somehow missed this over the weekend. Have emailed the author point out his mistake and asking for a correction.
Other nations could call on Rojas
By Michael Burgess
5:30 AM Sunday Oct 30, 2011Marco Rojas is now playing in Australia - but could he one day play for Australia?
Though it seems unlikely, it is still technically possible for the
wonder winger to switch allegiance to either Chile or Australia in the
future.
Rojas, who will be the centre of attention today as the Phoenix host the
Melbourne Victory, has already played for the All Whites in friendly
matches. But under Fifa's current rules, a player is not locked in to a
country until he has figured in a 'competitive fixture'. In a New
Zealand scenario, this would mean a World Cup or Confederations Cup
qualifying match.
There have been recent cases that have clarified the law. Alex Bruce,
who had previously played for the Republic of Ireland in two A
internationals, has now pledged his future with Northern Ireland.
Jermaine Jones, who turned out three times for Germany in 2008, is now
playing for the United States and has represented them on 12 occasions.
So in theory, if Rojas was wanted by Chile, he would still be
available to play for La Roja but that seems a stretch given the vast
playing talent in the South American nation. Australia is a different
matter, as the 19-year-old could bring a genuine attacking spark to the
Socceroos that was especially lacking in South Africa last year.
However, it would require Rojas being resident in Australia for another
four seasons after this one. There are sometimes exceptions made for
younger players but generally players have to be resident in a country
for five years to qualify, as is currently the case with possible future
All Whites Daniel and Andrew Durante.
Rojas is still young and has time on his side but is also highly
ambitious, as demonstrated with his unpopular move to the Melbourne
Victory. He has Europe in his sights and being in the A-League come 2015
is not on the agenda.
Secondly, there is the question of desire. He has been fully committed
to the New Zealand cause since coming on to the scene. Not only at
senior level but also at under-20 level, where he came to every training
camp and played every game he could, even when his place was never in
doubt.
"I can't see it happening", says former All White Harry Ngata. "He has
pledged his allegiance to New Zealand and has a role to play with Ricki
Herbert."
Even if Football Federation Australia decided to tap Rojas on the
shoulder, they would have to move quickly. The All Whites have their
first instalment of 2014 World Cup qualifiers in June next year in Fiji;
once Rojas takes the pitch in one of those, he is locked in.
Meanwhile, Rojas faces one of the biggest challenges of his burgeoning
career today as he returns to Westpac Stadium. He has kept in touch with
many of his Phoenix team-mates but there will be no love lost on the
pitch; Durante has already urged the crowd to "get stuck into" Rojas and
Melbourne's other star, Harry Kewell.
Rojas has mixed feelings about the match. Like the rest of his team, he
is desperate to grab their first win - and goal - of the season.
"I'm looking forward to coming home," says Rojas. "I'm not sure what the
crowd will do but I can't control that. Anyway, when I play, everything
is a blur outside the pitch."
He says he won't celebrate if he scores, out of respect for fan group
Yellow Fever that originally gave him the chance at professional
football with their scholarship.
The Victory have endured an average start to the year, despite their
star-stacked squad, with scoreless home draws against Sydney and
Melbourne Heart and a loss to Adelaide.
Apart from the lack of results, the move has worked out well for Rojas.
He has seen plenty of game time while stars such as Carlos Hernandez and
Danny Allsop can't make the starting 11.
"I thought he would be coming off the bench to start with," says Ngata.
"They have a pretty formidable line-up. He has done okay so far but
today is a massive task for Marco. He will definitely get some stick."