Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Damien Mori Mori on the transition from Croweater to Sandgroper… Diegos: "This season you went from an Adelaide Force Croweater to a Perth Glory Chicken Treat Chicken eater. The club colours may have changed but your ability to hit the back of the net hasn't. 19 goals so far this season and plenty more to come no doubt. Has the transition from one club to another been as easy as you make it appear?" Mori: " I think at the beginning of the season it was difficult. We didn't get to play too many practice games and so it did make it hard. The understanding between Bobby Despotovski and myself didn't really start to blossom until about eight games in to the season. From this point on we were scoring a lot of goals, which showed we were finally beginning to understand each others game. But it is a continual learning process. Even now we have our fair share of difficulties." Diegos: " What's the biggest difference between playing for Adelaide Force and playing for Perth Glory? Is it when you score for Perth and run to the crowd to celebrate that in Perth there is a crowd to celebrate with?" Mori: " Adelaide was alright. We averaged about 5000 each game, which is about average for most NSL clubs. With Perth you know that there will be a crowd of 10000 plus even on a rainy day. They have tremendous support, which makes playing there as close to being in Europe as possible. The crowds are fantastic there is a tremendous atmosphere at every game so it is really enjoyable to play." Soft Sombrero Moment April 2001
Diegos: "You seem to be drawn to coaches who like the 'Big D' in discipline, the 'P' in pain and the 'Big B' in I'm the boss. You were coached for many years by Zoran Matic at Adelaide City and currently by Bernd Stange at Perth Glory. How do you compare the two and is one softer than the other?" Mori: " They both have completely different philosophies on the game. Zoran is very head strong about not conceding goals where as Bernd is concerned with putting as many into the net as possible. Bernd has a lot of confidence in his side's ability to score more than the opposition. The two coaches are at opposite ends of the scale. As a striker I feel very comfortable with Bernd's philosophy." Soft Sombrero Moment April 2001
Diegos: "Congratulations on your performances for the Socceroos in the recent Oceania World cup qualifiers. Prior to the tournament though, you were quite critical of Frank Farina's selection policy in particular, his plan to choose home based players for the so-called easier games and calling in the overseas boys for the big ones later in the year. Happily you both kissed and made up before the tournament. Do you still feel strongly about the issue?" Mori: " I believe we have a good league here in Australia and there are many players here who will not get an opportunity to go overseas. My point really was that there are a lot of players who are playing regular football where as there are a number of our European players who are not. My argument is that just because you play in Europe doesn't automatically make you a better player than one regularly playing in the NSL. I believe that all players overseas and local should be considered for the National team equally." Soft Sombrero Moment April 2001
Diegos: "During the tournament you became the highest all time scorer for the Socceroos in 'A' internationals with 26 goals. It was an achievement you've worked very hard for over the years and are no doubt proud of. After all the hard work, how did you feel when that pretty-boy, second gamer, Archie Thompson notched 13 goals in one game? Was it a diplomatic congratulatory handshake? A threat to be break his legs or did you just cry?" Soft Sombrero Moment April 2001
Diegos: " Congratulations on breaking the all time record for goals scored in the NSL by any player - 138 goals. Many pretty boy strikers like to accumulate goals and the supermodels, drink cards and kudos that goes with it often at the expense of their team's success. You instead have remained humble despite your outstanding achievement. Have you allowed yourself privately to enjoy the moment at all?" Mori: "I've always said that when you achieve personal milestones they don't really mean a lot until you retire. I believe its only then that you can comfortably look back on your career and contemplate what you have achieved and give yourself a pat on the back. While you're still playing and involved in a team, it's a team effort whatever happens. At the moment at the Adelaide Force, we're trying to get into the finals and that's all we are really focused on." Soft Sombrero Moment 2000
Diegos: " Many superlatives have been used over the years to describe you - goal king, goal sneak, goal poacher, penalty box 'sniffer' and deadly marksman, to name a few. It's clear that you do have an uncanny knack of scoring goals. Is it pure hard work that has allowed you to achieve what you have or is prolific goal scoring more a God given gift?" Mori: "If it was God's gift I wouldn't be here, I'd be overseas! I think you've got to enjoy what you do and I enjoy scoring goals. Because I enjoy it so much I always try to put myself in the best position to hit the back of the net. That may well be the instinct of a striker - a desire to put yourself in the right place at the right time. There are many good strikers. Just have a look at someone like Paul Trimboli. He is one of the great strikers but he doesn't score a lot of goals, he is more of a creator of goals. That's his role in the team. I always put it down to the fact that defenders have to do their job, goalkeepers have to do their job and I have to do my job and that is to score goals." Diegos: " What about the goal celebration? Does much planning go into a goal celebration these days?" Mori: " Not with mine. Mine has been the same for the last 10 years. I think it's that immediate reaction that you have. I just get adrenaline rush and tend to enjoy the moment." Diegos: " Any plans to change the goal celebration? Perhaps a Ravanelli headless chook celebration might be novel?" Mori: " Do you guys want me to change it? Ravanelli's been done many times before. If I do change it will have to be something original. Stay tuned!" Soft Sombrero Moment 2000
Diegos: " Strangely, you spent some of your career at Sunshine George Cross in the NSL as, of all things, a full back many years ago. Your hard running, robust style of play seems to be a remnant of those hard tackling, winger-hating days. It's been an uncommon metamorphosis. Do you think that you'll ever lose the taste for a goal and want to move into the back half as your career winds down?" Mori: "When I left South Melbourne many years ago and joined Sunshine I did spend half a season as a defender. At the moment I'm quite happy to play up front. I think it is easier to go from playing as striker to playing as a defender than the other way around. We saw that with Carl Veart in our team. Carl was having a bad trot and was moved to centre half. Since then he has regained confidence and is currently one of our most consistent players." Soft Sombrero Moment 2000
Diegos: "You had one unsuccessful foray as an overseas professional with German Bundesliga club, Borussia Moenchengladbach a few years ago. Whilst the German beer and the Bavarian piano accordion and sausage barbecues were quite agreeable, your time with the club wasn't, and you returned home after only one season. It must have been a disappointing time. Do you still harbor ambitions to play overseas?" Mori: "For me, I honestly don't believe it was unsuccessful. I felt that just being part of a professional set up overseas was a success in itself. To see what it was all about and to experience club football at the highest level, made it one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It was disappointing that I only played in six games but to know that I did have a go and play with the likes of Stefan Effenberg and Swedish international, Martin Dahlin was truly fantastic." Soft Sombrero Moment 2000
Diegos: "You do possess a pedigree for breaking records. Who could ever forget the world record you set for the fastest goal ever scored, after only 3.7 seconds for Adelaide City V Sydney United in 1996. That record unfortunately, has since been unofficially broken by a goal hungry Uruguayan ball hog, with the aid of a strong wind, a midget opposition goalkeeper and a convenient change in the opening kick off rule by FIFA. You broke Rod Brown's record for NSL goals scored. Having had your world record broken, can you relate to how Rod must be feeling now?" Mori: "I don't know whether the Uruguayan effort has been verified. My club is currently looking into it. Whatever happens good luck to the guy who breaks the record. Records are there to be broken and I'm sure that at some stage someone will break the record, if it's not broken already." Soft Sombrero Moment 2000 |