Soccer: Small Rojas will be Adelaide's 'target'

Marco Rojas. Photo / Getty Images

Andrew Durante believes quelling the impact of young gun Marco Rojas will be a hot topic in Adelaide United's dressing room before the A-League soccer elimination semifinal. The Phoenix captain will talk to the referee to ensure the small 19-year-old is adequately protected.

Rojas' speed and skill has been a revelation in Wellington's late season surge, which has them in sixth place to book a week one finals date with third-placed Adelaide at Hindmarsh Stadium tomorrow night.

Rojas has become Wellington's key attacking weapon and Durante firmly believes Adelaide will target him, so the captain will do what he can to ensure his star player can have an impact.

"If you've seen our last 10 goals, he's set up maybe nine of them, so he's very important for us and we're going to make sure that we get around him, make sure he feels comfortable and he really just needs to go out there and enjoy it.

"I think [opposition] teamtalks are all about trying to stop him now but he's still setting up all our goals and he's still playing really well," Durante said.

"I'm going to get in the refs ear before the game and make sure they do protect him because I think all over the world, the smaller players tend to get butchered a lot. He's important for us so we're going to make sure he gets all the protection he needs."

But Durante was confident Rojas would be up for the occasion.

"I'd say he'd be targeted but that's where he needs to step up and get that out of his mind and keep attacking them."

"Everyone's talking about him going overseas and he's the next big thing, this is the time to step up. All the players are behind him and we believe he can do it. If you can keep encouraging a young player like that, he's going to grow in confidence and just keep going."

Durante returns after a two-match suspension, so coach Ricki Herbert's toughest call will be who to leave out of the back four.

He could leave makeshift defender Troy Hearfield at right back and remove either Jade North or Ben Sigmund from the central defence, or opt to move North or Sigmund to right back and demote Hearfield to the bench.

- NZPA