Melbourne Victory midfielder Jose Luis Lopez has hailed the quality of the A-League and admits he was surprised when he arrived in Australia.
The Costa Rican said he was not expecting the competition to be as good as it is and is looking forward to being involved more after making 18 appearances this season, the first of his two on loan.
"I was expecting less before I came here," he told 442.
"But the first day was amazing. The intensity of the game was even better than in Costa Rica.
"The pitches and the fields are much better which makes the player maximize his potential.
"And the people are getting more involved in the A-League which makes it more passionate and more exciting. As a player you enjoy when you have 50,000 fans and it's getting better.
"And in two or three more years, the game will be much better and exciting."