Marco Rojas - The retirement of the Kiwi Messi

I am however struggling to see how this league physically is going to help him

Have been to Denmark a few times and those Vikings are big. He may be smashed around as much as holland or Germany 

Hope it works for him..All Whites need him back in form.

Surely he needs a manager with a setup that suits his style of football and will give him a role that plays to his strengths. He had a poor first season at Melbourne before the false 9 setup Ange played.

Don't think it's his size but tactical inflexibility that is the issue.

Gets 90 mins on debut as SønderjyskE (11th) lose 2-0 at fellow strugglers Vejle (13th).

Are there any reports about how he played at all?  Hopefully he did enough to continue getting a look in for a starting spot. 

Club website

https://soenderjyske.dk/fodbold/overliggeren-stod-...

They have a new coach. Only 1 mention of Rojas in match report.

SønderjyskE had taken a trip to Vejle in the spring's first match and Glen Riddersholm's debut as SønderjyskE coach. 

The free kick from Absalonsen was cleared to Marcos Rojas, who tried to score from the edge of the box, but the ball hit Bajza's face in the face and unfortunately it was not a return ball. 

I’ve spoken to a couple people that support Heerenveen and they said he was technically a good player and a nice guy but perhaps too nice. I agreed that I’d always thought that about Marco. There’s not a huge amount of fight in him which is certainly something you need in Europe where every player in your club will kill for a starting spot, and if you’re a passenger you won’t last. The A-League isn’t quite the same and it shows that many talented A-League players don’t quite make an impact in Europe - although I think Marco is the best example of this.

You can put Marco and Ryan side by side and compare physical and technical attributes but I don’t believe that’s a factor at all. There are plenty of small players holding their own in the Eredivisie. Desire and fight on the other hand, these two players are chalk and cheese.

Very good summary of why likely hasn't gone so well for Rojas in Europe.

Pro football, esp on the continent is brutal. Marinovic had some insightful comments about it, with regard to his ex Whitecaps team mate, wunder kid Alphonso Davies who was off to Bayern Munich.

You need a very tough mentality, and huge desire as much as skill to thrive.

82 mins in a 2-0 loss to AGF.

Mustafa Amini plays full 90 with AGF.

I found some highlights of the match. It looks like he was quite involvement at times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GISJu2OVZBM

40 mins off the bench in a 3-0 loss at AaB.

Already 2 goals down when Rojas subbed on.

a little concerned he is on the bench already

25 mins off the bench in a 3-0 win over Randers.

Already 3-0 up when he came on.

Sign him up Rudan, he'll be back here in no time.

Rojas not required off the bench as SonderjyskeE beat Esbjerg 3-1.

Esbjerg did have a player sent off at 60 mins, so that may have influenced whether Rojas got minutes or not.

Already a bench player!

Starts and gets 72 mins in a 2-1 loss at Midtjylland.

Awer Mabil 84 mins for Midtjylland, who are 2nd on the table.

I wonder if marco will do a burns and come crawling back but be absolutely garbage. Getting pretty embarrassing at this point, he could be playing regular footy down under but would rather ride the pine in a lesser european league. waste of talent. 

Personally I have no issue with a player trying to make a career in Europe, not everyone is content being a big fish in a small pond and I really don't think a bit of ambition is something to shame him for. Would be a far bigger waste of talent if he was playing for the Victory beating up on CCM.

Fair point. But he has been to Europe twice, and by all accounts for a player of his talents, failed miserably (maybe bar Switzerland) twice. I do question whether or not its his will to play there or his fathers. His mental strength just isnt there, as a player who relies heavily on confidence the fan support is also not there. Atleast in the A league he was making the most of his talent and its a real shame he cant do the same in Europe. He is getting older not younger, about to enter his primes years as a bench warmer. 

5 mins off the bench in a 0-0 draw verus Horsens.

SonderjyskE did have a player send off at 51 mins.

Back to the A League next season for Marco?

As much as I want him to succeed in Europe, surely he'll be on a few A league clubs' shopping list.. Especially MVC (if Kosta goes) or the new expansion teams.

He should at least try Asia or MLS beofer coming to the A league.

Surely the MLS is a better league than Denmark.

He just can't crack Europe - still will have had a good career comparatively to most.

Based on what?

At least he is getting plenty of minutes playing for the All Whites

Where is Kosta going?

WSW as a marquee.

This? 

Hah, that sharkarse table. Yeah right.

Futhead is by no means a credible source. Also it has Croatia ranked yet isn't there only one Croatian league team in fifa? Therefore based on the player rankings of one team. 

Indeed. Dinamo Zagreb is the only team. They don't have a bad team in game but even then I'm not sure how Croatia's ranking is calculated based on them. If Hajduk or even a lesser Croatian team was also in the game, would it stay the same? Who knows. 

Hajduk is coming 4th this season, so probably qualifies as 'lesser team'. Both Rijeka and Osijek have had decent results in Europe over the last 2-3 years but yeah, the league is pretty overrated in that table.

The best teams in MLS are really quite good, the problem is that the worst teams are truly, truly awful. Your Atlantas and Torontos are probably equal to many in places like Denmark and the Netherlands. Colorado might struggle in the A-League. If Huddo somehow continues to stay in his job maybe there's a nice maroon shirt waiting for Marco.

I think Rojas could do well in the MLS from what I know of the league, and he would be playing a step or two above the A-League.
It would hardly be the dream move all kiwi fans have been hoping for though. Many of us expected him to do well in the Championship or at similar level

This is pretty much the same quote that was used for Holland and now Denmark before he started. Some players don't travel well and it appears Marco is one of them.

Danish top flight now split and Relegation round commences.

Rojas gets 90 mins, but unfortunately SonderjyskE get beaten 4-1 by lowly Vejle.

I prefer that sort of thing to 'expert' opinions. See Moneyball..