Date: March 16th 2010
Author: Aidan Ormond
From: Four Four Two Australia

EXCLUSIVE: Perth Glory youth midfielder Glen Trifiro will be looking to impress at least one former coach and snag an A-League contract in Saturday’s National Youth League grand final.

Trifiro, 20, cut his teeth in the NSW Premier League with Sydney United and Marconi before getting the chance this season to impress at Glory.

At United, his coach was Ante Milicic - now an assistant coach at Melbourne Heart who is expected to be among the keen onlookers - along with other Heart coaching staff - at the showpiece youth game in Melbourne.

"I speak to Tezza [Milicic] regularly but my main focus is Perth, but if options come in from somewhere else..." Trifiro told au.fourfourtwo.com.

Heart won't field a youth team squad next season but Trifiro remains hopeful that options are there. A strong game on Saturday will surely help.

"I'm sure there'll be a lot of opportunities for young boys in that squad," he said.
Trifiro, who spent a year at Central Coast Mariners last season and has had stints with Bolton and Empoli youth, slipped the net of NSW A-League clubs.

But time is running out of time to impress A-League coaches now that the season is at an end.

Training with the Glory first team alongside seasoned veterans like Mile Sterjovski and Jacob Burns has helped lift his game to a new level, he says.

"It's pretty much full-time and even though we had a professional set up at United with Ante Milicic, at Glory it's definitely a step up," Trifiro said.

"Perth's been absolutely brilliant. I'm full-time. During the days I train with the first team and with the youth team."

It was Trifiro's goal that propelled Glory to the final after they overcome Adelaide United 1-0 in Perth last weekend.

For A-League fans who turn up early for the game, it'll should be worth seeing.

Not only are they the best two sides in the NYL but Gold Coast and Glory are physically imposing teams.

Glory central defender Steve Hesketh is a no-nonsense organiser very much in the Kevin Muscat mold. In midfield, Trifiro keeps the engine room ticking over while forward Tommy Amphlett has flair down the flanks.

As for Gold Coast, they may be the biggest side in the competition with tall defenders Zac Cartwright and Steve Topalovic (formerly of Football Superstar fame) providing brawn and brains at the back.

James Brown and Tahj Minniecon should provide the X-factor going forward for the Queenslanders, who qualified by dispatching favourites Central Coast last week 3-1.

Expect a physical encounter on the relaid Etihad surface. The game is set for 3pm.

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/124486,glens-shot-at-glory.aspx