The last two Glory wins in the Australia Cup have a common denominator – Adam Bugarija was the man of the moment.
A late equaliser to take last year’s Round of 32 clash with Melbourne City into extra time, which the Glory went on to win 5-4, and then the winning goal in extra time in the play-off against the Mariners back in May.
When it comes to do-or-die matches, Bugarija doesn’t shy away from the spotlight.
“I like the knockout stage, its make or break; something has to happen and I like making that moment happen,” says the attacker.
Ahead of Sunday’s Round of 32 matchup with Wellington at Olympic Stadium, the 20-year-old echoed the sentiment of coach David Zdrilic regarding the desire to get through to the next round.
“We want to win,” he says. “It’s very important for us to go far in the cup for the fans and for ourselves to make the preseason better.”
Now in their fourth week of training at their new home in Mirrabooka, Bugarija is happy with how preparation for the upcoming season has started.
Pre-season is going really well. The new players that have come in have really driven the standards and the new staff have really lifted expectations.
Most of the new recruits have been defenders, with Brian Kaltak the headline name so far. Joining him are Sam Sutton and Scott Wootton, who are in line to face their former side for the first time on Sunday.
As for Bugarija, the young midfielder is looking to have a breakout season with the Glory, following on from a decent first year at A-League level.
After returning from the U20 Asian Cup triumph with the Young Socceroos, he hit form in the NPL before finishing the year with some good performances off the bench in the final five games.
Playing under Trevor Morgan with Australia, Bugarija praised his on the ball orientation and focus on short, sharp passing while also speaking positively of Zdrilic’s pressing philosophy at Glory.
“With Zdrila’s football you get the ball in good positions because of the high press, which I love, and you get to score goals quickly,” he says.
“He’s a specialist in the press and wants us to execute it, which we will.”
With an eye to the friendly against AC Milan on Thursday, Bugarija said the focus would more be on enjoying the experience and trying to compete against a high-calibre opposition.
The Rossoneri have brought a strong squad for their Asian tour, including the likes of Mike Maignan, Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Alexis Saelemaekers and Rafael Leao.
Although Bugarija hasn’t been a shirt collector in his short career, there is a player from the Italian giants whose shirt he would like to get if given the chance.
“I would probably say [Christian] Pulisic. I really liked him at Chelsea and he’s killing it at the moment for AC Milan. I love the way he plays.”
Off the pitch, the youngster has settled nicely in WA after making the move across the country last year.
“I love Perth. The club and the city is very welcoming. The lifestyle is calm outside of football. I really love it here.”
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
