A Croatian Could Be a Hit in England Again!
Adrian Segečić scored a spectacular goal for Portsmouth in their loss to West Ham, and fan comments on social media reveal just how important the 22-year-old already is to the team.
Adrian Segečić scored a spectacular goal for Portsmouth in their loss to West Ham, and fan comments on social media reveal just how important the 22-year-old already is to the team.
The career of Adrian Segečić has truly flourished over the past year. From a relatively unknown name playing for Australia's Sydney FC, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder and right winger has risen to the status of a candidate for the Croatian senior national team and one of the key players for Portsmouth in the English Championship.
Transferred last summer, Segečić has shown continuous growth, and he hinted he would continue at that pace already in the first match of the new season. Although Portsmouth were eliminated from the EFL Cup with a 1:3 loss at West Ham, the Croatian footballer made sure his name was among the scorers.
In the 33rd minute, Segečić gave his team the lead with a brilliant strike from over 20 meters out, after perfectly connecting with a rebound from a corner. However, West Ham managed to turn the match around by the end of the game with goals from Castellanos in the 43rd and 50th minutes and Bowen in the 45th minute, thus advancing to the next round of the competition.
Despite the defeat, Portsmouth fans were not overly disappointed. Their team put up a brave fight against a club that was a long-time Premier League side until recently, and the British portal Portsmouth News highlighted social media comments after the match in which Segečić is particularly praised.
"Shein and Segečić are definitely the two best players on the team. Apart from switching off for seven minutes during the whole match, we were the better team," wrote one Portsmouth fan, as reported by Portsmouth News.
Others added: "We look very promising! With a few signings before the start of the season, I think there's no reason to fear." There were also constructive criticisms: "Segečić is class, but he needs to learn to pass. Three-quarters of the time, there was an easier option. I hope he can add that to his game!"
Fans are already thinking about the ideal lineup: "When we bring in some more wingers, put Segečić at number 10, Adams in midfield, things will be perfectly set up. There are certainly good signs."
One of the more realistic comments reads: "We lost away to West Ham after taking the lead; the result is disappointing, but it wasn't a completely disappointing performance, and West Ham's quality ultimately shone through. We still have a lot to work on."
The new Championship season kicks off on Thursday with the match between Wolverhampton and Blackburn. Portsmouth will have their first league appearance on Friday, when they will host QPR at home and try to open the season with a win.
