When the Australian A-League player awards are conducted later this season it is very likely that Brisbane Roars' Besart Berisha will 'scoop the pool' with at least 3 accolades bestowed upon him.
I'm not quite sure what the categories are, but right now he would appear to be a 'shoe in' for 3 awards that have been presented in the past;
a) Top Goalscorer
b) Best Player
c) Best Import
With 17 goals this season from 23 A-League matches at an average of 0.77 goals per game one could be forgiven for thinking that Besart is typical of the single minded Striker who solely benefits from industrious team mates, and merely finishes off their good work at the pointy end of attacks.
But in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Anybody that thinks otherwise really needs to have a good look at last nights Round 23 clash against Perth Glory (in Perth) as just one example.
Not only did he slot home 2, and make 1 of the 3 goals Brisbane Roar scored, his true worth really stood out from the 65th minute mark, directly after his strike partner Henrique was sent from the field.
From that point on Berisha (I'm assuming) took it upon himself to largely relinquish his central striker role, freeing himself up to stem attacking raids deep inside his teams defensive 3rd of the pitch, secondary only to playing a quite Masterful central midfield role, controlling a lot of the possession, pretty much negating any hope Perth might have had of clawing their way back into the match.
It really was a joy to watch as this kind of work rate and commitment to the team cause, so often lacking in the modern game. Having said that I'm not even sure that his coach even approved of the kind of positional 'switcheroo' that Berisha employed last night. But there is absolutely no doubt that Roar Supremo Ange Postecoglou appreciates just what an asset the Albanian is to his team, that kind of 'passion in spades' would have been largely in the forefront of his thinking before rewarding him a further 2 year contract, less than a month ago. And what a coup that might well prove to be, because at the end to the upcoming Asian Champions League in November, Berisha could be the most sought after player in the region, at least on the form he is displaying at present. The A-League scoring record of 19 goals set by Shane Smeltz now seems well and truly a formality for him to overtake, and with 6 goals in his past 4 games, it appears that he will do so sooner rather than later. There are 6 games left for Brisbane Roar in the regular season, possibly 3 or 4 in the Final series, and an Asian Champions League campaign to come, so just how many more he can add is really anybody's guess.
You could also be forgiven for thinking that everything has been plain sailing for the humble and likeable Albanian this season. Once again though that really isn't the case.
After scoring an impressive 9 goals from his first 8 games in the A-League (including 4 in one game) culminating with 2 in the Roars' 36 game record breaking match against Perth in round 8, the goals dried up for him. It was bad enough that his team stumbled to an untenable 5 losses in a row thereafter, but for Berisha it would be another 4 matches before he would break the drought.
And it couldn't have come at a better time, possibly one of the most memorable goals ever in the A-League, not on the score of quality, but for sheer timing and almost immediate controversy, it won't be forgotten easily. It came at home against Sydney in Round 17. All seemed lost for the Roar who trailed 1-0 for the majority of the match until Sayed Mohamed Adnan scored a spectacular equalising free kick deep into injury time. A minute or so later Brisbane staged another attack down the left with Shane Steffanuto supplying a telling cross to an unmarked Mitch Nichols who cleverly first touched the ball, at speed, into the six yard box where Berisha was waiting, his superb reflexes coming to the fore, finishing off a half chance with great aplomb.
What happened shortly thereafter at the final whistle very much overshadowed what could well have been a glorious moment for the Albanian. Rather than soak up the adulation of scoring (and breaking the drought) a dramatic winner Berishas' mind was elsewhere, seeking to settle an even bigger score with an opposition player who had clearly overstepped the boundaries of fair play in his opinion. Whilst taking your shirt off and ushering an opponent to the tunnel for a stoush is hardly admirable at the end of a match, it does perhaps give us a telling insight into him as a player, and an individual.
He won't take a backward step, wears his heart on his sleeve, and has a strong sense of justice. He clearly has little time for self adulation and has commented several times this season on how much the team means to him, and how much he appreciates the players around him.
Add those elements to the his physical attributes- Athleticism, Strength, Stamina, Positional versatility, Acceleration in the penalty box and clnical finishing, and you begin to realise that Besart is just about the complete package, a Managers' dream if you like!
I for one am going to enjoy watching that package revealing even more by seasons end, whether it be in the A-League or the Asian Champions League.
