Mark Birighitti
Encyclopedia
Mark Birighitti is an Australian 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 who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Adelaide United 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 is the youngest keeper to partake in an international club final—a record previously held by Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...

's Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...

.

Club career

Mark started his career at the AIS before moving to Adelaide United in 2008. He made his first team debut against Queensland Roar on the 17th of October 2008 helping Adelaide to a 1-0 win. Aurelio Vidmar
Aurelio Vidmar
Aurelio Vidmar is an Australian football player and former captain of the Australian national team. He is currently not tied to any A-league club...

 praised the young goalkeeper after the game saying "I think Birighitti played well he's got a really good future,he had big shoes to fill and I think he did an outstanding job tonight."

His second successive 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...

 start came against Perth Glory at Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium
Hindmarsh Stadium is a rectangular stadium located in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the home of the Australian A-League team, Adelaide United....

 after Adelaide's number one goalkeeper, 28-year-old Eugene Galekovic
Eugene Galekovic
Eugen-Josip "Eugene" Galeković is an Australian football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Adelaide United in the A-League and internationally for Australia.-Club career:...

, was injured during the Asian Champions League game against FC Bunyodkor
FC Bunyodkor
FC Bunyodkor is an Uzbek football club based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.The club finished second in the 2007 Uzbek League season and made the semi-finals of the 2008 AFC Champions League...

. Despite conceding the game's first goal at the near post, Birighitti played his part in the 2-1 win taking Adelaide to the top of the league table.

With the Galekovic again ruled out with injury Birighitti started the second leg of the ACL against Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka
is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70...

 on November 12, 2008; Adelaide lost the match 2-0. He injured his ankle after falling awkwardly in a training session on the 17 December 2008 ruling him out of the remaining A-League 2008-09
A-League 2008-09
The 2008–09 A-League season was the fourth season of the Australasian A-League association football competition. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentative licences from the FFA but these were revoked for the 2008–09 season on 12 March 2008. Expansion...

 season.

International career

Mark was selected in the Australian Under-19 squad for the 2010 AFC U-19 Championship.

Career statistics

(Correct as of 29 April 2011)
Club Season League1 Cup International2 Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Adelaide United 2008–09
A-League 2008-09
The 2008–09 A-League season was the fourth season of the Australasian A-League association football competition. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentative licences from the FFA but these were revoked for the 2008–09 season on 12 March 2008. Expansion...

3 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
2009–10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
2010–11 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 700020 90

1 - includes 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...

 final series statistics

2 - includes FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...

 statistics; AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...

 statistics are included in season commencing after group stages (i.e. 2008 ACL in 2008-09 A-League season etc.)

Honours

With Australia
Australia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...

:
  • AFC U-19 Championship: 2010 (Runners-Up)
  • AFF U-19 Youth Championship: 2010
    2010 AFF U-19 Youth Championship
    The 2010 AFF U-19 Youth Championship was held from 24 July to 30 July 2010, hosted by Vietnam. Only four teams will be participating, two teams from member associations of the AFF along with associate member Australia, and an invitee team from the East Asian Football Federation .- Group stage...

  • International Cor Groenewegen Tournament (U-20): 2009

External links

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