Archie Thompson sets off after heading home the winner in Australia's World Cup qualifier against Iraq. Source: Getty Images
MELBOURNE Victory want star striker Archie Thompson to back up his match-winning performance for the Socceroos with a similar effort against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium tomorrow night.
Thompson scored his third goal in the Socceroos' past three internationals to seal a 2-1 win over Iraq in yesterday's World Cup qualifier in Doha.
He and Victory teammate Mark Milligan arrived in Melbourne early today and will train at Etihad Stadium.
Bottom-of-the-table Victory is hoping Thompson and Milligan - who was not used in Doha - will slot into the team to face the undefeated Reds.
New Zealander Marco Rojas, who played 69 minutes in the All Whites' 3-0 win over Tahiti on Tuesday, is also expected to return to the side that, in the absence of its international trio, lost 5-0 to Brisbane last week.
Victory football operations manager Paul Trimboli said they would be given until the last minute to prove their fitness.
"We'd love to have all three involved in the matchday squad for Friday," Trimboli said yesterday.
"But we haven't seen them in person yet, so until the physio, the doc and the coach have a look at them and have a chat to them we probably won't know.
"They'll be coming down to training and we'll have a look at them to see what sort of condition they're in.
"Archie looked alright in the little clips I saw of him scoring and obviously Milligan didn't play.
"Hopefully all three of them are good to go."
Teammates heaped praise on Thompson after he headed home an 84th-minute cross from Tommy Oar, with keeper Mark Schwarzer labelling the 33-year-old one of his favourite players in camp.
"He's a great kid to have around, he gives 100 per cent every time he plays and it shows," 40-year-old Schwarzer said.
"He's a great professional. He's completely evolved from this kid ... to being one of the older players in the squad (who is) a real leader.
"That's why he's scored so many goals for Australia."
Thompson has scored 24 times in 41 matches for the Socceroos.
"To get the winner ... it will be pretty hard to wipe the smile off my face for a long time to come," he said.
"It was also the service Tommy gave. It just sat up and it was like The Matrix, that's how long I had to settle myself."
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