piece of silverware as a Head Coach in football.
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After what has been a difficult period at the club, the Macarthur FC boss said it is a great feeling to win the Bulls' second Australia Cup.
“It feels great, it really does, I think after what the club's been through in recent times, and the run we've had in the Cup, I’m really proud of the effort from everybody involved,” he said.
“I'm proud of the boys, proud of the effort, and I think that they deserve this.”
As well as being proud of the playing group, he wanted to express how pleased he was for the staff behind the scenes.
He said every day they support him, and it is something that he truly appreciates.
“I'm extremely proud to be the coach of this team, but it's a collective effort. I think anyone who coaches understands that you can't do anything by yourself,” he said.
“I've got a great staff who support me every day, so this is not only for myself, but it's for them as well.”
He added that, the work behind the scenes has been to push the club forward, past all the tough times it has endured, and this cup win is a good starting point.
"It's been a tough off season, so it means a lot. Everyone at the club has been working tirelessly to make the club better and try and move forward from everything," he said.
"To win the Australian Cup and to qualify for Asia means a lot to everybody involved and we look forward to playing in that competition again next season."
In the final, Melbourne Victory had 63% possession and had 21 attempts on goal but were unable to get on the scoresheet despite a strong performance.
This meant that for Macarthur, defence was important and staying resolute at the back, which was something they had planned for, says Sterjovski.
“We knew they have quality, and we knew that they were going to have quite a bit of possession, and we worked on our defensive block and tried to limit how many chances they had,” he said.
“We wanted to get them on the counter, and I think we broke away only a few times, but with one of those, we created a chance that got the winning goal.”
Macarthur were the outsiders coming into the final though, and with a few players out either through injury or suspension, not many gave them a chance.
Sterjovski said that he had no doubt about the players who replaced those that were missing and is happy for everyone involved.
“We were missing quite a few key players, but I had a lot of faith in the boys and when players are missing, it gives an opportunity for others to step up,” he said.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game, but with what these players have been through, I knew that they could get through it and beat any opposition.”
Those players who were missing will be back either for the start of the Isuzu UTE A-League or early in the season, giving Macarthur a strong squad for the campaign with Finals the minimum target.
Sterjovski concluded: “I think the future is looking good for our club, come October, November, when we get quite a few more players back, I think we've got a decent squad and will be looking to make the finals again.”
