GARANG Kuol is the hottest prospect in Australian football and begins life with English Premier League club Newcastle United in January.
Kuol, fellow attacker Jason Cummings and veteran Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic are on a high after playing varying roles in the Socceroos' record-breaking feats at the World Cup.
On Sunday, the Central Coast trio stand in the way of the Newcastle Jets and a winning restart to their A-League campaign in Gosford.
"Every team has three or four big dogs that you have to watch," Jets left fullback James McGarry said. "They have come back from a World Cup and are top players. Two of them are attacking players and we have to stop them, not give them time in attacking positions."
Incredibly, Kuol is yet to start an A-League game. However, the 18-year-old super-sub has six goals and three assists in 327 minutes.
It was a role, the ambitious flyer carried on for the Socceroos.
Bar a save by Argentine keeper Emiliano Martinez, he would have scored a late equaliser against Lionel Messi's men in the 2-1 defeat in the round of 16 in Qatar on Sunday.
"As soon as you give a player like that time on the ball, that is when they are going to have opportunities to dink it past you and run past you," McGarry said. "It is a case of getting tight, getting physical and not giving him the room he wants to have. In and around the box, we have to be brutal. We can't let them in there. We can't let them have touches and get shots away."
The Mariners have netted 12 goals in five games.
Former Jet Sam Silvera has led the way with three, while Kuol and Cummings have two each.
McGarry is likely to match up on Kuol, whether the teenager starts or is used off the bench.
"The only way you can better yourself is if you play against the best. He is definitely one of the better ones in the league," McGarry said.
"Any time you come up against guys like that, you want to show what you can do. He might be a good attacker, but we want to show that we are good defenders. We are looking forward to the game and we know what they have got."
While the eyes of the nation have been on the World Cup in Qatar the Jets have worked overtime.
In a mini preseason, they drew 1-all with Melbourne City on November 26, had a 3-all draw with Macarthur last Friday before a second-string team went down 5-2 to Sydney FC a day later.
"It has been really good," McGarry said. "It gave us time to reflect. We have looked at the games and what we needed to do better. And there were a few things.
"We have been working hard over the past four weeks tactically and obviously fitness wise as well. We have gone back to the basics of defending.
"Sometimes players can create things out of nothing. It is about minimising that as much as possible. It is about putting your body on the line when it needs to be put on the line and not letting them get opportunities in and around the box."
The Jets sit in 10th spot on six points, a point behind the fifth-placed Mariners. Both have played a game less than the rest of the league after their season opener was washed out.
"A derby is a fantastic way to start this stretch," McGarry said. "We are hoping a big group of fans will travel to support us and we put on a display that they are proud of."
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