Speaking after Melbourne Victory secured their second grand final in four seasons last weekend, the Costa Rican says his time in Australia has been an eye-opener.

"I was expecting less before I came here," he told au.fourfourtwo.com. "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."

Lopez arrived at the start of season four  is currently in the middle of a two-year loan deal from his Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa.

The 27-year-old has made 18 appearances mostly off the timber this season. The sizzling form of new Socceroo Billy Celeski has restricted the holding midfielder's starting appearances.

Not that Lopez is complaining. He says the experience in another football culture has improved him as a footballer and will better his chances of regaining a starting spot with the newly crowned champions when the extended season five kicks off in around five months' time.

Whether or not he'll do that alongside compatriot Carlos Hernandez remains to be seen. Most assessments are correctly pessimistic. But Lopez is looking forward to ramping up the intensity in the middle of the park.

"What I've learned is that I'm used to some things but you need to learn other things," he said. "You never learn enough. You need to maintain yourself, learning and learning. I know that I need to have more intensity."

Quizzed on who would win between his former club Saprissa and Melbourne Victory, Lopez smiled and added: "It's tough, because we are so different in styles... definitely a draw."