Kaz Patafta
Encyclopedia
Kaz Phonesak Patafta is an Australia
n professional football (soccer)
player of Laotian
and Croatia
n descent. Patafta formerly played as an attacking midfielder
for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League
. He attended Radford College in Canberra
and received a football scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport
(AIS
) in 2004.
's A-League
clubs before PSV Eindhoven (whose interest was due to the recommendation of then Australia national football team manager, Guus Hiddink
) and SL Benfica
expressed interest in signing him. Patafta joined Benfica's Reserve squad as a 16 year old having impressed at international youth level, however, initially his transfer was blocked by Football Federation Australia
as he was under the age of 18. After receiving a clearance he eventually joined the squad in January 2006. His first game for the Benfica first team was against CF Estrela da Amadora in a pre-season fixture on 15 August 2006. Patafta joined Australian A-League champions Melbourne Victory
on loan for the 2007-08 season. He played his first game for Melbourne Victory
in a pre-season match against Sydney FC
before making most of his league appearances off the bench amid suggestions that he was not physical enough or even big enough for the league. His first goal in the A-League was a left foot shot from a tight angle which came in a round 20 encounter against Wellington Phoenix which Melbourne won 3-0. In May 2008, Patafta secured a release from the remainder of his contract with Benfica
with the assistance of the Australian Professional Footballers' Association
. On 2 June 2008, Patafta signed a 1 year contract with the Newcastle Jets. On 22 August 2008 he debuted for Newcastle in a in a 3-3 with Perth Glory when he was substituted on in the 80th minute for Edmundo Zura.. At the end of the 2010/11 A-League season, Patafta was released by the Newcastle Jets.
.
Patafta was included as part of Australia's "train-on" squad before the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, along with fellow promising young Australian players Kristian Sarkies
and Neil Kilkenny
. Unlike these players, he was not given a senior cap in the team's three pre-World Cup friendly matches.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player of Laotian
Lao people
The Lao are an ethnic subgroup of Tai/Dai in Southeast Asia.-Names:The etymology of the word Lao is uncertain, although it may be related to tribes known as the Ai Lao who appear in Han Dynasty records in China and Vietnam as a people of what is now Yunan Province...
and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n descent. Patafta formerly played as an attacking midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. He attended Radford College in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and received a football scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport - Football (soccer)
The Australian Institute of Sport Football Program is an association football talent identification and player development program run by the Australian Institute of Sport, in Canberra...
(AIS
AIS
-As a word:* Ais people, a Native American tribe living on the Treasure coast of Florida, United States which had completely disappeared by the mid-18th Century.*Plural of:** ai ** AI -Medicine:...
) in 2004.
Club career
After graduating from the AIS Patafta had been ignored by AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
clubs before PSV Eindhoven (whose interest was due to the recommendation of then Australia national football team manager, Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
) and SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
expressed interest in signing him. Patafta joined Benfica's Reserve squad as a 16 year old having impressed at international youth level, however, initially his transfer was blocked by Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
as he was under the age of 18. After receiving a clearance he eventually joined the squad in January 2006. His first game for the Benfica first team was against CF Estrela da Amadora in a pre-season fixture on 15 August 2006. Patafta joined Australian A-League champions Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
on loan for the 2007-08 season. He played his first game for Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
in a pre-season match against Sydney FC
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
before making most of his league appearances off the bench amid suggestions that he was not physical enough or even big enough for the league. His first goal in the A-League was a left foot shot from a tight angle which came in a round 20 encounter against Wellington Phoenix which Melbourne won 3-0. In May 2008, Patafta secured a release from the remainder of his contract with Benfica
SL Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team...
with the assistance of the Australian Professional Footballers' Association
Australian Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers Australia is an Australian trade union affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions that represents professional male, female and elite junior football players.-History:...
. On 2 June 2008, Patafta signed a 1 year contract with the Newcastle Jets. On 22 August 2008 he debuted for Newcastle in a in a 3-3 with Perth Glory when he was substituted on in the 80th minute for Edmundo Zura.. At the end of the 2010/11 A-League season, Patafta was released by the Newcastle Jets.
International career
Patafta gained attention when he captained the Australian Under-17 football team, the "Joeys", during the 2005 World Championships in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
"In a team where most of the players show good skills with the ball, Kaz Patafta has ensured his spot and has no replacement as a midfielder. A good reader of the game and the centre of command, this boy naturally became the captain of the Aussies".
Patafta was included as part of Australia's "train-on" squad before the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, along with fellow promising young Australian players Kristian Sarkies
Kristian Sarkies
Kristian Sarkies is an Australian football player who currently plays for Melbourne Heart...
and Neil Kilkenny
Neil Kilkenny
Neil Martin Kilkenny is an English-born Australian football player who plays for Bristol City as a midfielder. He is a member of the Australia national team.-Early life and career:...
. Unlike these players, he was not given a senior cap in the team's three pre-World Cup friendly matches.
External links
- Newcastle Jets profile
- The World Game profile on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....