Melbourne Victory hitman Archie Thompson has vowed to score in Saturday night’s Hyundai A-League Grand Final against Adelaide but cannot promise a performance like the one he delivered against the Reds in the championship decider two years ago.
Melbourne Victory hitman Archie Thompson has vowed to score in Saturday night’s Hyundai A-League Grand Final against Adelaide but cannot promise a performance like the one he delivered against the Reds in the championship decider two years ago.
As Melbourne and Adelaide prepare for their second grand final meeting in three seasons at Telstra Dome, talk has turned to whether Thompson can repeat his incredible effort of two years ago when he scored five goals in Melbourne’s 6-0 rout of Adelaide in the 2006/07 Grand Final.
Thompson, the highest scorer in the history of the A-League, says while he will always back himself to score in any match – he is not concerned at the pressure of trying to live up to his goalscoring heroics of two years ago.
“I always approach a match and focus on myself scoring,” he said in the lead-up to the championship decider.
“I believe I am going to score a goal every time I go on the pitch and I think that is the belief a striker should have.”
“But obviously when you score five goals (in a grand final) everyone thinks or expects you will score five goals again but it’s not like that at all.”
However being under pressure to repeat past goalscoring heroics is not new for Thompson, who still holds the world record for most goals scored in an international match when he hit 13 for the Socceroos in a World Cup qualifier in a 31-0 win against American Samoa in April, 2001 when Australia was still part of the Oceania confederation.
“I remember when I scored 13 goals against American Samoa and the next year I went overseas and people were saying ‘Why isn’t he scoring 13 goals’ – it just doesn’t happen,” he said.
Thompson said he would not care if he failed to score on Saturday night so long as Melbourne becomes the first team to win two A-League championships.
“I will be out there trying my best to score goals but I will also be working as hard as I can to try and set up the other boys to score as well,” he said.
“I love these sorts of games because they don’t come around that often and I am just excited to be out there playing in front of my friends and family and our supporters and just hoping we can bring the trophy home.”
