One More Year in Melbourne for Sukha

Trailblazing Thai international Surat Sukha has put pen to paper on a one year contract extension with the A-League's Melbourne Victory, ensuring that the Thai will remain in Melbourne until the end of the 2011/2012 season. The first Southeast Asian player to play at the highest level in Australia, Melbourne Victory's Gary Cole said of Sukha: "He's fitted in so well, he's always laughing and smiling, and he and his family thoroughly enjoy living in Melbourne."

Sukha has thus far turned out for the former A-League champions on 18 occasions, and was a member of the Grand Final starting XI in front of more than 44,000 vociferous supporters. He has struggled with soft tissue injuries and linguistic difficulties, although one hopes that a full pre-season in Melbourne will help Sukha settle in even more. He has played every game of Melbourne Victory's current AFC Champions League campaign, and will turnout for the club once again in tomorrow's vital home clash with Chinese champions Beijing Guoan.

I thought that Melbourne may have ended Sukha's time in Melbourne once his two year contract had expired and pursued other Asian players, so this contract extension comes as somewhat of a surprise. Sukha has been impressive in patches, but needs to turn out more consistent performances and hopefully, avoid the injuries that have plagued his first season with the club. A full pre-season in Australia should do him well.

Sukha makes promising A-League debut

Thai international Surat Sukha made history in Melbourne Victory's dramatic draw with Brisbane last night, becoming the first ever player from an ASEAN nation to play in the A-League. As expected, Sukha started on the bench, but was thrust into the pulsating encounter in the 79th minute as a substitute for Evan Berger. Sukha operated in his usual left full-back role and demonstrated a composed head on the ball and a willingness to go forward. The highlight of Sukha's debut was undoubtedly his driving run and long range effort on goal. It certainly roused the Thai-speaking fans sitting behind me who willed on their countryman with his every touch during the 3-3 draw.

Sukha's brief debut performance has been widely praised by Melbourne fans, with most wanting to see what the former Chonburi man can do in a starting role. Whether Ernie Merrick will give Sukha the chance to start against the bottom of the table North Queensland is up for speculation, as so far the Melbourne coach has preferred other defensive options. If Sukha does not start in the Townsville heat, however, we can probably expect to see him once again in a role off the bench and with another impressive performance can further stake his claim for a starting role in the coming weeks.

Sukha exuded spark and composure during his A-League debut and both Melbourne and Thailand fans should be pleased with his prospects.

Sukha to make A-League debut?

A-League champions Melbourne Victory have included Thai international Surat Sukha in their matchday squad for Saturday night's clash against Brisbane at Docklands Stadium. It is the first time Sukha has been included in Victory's matchday squad for an A-League fixture. Sukha has so far turned out for the club in just a handful of pre-season matches, most notably a friendly against English Premier League club Fulham.

Sukha was curiously omitted from last week's matchday squad which disappointly succumbed to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of the Central Coast Mariners. With the injury of club captain Kevin Muscat, Victory's defensive stocks are thin and critics of coach Ernie Merrick's recruitment policy are growing more vociferous as the club looks to sign yet another striker.

Sukha is the first ever player from an ASEAN nation to play in Australia's top flight, and is one of a handful of AFC players recruited by A-League clubs in the off-season. He was signed from Thai Premier League club Chonburi to a two-year deal and should Sukha's stay in Australia prove to be a success, it is hoped that other A-League clubs will be encouraged to look for often underrated talent plying their trade in South-East Asia.

In being the first Thai player to sign for an A-League club, Sukha is something of a trailblazer and indeed an experiment. Australian football fans have become well aware of the technical quality on show in South-East Asia thanks to exposure to the Asian Cup and AFC Champions League. "I am very happy that I will be the first Thai player to play in Australia's top football league," Surat said. "I hope this will be the first step for other Thai players to follow", Sukha told the Bangkok Post in this article.