Brisbane Roar's knack for dramatic comebacks is not luck or happenstance - it's the product of an attitude that is now ingrained into the A-League club's psyche, according to Thomas Broich.
Two-time Johnny Warren medallist Broich headed home a 93rd-minute corner kick on Friday night to seal an incredible come-from-behind 2-1 elimination final win over Melbourne Victory.
The Roar were on course for a gut-wrenching defeat when Besart Berisha scored with four minutes of regulation time left to give a dominant Victory the lead, but an instant reply from captain Matt McKay levelled the scores a minute later, and then Broich's late heroics prompted scenes of absolute bedlam in the Suncorp Stadium stands.
Sound familiar? It should do.
Like in their three A-League grand final wins and on countless other occasions over the past six seasons, Brisbane has made a habit of somehow winning games from impossible situations.
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And while other fledgling A-League clubs might still be trying to figure out who they are and what they stand for, Broich says Brisbane Roar's identity is clear.
"I guess it's the story of this club to just keep pushing," Broich said.
"It's an incredible story that we're still writing.
"It's unbelievable that we have this spirit of never giving up, doesn't matter - from the kick-off, again, the next attack we scored, and we didn't stop there.
"And it's not a one-off - it happens time and again. It's something we're really proud of."
Brisbane will now take on Western Sydney Wanderers next weekend at Pirtek Stadium for a spot in the A-League grand final on May 1.
But the Wanderers have already been warned not to expect another off-colour performance from the Roar, who were played off the park by Victory in the first half, didn't register a single shot on goal until deep into the second half, and will count themselves as very fortunate to still be in the finals race.
"It was an off night, the first half. We won't have two in a row," Aloisi said.
"The best teams in the world can't play well all season, but we found a way to win. Tonight was about winning.
"There's a number of games this season we've won right at the death when everyone thought we were gone.
"We always believe we can win. That's a thing we've got. No matter what happens in the football game, we go right to the end.
"That's because of the belief we've got not only in the way we play but in each other."
