Tomi Juric illustrated glimpses of his undeniable quality as Adelaide United played out a goalless stalemate with Western United, suggesting he will only improve with more games.
The 29-year-old was the focal point of United’s attack and linked up well with his fellow forwards and midfielders in his first game back with the Club since 2013.
Juric had a couple of sights at goal and showed why he will be a key player for the Reds this season.
On the match itself, the striker felt the draw was an accurate reflection of the fiery contest.
“I think it was a pretty solid match from both teams,” he told FOX Sports after the game.
“They’re very strong defensively and difficult to break down and I think that showed throughout the game especially in the second-half.
“We did have a little bit of joy in the first-half, we got in behind a few times and we looked dangerous at times but I don’t think it was enough for us to snag a goal.”
Juric’s best chance arrived from a long ball from centre-back Jordan Elsey with, the Socceroo controlling the ball before seeing his shot cleared off the line by Tomoki Imai.
“We spoke about that during the game that we’ll get opportunities if we get the ball in behind,” he said.
“I managed to get into that position but just unfortunate with the finish.”
Juric said Head Coach, Carl Veart, wanted him to play to his strengths with the ex-FC Luzern man insisting he will only get better after recently serving his mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine following his arrival.
“I think Carl just asked me to play my game and do what I feel comfortable doing,” he admitted after playing 84 minutes.
“This is only the beginning, there’s a lot more to come from me and it’s my first game in a very long time.
“So this is something I can definitely build on and I’m excited to show what I can do in the future.”
Next match details:
Game date: Sunday, 3 January
A-League 2020/21 Matchweek 2
Kick-off 5.35pm ACDT
Gates open 4.35pm ACDT
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Broadcast: Fox Sports
Stream: Kayo Sports, MyFootball Live App
