Kosta Barbarouses has thrown a spanner in the works of Melbourne Victory’s nightmare A-League finals run-in by accepting a New Zealand call-up next month.
Barbarouses was selected by New Zealand for a game in Japan on 3 March, adding to Victory’s demanding run-in to the A-League finals and Asian Champions League campaign.
He admitted being torn by the decision but demonstrated his allegiances.
“Because it’s a FIFA window you can’t (miss out). Obviously I’d love to stay and help the boys as much as I can. I’m big on helping the team but these things just happen,” he said.
He admitted coach Kevin Muscat had quietly asked him about the match but he was determined to play.
“He has (asked) – but you can’t really do much about it,” he said.
“If I could make everyone happy I would, but you just can’t sometimes.”
The international honours a commitment given by Japan, which was scheduled to play the All Whites before the tragic Tohuku earthquake in March 2011, which caused 15,000 deaths and triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
With five Wellington Phoenix players also called up, Football Federation Australia has scheduled a 10-day gap between Phoenix’s trip to Adelaide United and home match against Perth Glory to compensate.
Barbarouses’s importance to Victory has been underlined by his naming in the ACL squad – at Brazilian Gui Finkler’s expense.
ACL rules dictate only three international players can play for each team, with Muscat opting for marquee Pablo Contreras, left-back Adama Traore and Barbarouses.
“It would have been hard on whoever missed out. It’s a bit unfortunate on Gui because he’s looking really good,” Barbarouses said.
Muscat and his A-League contemporaries will be hoping Ange Postecoglou looks abroad with his Australia squad, who will play Ecuador in London on the same day.
Despite wins over the top three teams in the league, Victory is no certainty to qualify for the finals, perched just four points above seventh-placed Wellington in fourth.
In addition to ACL trips to China, Japan and Korea, the A-League draw has thrown up away matches against Wellington, Perth, Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets for an intimidating run-in to the A-League finals.