Melbourne Victory head to Wellington this weekend still searching for their first goal of the season, and if former Phoenix winger Marco Rojas scores it don't expect a celebration.
Rojas earned the wrath of the Phoenix faithful after swapping yellow for blue in the A-League off-season, but said he harboured no ill feelings toward the club or their fans, nor would he incite them by celebrating if he scored at the Cake Tin on Sunday.
"The Yellow Fever meant a lot to me, giving me the scholarship to start my professional career, so I'm going to respect them,'' he said. "I'm very thankful and grateful for being able to have that opportunity through them. So I've got no hard feelings at all.''
The diminutive Kiwi has started each of Melbourne's three A-League games since his move across the Tasman, but with no goals and only two points to their name the start-studded Victory are feeling the pressure.
The future of their coach Mehmet Durakovic is already in question, especially with the likes of former Liverpool and Leeds striker Harry Kewell, A-League all-time record scorer Archie Thompson, 2010 Johnny Warren medallist Carlos Hernandez and Rojas in the side.
"It's been frustrating not being able to score,'' said Rojas, who couldn't pinpoint a reason why the Victory had turned goal-shy. "I'm sure when the first one goes in there will be a big relief over here, but we know that we can play better than what we are.
"My performances, I think, have been all right. But I'd prefer it if the team could be going well. We just have to start relaxing and playing some football and being comfortable with the ball.''
The Hamilton-raised teen was an automatic selection for Ricki Herbert during the second half of last season, when he filled the creative void left by long-term absentee Paul Ifill and almost single-handedly dragged the Phoenix to the playoffs.
Many wondered if he would see much game time at Melbourne with the likes of Kewell, Thompson and Hernandez but he's started all three games to date and looked lively in patches. He had hoped to play an attacking midfield role but has played largely down the right flank.
"I don't think there is such a thing as automatic choice in any football club,'' he said. "You've always got a big squad and you have to fight for your position, and it's no different here. At the moment I've been lucky enough to start, but I've got to keep performing so that I can keep my place and hopefully keep starting games.''
The Yellow Fever, too, would hope that trend continues and, considering the reception received by ex-players like Shane Smeltz and Glen Moss upon their return, Rojas is in for an interesting welcome.
"I'm just going to play my game, I can't control anything else that happens.''
"[If I score] it'll just feel the same as every other goal did. I only had good times there with the Phoenix and with the Yellow Fever, so for me it's just going to be another goal. And I'll be very happy because it'll be our first one.''
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