“You learn different things at international level which I think you can bring back to club level and you can work it in and make yourself better,” said Kantarovksi
Hunter Ports Newcastle Jets midfielder Ben Kantarovski says he is ready to put the disappointment of an unsuccessful qualification campaign with the Olyroos behind him to focus on helping the Jets qualify for the A-League finals.
Despite missing out on a spot at London 2012, the Lambton High School product believes the lessons learned during the Olyroos campaign could benefit him in the long run.
“Obviously it was a bit disappointing with the campaign that we had. We didn-t get any wins and couldn-t score… not to qualify for the Olympics I think was the biggest disappointment,” Kantarovski said.
“You learn different things at international level which I think you can bring back to club level and you can work it in and make yourself better.
“I think that-s the way you-ve got to look at it and try to improve all the time.”
Kantarovski returned to action for the Jets in last Friday-s win over Adelaide. The 20-year-old started and put in an excellent 45-minute shift after only hopping off the plane from the UAE earlier that day.
Speaking after an intense training session in sweltering heat on Tuesday, Kantarovski admitted the hectic schedule had taken its toll on him.
“(The body) is pretty tired at the moment. I struggled to make it through that tough session,” the midfielder explained.
“It should be good for the next day or two to get a bit of recovery, get some rest and get back into normal sleeping patterns.”
The Jets face a tough assignment against the Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday night. The Victory are undefeated at home this season and will be desperate for a win to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
Kantarovski said the Jets have had similar motivation during their run of four wins from their last five games.
“I think we-ve been doing that for the past couple of weeks and that-s how we-ve been getting our results and I think that-s the way we-ve turned our season around,” he said.
“It-s just a matter of going out there and doing the same thing again, getting another win and hopefully securing that spot in the top six.”
With only four points separating seventh and fourth on the A-League ladder, Kantarovski said that every one of the Jets- remaining matches is like a final.
“Especially with the way the fixtures are for the rest of the season with some of the teams having some pretty tough matches coming up,” Kantarovski added.
“You never know, if we get some good results we may even finish a bit higher than expected, it-s all a matter of doing well.”
