Opinion: Tom Rogic's emergence tosses up the old quandary - should they stay or should they go?

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By Iain Strachan

It is June 28, 2014. The scoreboard at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte reads Portugal 1-1 Australia.

There is less than a minute of extra-time remaining in the Round of 16 match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Few expected the Socceroos to hold their own against one of Europe’s heavyweights, but with Cristiano Ronaldo out of sorts, Portugal have failed to fire.

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The lottery of a penalty shootout looks all but certain, until Brett Holman catches Joao Moutinho dwelling in possession.

Holman's pass finds 21-year-old Tomas Rogic, who evades the tackle of a sluggish Pepe.

Fabio Coentrao comes across to cover, but Rogic shrugs off the full-back's attentions, demonstrating a hidden strength that belies his awkward frame.

One more touch and Rogic looks up, before unleashing an unstoppable strike beyond stranded goalkeeper Eduardo.

The locals at Estadio Mineirao, firmly backing underdogs Australia over former colonial masters Portugal, erupt in wild celebration, as the Socceroos go one better than their predecessors at the 2006 World Cup.

Consider an alternative reality.

The clock ticks down in normal time, but the final whistle cannot arrive quickly enough for Holger Osieck's beleaguered players.

Fortunate to make it out of an easy group, Australia have been embarrassed by Portugal.

Pressed into service at the age of 34 and 35 respectively, Tim Cahill and Brett Emerton had little answer to their opponents' slick exchange of passing.

Watching from his rented apartment in the Dutch city of Eindhoven, Rogic groans as another Portugal attack makes it 4-0.

The attacking midfielder had harboured dreams of earning a place in Osieck's final 23-man squad, but knew he did not do enough at the pre-tournament training camp.

He could hardly be blamed.

Just five starts and 15 substitute appearances in two Eredivisie seasons with PSV left Rogic rusty, and wishing he had remained with Central Coast Mariners for at least another campaign.

Which scenario would you prefer to see realised?

Caution must be exercised when taking four A-League appearances as the basis for assessing long-term potential, but it looks like Mariners coach Graham Arnold has unearthed a gem in the form of Canberra-born Rogic.

There is something particularly exciting about the nature of Rogic's fledgling talent.

Given the size of the country, and with 'soccer' a poor cousin to several other sports, Australia has produced more than its fair share of quality players.

But even the very best of recent times tend to fall into the category of 'industrious' or 'workmanlike'.

Mark Viduka was capable of exceptional skill, but essentially constituted an old-fashioned centre-forward, while Cahill and Emerton have thrived thanks to their exceptional work-rate.

Arguably the most technically gifted player to emerge from Australia is Harry Kewell, who, even in his prime, was best deployed as a flying winger.

But in Rogic, this country may have unearthed a classic No.10, the trequartista so prized in Italian football.

Deployed in a central attacking midfield role, behind the striker(s) and ahead of the ball-winning holding players, such a talent can - when employed properly - be used to devastating effect.

Rogic looks to have all the gifts necessary to thrive in such a position; strength, pace, an impressive passing range, and an eye for goal.

Most importantly, his football intelligence and awareness afford him that most intangible of qualities - the capacity to create time and space on the ball, regardless of the proximity of opposing players.

If he continues to produce such eye-catching performances, the inevitable question will arise. Where should Rogic continue his development?

In the A-League, he is likely to hold down a regular berth in the starting XI of the Mariners, or any other team lucky enough to have him.

At a European club, Rogic might be exposed to a higher technical standard, and hopefully receive expert coaching in a country where football is the only game in town.

But will he play often enough to improve?

Encouraging performances in the A-League earned Tommy Oar and Robbie Kruse moves to FC Utrecht and Fortuna Dusseldorf respectively, but neither have, as yet, earned a regular first-team berth.

Perhaps the model for Rogic to follow should be Mariners’ team-mate Mustafa Amini, snapped up by Borussia Dortmund and then loaned back to Central Coast.

There is no easy answer to the dilemma which Rogic may soon face, and it will likely be the same for others who follow in his footsteps.

One thing is certain, Australian football must decide on a path which affords its youngsters the best possible chance of delivering on their early promise, or risk seeing rare and gifted talent go unfilled.