Kosta Barbarouses produced a man-of-the-match performance to help Brisbane Roar ease to an extremely comfortable 4 nil home win over a woeful Melbourne Heart. Barbarouses' sharp return to form, which included the opening goal of the match, came only a few days after he was left out of Ricki Herbert's All Whites squad for the upcoming Honduras and Paraguay friendlies.
It may be that Herbert never intended to look beyond his World Cup players in selecting his squad, given these two matches have been billed as a homecoming of sorts (and that policy is open to question). Still, let's hope that the Gaffer has at least taken the time to give Kosta a call to explain his non-selection. His performance tonight, as on a number of occasions this year, leaves this pundit in no doubt he is one of the country's 21 best players. He is also a player very different to most of the All White squad - direct and dynamic. And he is thriving under a system that puts emphasis on ball possession, short passing and movement - a system quite different to that employed by the Phoenix.
Kosta is not without his flaws. He is still too inconsistent and prone to errors and turnovers. Indeed, despite a great pre-season and opening few matches of the season proper, he had fallen into a rough patch and was left out of the starting XI the last couple of weeks. But tonight he was back to his best, pressuring opposition defenders without the ball, then sharp and incisive with it. Long may it last for club. Soon may it begin for country.
I have a preference to wait and see what our Ricki has to say-His job in selection of national players is by no means an easy one...He clearly understands what its like to be omitted and having to become intimate with the bench..Re-1982 WC in Spain.With Ricki he probably and I am just assuming, selects on form, consistency and focus.
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