Grins, embraces, and heaps of laughter. The post-match interview with Lachie Rose and Kota Mizunuma provided a window into the reasons behind Newcastle Jets’ impressive rise on the Isuzu UTE A-League ladder.
Rose and Mizunuma have quickly become fan favourites, driving Newcastle’s revival that now boasts three straight wins for the first time since 2018, following a 3-1 victory over Brisbane Roar on Friday night.
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Mizunuma marked his first goal in the A-Leagues as the Japanese talent continues to shine early in his Australian journey after joining from Yokohama F.Marinos. The J1 League champion has made four goal contributions since his arrival.
His connection with Rose is proving vital, both on and off the pitch, during Newcastle’s five-match unbeaten run that has seen the Jets narrow the gap to just four points from the top six.
“I’m extremely pleased to be here,” Mizunuma beamed in his post-game chat with Rose on Paramount+.
“I want him (Rose) to score, sorry Rosey, but you had a great game.”
Mizunuma has provided two assists for Rose since his stint in the Hunter region began, with Rose adding: “Things have been going well. I’ve been finding the back of the net a bit lately.”
“Tonight he came straight off the bench and apologised for not seeing me earlier. But that’s alright.”
“I’m just thrilled to be playing alongside him. He’s excelling, and the team is performing well. We’re in a positive place right now.”
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Rose further shared: “I feel like we’ve built a solid friendship both on and off the field. Everyone in the squad is very welcoming, and we all get along famously.”
“With Kota, and I’ve known Charlesy (Charles M’Mombwa) for a while, we often grab coffees together after training.”
“Kota usually opts for a salad, while Charlesy and I go for the big breakfast.”
“It’s been great, and we nurture that friendship off the pitch, which translates into working well together on it.”
Mizunuma has swiftly earned the adoration of fans in Newcastle, with Jets supporters showing their appreciation at McDonald Jones Stadium last Friday.
“The support is incredible,” he remarked. “I’m really happy, but I’m eager to take it to the next level and keep advancing.”
Rose then chimed in, “We’re aiming for the finals. Everyone underestimated us at the start of the season.”
“Now we’ve built that sense of unity.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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