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There are certainly question marks and more than a few ‘what-ifs’, but there’s every chance Tomi Juric could lead the Socceroos’ frontline for the next decade.
It’s been a scrapbook month for the 23-year-old. A well-taken goal against the champions of Italy was followed by two (sorry Golec) decisive goals to give his team an unlikely passage into the Asian Champions League semis.
Sandwiched in between was the most coveted jewel of them all – a call-up to the Socceroos squad for upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Saudi Arabia.
As the blueprints of generation-next continue to be drawn up, Juric finds himself in a fantastic position to stake a real and legitimate claim to the apex of Postecoglou’s 4-2-3-1.
With the sad but inevitable departures of Tim Cahill and Josh Kennedy not too far around the corner, the Socceroos are looking precariously wafer-thin in the striking stocks.
Assuming Tim Cahill and Josh Kennedy do indeed call it a day post-Asian Cup, Ange will be looking for a new leading man to spearhead the regime of tomorrow.
And despite still being relatively raw and unproven, you get the feeling that it could well be Juric.
There are those who have heralded Juric as Mark Viduka-reborn. But it’s completely unfair, unwise and unproductive to christen any new prospect as the next so-and-so; a cursed procession of supposed ‘Harry Kewells’ will be quick to tell you that.
Juric is not Viduka, nor will he ever be, though he has the sort of rare panache the Socceroos’ frontline has craved since the V-Bomber’s exit.
He fuses physicality with deftness; just as comfortable being the target-man as he is rolling defenders and running the lines. For a bulking presence, he’s light of foot and not short on speed, with a pestering work-rate that keeps opposition honest.
And the boy sure can finish.
Juric also has this understated ability to manipulate defenders into misjudgment; he’ll show enough of the ball to entice a challenge, before using his frame and change of pace to gain the crucial half-yard advantage.
It’s subtle and all-action all at once, and encapsulates the type of game Juric likes to play – in your face, on your heels and off your shoulder at any given time.
This well-roundedness, this spectrum of styles, is what ultimately sets Juric apart from his contemporaries.
The man who wore the number nine shirt in Brazil, Adam Taggart, exists more as a pure finisher, a specialist, a poacher; one who, although blessed with speed and directness, almost solely relies on the service of others.
Matthew Leckie has shown promise when playing up-front, but in this current Socceroos set-up, his talents are best used out wide rather than as the focal point.
Eli Babalj is perhaps a prime candidate for consideration. The 22-year-old has endured an unfortunate run with injuries since moving abroad, but is beginning to show the sort of form that warrants close attention.
Australia is lucky in the sense that we have a vast network of young striking talent scattered across academies and reserve teams in Europe and beyond. Of course, these players will need to convert their potential into something more tangible if they ever want to be touted for selection.
But for now, Juric is firmly towards the top-end of the line of potential suitors. And there are few barriers standing in his way.
So far, consistency has been his sorest area. And it’s something we’ve seen in the past week. A forceful first-leg performance against Guangzhou contrasted an indifferent second-leg showing – yet he showed he’s no shrinking violet with a super, super penalty.
Even in what was largely his breakthrough season last year, Juric managed only scored eight goals in 20 games for the Wanderers, with 10 of those appearances coming off the bench. A modest return, but hardly befitting of an on-song international striker.
It must be said that a few niggling injuries and his coach’s constant tinkering somewhat limited what he could have achieved; he averaged only 53 minutes per game. Still, Popovic should be applauded for his management of Juric throughout the season.
There were times when Juric’s focus could have been spoiled by whispers of foreign interest and increasing fan expectation, but Tony Popovic did well to keep the young striker grounded, holding him back at the right times and giving him the confidence to explode when the right opportunities presented themselves.
It’s tough work being a striker in the A-League and Juric is now well aware of the pitfalls of the position. Fail to hit the ground running at the start of the year, and you run the risk a risk of becoming a stutterer, finding form in only brief infrequent pockets and never really establishing the rhythm and feel needed. And that’s as true for a career as it as for a season.
Though in the year ahead, Juric will be the undisputed driving force of the Wanderers attack. Without the familiar support of Ono and Hersi, he’ll need to shoulder much of the impetus going forward. It’s a responsibility you imagine he’ll thrive on.
We know that Ange sees club form as a major pre-requisite for national team inclusion. Should Juric have a stellar year for the Wanderers, there’s no reason why he can’t cement the green and gold nine as his own; for now, and for years to come.
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