Chris Ikonomidis didn’t manage to get his name on the score sheet at Perth Glory’s 1-2 win against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park, but he was one of the team’s best performers on Sunday. The Greek Australian was a constant threat to the champion’s defence and provided the assist towards Diego Castro for Perth’s second goal of the evening. In a good mood following the game he had a chat with Neos Kosmos about his recent performances with both his club and the Australian national team.
What did you think of the game Chris?
It was good. I thought we performed excellently. We dominated for most of the match and most certainly deserved those three points.
Do you feel you have the advantage with less than ten games to go till the end of the regular season?
Yeah, obviously the advantage is clear. We’re out front. But there’s still a lot of games to win and a lot of points to collect.
You created more than a few chances for yourself, do you feel that maybe you deserved a goal tonight (Sunday)?
I try to create as many chances as I can and help my teammates. Obviously I would’ve liked a goal today but I’m happy with the three points for now. I try and set my standards high but I’m not disappointed with myself if I don’t. I always look to provide something, at least a goal or an assist for the team.
Do you think this win might give you a bit of a psychological boost heading into the play-offs?
Of course, it’s good for us to be beating the big teams. It’s the big games that you wanna win. These are the games that you wanna play. The crowd was absolutely fantastic. A real credit to the Victory fans, they made such a brilliant atmosphere. For us footballers, these are the nights we want to play in.
When asked about his smooth transition from the Socceroos games back to the A-League, Ikonomidis gave credit to the coaching staff that helped him and gave him advice. He also pointed that there’s no comparison between the two competitions (A-League and Asian Cup) since the players at that level give everything for their team and nation, with the two tournaments being played at different speeds.
Additionally Ikonomidis pointed out that he wanted to spend more time on the pitch and prove his capabilities, which was the main driving force behind his decision to leave Italy and S.S. Lazio behind him in order to devote himself fully to Glory who showed faith in him by offering a three year contract.
He praised coach Tony Popovic by saying that he is consistently learning a lot from him, adding that he has created a tight group of players where they all play for one another. Ikonomidis and Perth Glory as a whole don’t seem to be paying attention to the fact that their top rivals in the A-League, Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have other obligations in the AFC Champions League coming up, as they appear to be more focused on their own team.
In closing, the striker expressed his gratitude towards the Greek community for all the support he received from them during his Asian Cup campaign.