Just thought I'd get on my soapbox about a couple of unsavoury incidents before and apparently after the Gold Coast United/Brisbane Roar match on Boxing Day.
The Author, Family & Friends travelled to Skilled Park by train to the match. We alighted on a suburban station (that won't be mentioned) to a rather packed last carriage. Upon entry there were some ordinary comments made by 1 or 2 supporters (of a bunch dressed in orange) in regard to where they thought we hailed from (station name). I presumed it was lighthearted, and it probably was. The only retort I managed to utter was "Hey, I actually live here you know".
For the next 20 minutes or so the crowd of Orange supporters were quite loud and boisterous. Some of their banter was quite entertaining and drew quite a few smiles and laughs from some of the passengers. Others didn't look quite so amused it has to be said, and probably even less so when the rather silly "Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy Brisbane Roar" was sung. This involved at least half a dozen of them jumping off the floor in unison for 30 seconds or so, a bit like being at a Rock Concert really but let's not forget this is a moving vehicle full of passenger with a floor that is off the ground! At one point they were rehearsing this as the train crossed a bridge over the river and 1 or 2 of them mentioned after that maybe they should try to avoid doing so in future.
Anyway, overall it seemed a bit of fun and let's face it there is little in this world more boring than travelling by train for any longer than 10 minutes!
Just a shame though that the fun had to be carried a bit too far as will so often happen when a bunch of young blokes get together, possibly under the influence of alcohol. The moronic chant F.....off United (opposition team) really serves no decent purpose, particularly if said supporters happen to be travelling on the same train, in the same carriage (The same chant was heard several times during the match).
Anyhow nothing evolved out of that thankfully but it was time for us to leave after the orange army chanted boasts of wha theyt have done or what they would like to do with Gold Coast Women.
I wasn't game to look left of us where 2 young attractive Indian ladies sat. Up to that point they had seemingly enjoyed the revelry and I do hope they took no offence. My young bloke (age 14) was off though. He could stand no more so we all headed off and left to another carriage.
All that aside I was surprised to learn a couple of days later from a work colleague that there was some sort of incident/scuffle that took place outside the stadium after the match. Certainly no 'Shrinking Violet' himself, he seemed genuinely disturbed at what had been broadcast on a particular Channel (I believe it was the only one) and mentioned why does this only happen at Soccer matches. It doesn't happen in State of Origin matches, other Football codes etc.
I retorted that I bet it does, but you just don't see it on the news.
Now, I've never been to a SOO match myself but have been reliably informed that this sort of thing does happen at those matches and on a fairly regular basis.
Yet another work colleague asked did I attend the match and showed some concern as to what we might have got involved in. Quite honestly though we saw absolutley nothing as we headed out of the ground to catch the first train home. I can only assume that a rather innocuous incident has once again been blown out of all proportion by the media, mainly because there has been very little aftermath.
And apparently in said report there was absoluetly no mention of a far more serious happening on the night, in which I understand, some 1000 supporters were left stranded outside the stadium before the match had started and weren't let in until half time. That is reprehensible and perhaps the 2 incidents were connected and one thing led to another?
And ultimately there is a very important moral to this story and it is..............................If you are a supporter of Football (Soccer) in this country please do your utmost to "keep your nose clean" because if you don't there are certain sections of the media here that will absolutely crucify your sport no matter how small or insignificant the 'incident' may be. Now in writing that I'm certainly not saying that the media doesn't have a job to do and report serious incidents in public places. That is their responsibility to the Public (and authorities). Although I didn't see the footage of this one it just seems that in this instance it has been overblown, and somewhat coveniently for them it just happened to occur at a Soccer match that a fairly miserly crowd of 6800 people attended.
And I mention the train journey in connection to this deliberately because the Soccer Community has a responsibility to all it's followers to treat the rest of the public with respect. The most vocal supporters rightly or wrongly become the face of their club, and their sport by virtue of the fact that they are loud, and therefore very much in the public eye. It is very plausible that their antics that evening could have resulted in a far uglier incident, and just what if a Media representative had been there to witness it?
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A-League Round 13
Sydney FC versus Melbourne Heart 29/12
Super keen on Melbourne Heart to go on their winning way here.
They have lost only 1 of their past 10 matches and won their past 4. The latest was one of the most impressive performances I have ever seen in this League. On that effort they will win the competition this year. And it didn't seem flukeish in any way as they totally dominated the 2nd half winning with plenty in reserve. 2 in form players substituted quite early in that second stanza and they were still far too good.
Head to Head from 4 games Sydney are yet to record a win and they have never met a Heart team in such rare form. And the last time these 2 met at the SFS Heart came away victors 1-0.
Also Sydneys' form at the SFS this year isn't overly encouraging with only the 1 win from 4.
Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix 30/12
An intriguing match and possibly the toughest of the round to predict.
Adelaide have been pretty awful at home this season, particularly of late. In their last 3 matches they scored none and conceded 7 losing their last 2 by 4-0 and 3-0. Overall from 7 at home this year they look a bit more respectable with 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses. And the Messiah has returned in the form of John Kosmina with the performance level and belief lifting noticeably in the away clash last week against Sydney FC.
Whilst Adelaides' home form is poor the same can be said about Wellington Phoenix in an away context this season. 5 games on the road and yet to win, with their best efforts being 2 draws against Queensland opposition. They have only scored 3 goals and conceded 7 on the road.
They did win 1-0 at Hindmarsh last season albeit that result being reversed at the same stadium just 13 days later. On both occasions Adelaide were massively favoured to win.
Historically between the 2 teams Adelaide have had far the better of it over the years with twice as many wins (6 against 3) and Adelaide have triumphed 5 times from 7 attempts at Hindmarsh.
It seems they have Sergio Van Dyke returning to the lineup after missing a couple of matches. He is probably their most influential player and if he plays well then Adelaide will take some beating.
Jon McKain has been stripped of the Adelaide captaincy which has been handed to Eugene Galekovic.
And although he has overcome the injury which caused him to miss the Sydney match it seems as though Kosmina is sticking with his central defensive pairing from that match and will leave him out of the starting side. The coach has expressed concern about his form this season which more or less makes him the scapegoat for some poor recent results. And there is definitely some merit attached to that decision considering the fact that Adelaide have been awful defensively and he has presided over it.
Wellington have been one of the big improvers this year and come to Adelaide off the back of one of their most impressive wins ever last week, a 5-2 thrashing of Newcastle Jets. That could be a little misleading though as Newcastle have been poor away from home all season. Tony Lochead is back at left full back for them but the American Alex Smith will be missing and he has been quite influential for them in their past 2 matches.
You can bet that Adelaide are really going to 'up' for this clash with Kosmina calling the shots. Wellington can expect nothing less than a siege mentality from a Reds' side who owe their fans big time after recent poor efforts at home.
Some stoic resistance and a bit more attacking flair with the return of Sergio Van Dyke might just get Adleaide over the line here but I wouldn't want to be staking my life on it. Even a draw would be progress for an Adelaide side that have looked horrible at home in their past 3 matches.
Prediction: Adelaide 2-1
Newcastle Jets vs Perth Glory 31/12
Both sides come into this clash on a real downer after 3 consecutive losses. They are remarkably
evenly matched looking at the league table stats. Both have 4 wins, 1 draw and 7 losses, the only thing separating them is the marginally worse goal difference for Newcastle (-8) as opposed to Perth (-7).
Newcastle are an interesting case study. At home they are a far better proposition. Although they have lost 2 of their last 3 both have only been by 1 goal to stronger opposition than they meet today, namely Sydney & Brisbane. They have won their other 4 matches this year including a comfortable 2-0 result against todays opponent on November 5. Overall a +4 Goal difference.
When you take into account their away stats this year which read 0 wins and a -12 goal difference, you begin to realise how important it is for them to touch home base. They also have a few players returning to the starting lineup today, despite their Captain still missing. And Nicolai Topor-Stanley has been demoted to the bench after a personally, pretty awful defensive display last week, albeit hampered by injury. These changes in themselves should be a positive after a pretty lame effort last week against what must be said was a pretty clinical Wellington side, who are always difficult to beat at home. At least Newcastle still managed to score 2 goals.
Perth away from home aren't encouraging. Slightly better than Newcastle in that regard they can still only boast 1 win and 1 draw from 6 outings this year, with a goal difference of -7. As mentioned they were on the losing end here in November conceding 2 goals to Jeremy Brockie. Might he be their nemesis again?
It's hard to see where the goals are going to come from with prolific striker Shane Smelz having to miss this one. To be honest he hasn't been doing a lot for them of late but his absence still won't do a lot for the confidence. And they have a few other personnel changes too in key positions.
Very, very hard to tip anything but a Newcastle win in this one, but if you like a bet there is not a lot of value on offer. Odds on about a team that have lost their last 3 matches isn't ideal and I'd be expecting a pretty spirited display by Perth who really have their backs against the wall.
Prediction: Newcastle by 1 goal.
Central Coast Mariners vs Gold Coast United
Both teams are coming in with a lot of confidence, especially the table topping home side who have now won an impressive 6 in a row and are unbeaten in 10 matches. Gold Coast have turned their fortunes around with an easy away win against Adelaide, followed up by a deserved win against the out of form Brisbane Roar.
Central Coast are unbeaten at home this year with a +5 goal difference and their 22 goals this year have been spread across 9 players. That makes it pretty clear that they can hurt opposition teams from anywhere on the park.
They are unlikely to be complacent today as these 2 sides have already met at Gosford in October. It took until the 86th minute then for Central Coast to secure an equaliser through Patrick Zwaanswijk.
They have improved significantly since then of course but Gold Coast also have their tails up after 3 very decent performances.
From their point of view it is a pity that they have 2 players likely to miss this match, Paul Beekmans through suspension and Striker Dylan Mcallister with injury. The latter didn't hinder them significantly when he limped off midway through the first half against Brisbane, and it is quite likely that coach Bleiberg will revert to playing Maceo Rigters on his own in a striking role, which might actually advantage them in the context of an away game.
Beekmans has been useful for Gold Coast but I'd prefer to have him missing than his Dutch counterpart Jungschlager who was pretty impressive last week.
Just 1 win from 7 for Gold Coast away from home this year but that was in their last match against Adelaide. Overall they have a goal difference of -5 on the road and have conceded an average of 2 goals per game which they can't afford to do in this one. They need to keep it tight in defence, and to be fair they have certainly done so in their past 3 matches, scoring 4 and conceding 0. That seems to have coincided with a different system at the back since their impressive captain Michael Thwaite has been relieved of marking duties and given free reign. If they can continue this trend and give their attacking trio of Brown, Halloran and Rigters enough supply they are a realistic chance of causing an upset or forcing a draw.
These 2 teams generally have a tight contest. No doubt Central Coast will be keen to send departing K-League Stiker Matt Simon off with a win here, but will he have other things on his mind?
It is probably unwise to suggest anything other than a win for the high flying Central Coast but I doubt if it will be by more than one goal and they might be due for a downer against a side they failed to beat at home in Round 2. Can't quite summon the courage to predict a Gold Coast win but a Draw is a distinct possibility in my opinion.
Prediction: 1-1
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Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory 31/12
Hard to believe that the Roar have suddenly become the easybeats of this comp. And Melbourne Victory always give them massive problems having far the better record Head to Head. Of the last 7 encounters Victory have won 3 and only lost 1. Last time they met Victoryy had to play most of the match with only 10 men, yet a then rampant Brisbane couldn't find a way to breach the Mebourne defence. The previous match between the two last year saw Victory lead 3-2 until the last minute of injury time where they were robbed of victory by a refereeing error.
Victory were excellent against Melbourne Heart only to be totally outgunned the 2nd half. Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez were as good as I've ever seen them despite that. Pity they had to witness the carnage at the other end but it has to be said that Heart were absolutely clinical on the night.
And the way Brisbane are playing a narrow (scoreboard) defeat against Heart is well and truly good enough for Victory to account for them.
The pressure is rising every game for Brisbane now. Their only hope of salvation atm appears to be on the shoulders of Thomas Broich. But reportedly there is to be no Broich, Enrique or even James Meyer returning yet again!
Last 5 games Brisbane have a goal difference of -7 compared to Victory at 0.
Brisbane have scored 2 goals in that time whereas MV has been much more prolific with 12.
Normally high scoring encounters between these 2. In the past 7 matches only once has the total goals been less than 2.25. 26 goals in those 7 matches averages out at 3.71 goals per game.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Heart made of the right stuff
Anybody that watched the Melbourne Heart- Victory Derby last week would have to have been greatly impressed, not just about the overall standard on display, but in particular the performance of the victors.
Victory had by far the better of the the first 30 minutes securing and subsequently squandering a penalty in the 5th minute before converting through the ever reliable Archie Thompson.
But from the time that Matt Thompson equalised in the 37th minute Heart cruised to what can only be described as a pretty 'soft' win. Carlos Hernandez deftly converted a free kick in the 92nd minute which which really did flatter the vanquished team on the scoreboard.
There is a lovely balance between youth and experience in the Heart lineup and whilst some of the older players like Matt Thompson, Clint Bolton, Rutger Worm, Adrian Madaschi & Captain Fred stole a lot of the limelight in the Victory match, it was some of the youngsters in the squad that left an indelible impression on me.
It was the abilities Eli Babalj the central striker that surprised me the most, possibly because I knew very little about him. At 194cm (6ft 4) & 85kg his is taller than your average striker but very nimble on his feet and there is something 'Vidukaesque' about him, not only in that regard but also in his ability to hold the ball up and bring other teammates into play. He very nearly scored himself bar a fine point blank save by Ante Kovic. I could scarcely believe it when he got substituted around the 60 minute mark because he was running rings around the Victory defence at the time.
Mate Dugandzic is only 22 and has impressed for some time. And how Victory must now be rueing letting this player go to their bitter rivals. He seems to have an innate ability to create space for himself and his passing a is possibly without peer in this competition, particularly in the opponents final 3rd. He is absolutely revelling in his midfield role at the club ( I think Victory played him as a winger) and unlike some other A-League youngsters who have recently returned from National duty, he seems to have actually improved since returning to his club. That probably speaks volumes for his manager who I will get too shortly.
Aziz Behich at the tender age of 22 is another of Hearts' gains from Melbourne Victory. He is a constant attacking menace for opposition defences from left back and he often gets to the byline to supply a telling cross. He is improving all the time and must surely come under the gaze of Socceroos Coach Helger very shortly. Top class left sided attacking players don't come by too often so the future looks bright for Aziz who could quite easily slot into left midfield or a left wing spot if required.
Michael Marrone is a bit older at 24 but is a freakish dribbler with the ball which isn't a common trait of a Right Full Back. Somehow he manages to retain possession whilst doing so, not only that, he does it at full throttle! A very pacy player and he too seems to be thriving under the tutelage of his manager. I don't recall him being this impressive at Adelaide United.
I have only mentioned 4 of the younger brigade but there are a few others making waves too inlcuding Brendan Hamill, Curtis Good (only 18), Jason Hoffman & Jonatan Germano (Argentinian). If these guys maintain their performance level the future looks bright not only for Melbourne Heart in the near future but also the Socceroos in a not too distant one.
And what the Heart can also boast in spades is depth amongst their squad. Germano hasn't played for 2 weeks after scoring against Brisbane Roar. Brazilian Maycon often scores when he plays, Alex Terra ditto as he showed last week, and the likes of Kristian Sarkies & David Williams can't get a look in at the moment. Adrian Zahra & Nick Kalmar are others worthy of starting berths who are currently injured.
Manager John Van't Shipp must surely be one of the most decorated Footballers/ Managers that we have ever had in this country. As a player he won 4 League Championships with Ajax and 3 Dutch Cups. He was also present in the Ajax squads that won the 1987 Cup winners Cup and 1992 UEFA Cup. At International level he played 41 times for the Dutch National side and scored 2 goals.
After retiring he coached youth teams at Ajax and FC Twente before taking up an assistants role to Marco Van Basten in the Dutch National squad in 2004 which ended after the Euro 2008 tournament.
He then went back to Ajax with Van Basten as co assistant coach. He played the part of interim Coach there for just over a month till the season ended after Van Basten resigned. Shortly after he accepeted the offer to Coach Melbourne Heart in their inaugaral season and the rest as they say is history.
Well.....not much history to speak of yet but in the space of a season and and half he has developed a squad from scratch into potentially the most exciting team in A-League history. Given that assumption they have to be a very realistic chance of taking out this years title honours.
They have lost only 1 of their last 10 matches and right now on a 4 match winning streak.
And on the evidence of those last 4 performances (particularly the Victory one) this is one Heart that probably won't be found wanting any time soon!
Victory had by far the better of the the first 30 minutes securing and subsequently squandering a penalty in the 5th minute before converting through the ever reliable Archie Thompson.
But from the time that Matt Thompson equalised in the 37th minute Heart cruised to what can only be described as a pretty 'soft' win. Carlos Hernandez deftly converted a free kick in the 92nd minute which which really did flatter the vanquished team on the scoreboard.
There is a lovely balance between youth and experience in the Heart lineup and whilst some of the older players like Matt Thompson, Clint Bolton, Rutger Worm, Adrian Madaschi & Captain Fred stole a lot of the limelight in the Victory match, it was some of the youngsters in the squad that left an indelible impression on me.
It was the abilities Eli Babalj the central striker that surprised me the most, possibly because I knew very little about him. At 194cm (6ft 4) & 85kg his is taller than your average striker but very nimble on his feet and there is something 'Vidukaesque' about him, not only in that regard but also in his ability to hold the ball up and bring other teammates into play. He very nearly scored himself bar a fine point blank save by Ante Kovic. I could scarcely believe it when he got substituted around the 60 minute mark because he was running rings around the Victory defence at the time.
Mate Dugandzic is only 22 and has impressed for some time. And how Victory must now be rueing letting this player go to their bitter rivals. He seems to have an innate ability to create space for himself and his passing a is possibly without peer in this competition, particularly in the opponents final 3rd. He is absolutely revelling in his midfield role at the club ( I think Victory played him as a winger) and unlike some other A-League youngsters who have recently returned from National duty, he seems to have actually improved since returning to his club. That probably speaks volumes for his manager who I will get too shortly.
Aziz Behich at the tender age of 22 is another of Hearts' gains from Melbourne Victory. He is a constant attacking menace for opposition defences from left back and he often gets to the byline to supply a telling cross. He is improving all the time and must surely come under the gaze of Socceroos Coach Helger very shortly. Top class left sided attacking players don't come by too often so the future looks bright for Aziz who could quite easily slot into left midfield or a left wing spot if required.
Michael Marrone is a bit older at 24 but is a freakish dribbler with the ball which isn't a common trait of a Right Full Back. Somehow he manages to retain possession whilst doing so, not only that, he does it at full throttle! A very pacy player and he too seems to be thriving under the tutelage of his manager. I don't recall him being this impressive at Adelaide United.
I have only mentioned 4 of the younger brigade but there are a few others making waves too inlcuding Brendan Hamill, Curtis Good (only 18), Jason Hoffman & Jonatan Germano (Argentinian). If these guys maintain their performance level the future looks bright not only for Melbourne Heart in the near future but also the Socceroos in a not too distant one.
And what the Heart can also boast in spades is depth amongst their squad. Germano hasn't played for 2 weeks after scoring against Brisbane Roar. Brazilian Maycon often scores when he plays, Alex Terra ditto as he showed last week, and the likes of Kristian Sarkies & David Williams can't get a look in at the moment. Adrian Zahra & Nick Kalmar are others worthy of starting berths who are currently injured.
Manager John Van't Shipp must surely be one of the most decorated Footballers/ Managers that we have ever had in this country. As a player he won 4 League Championships with Ajax and 3 Dutch Cups. He was also present in the Ajax squads that won the 1987 Cup winners Cup and 1992 UEFA Cup. At International level he played 41 times for the Dutch National side and scored 2 goals.
After retiring he coached youth teams at Ajax and FC Twente before taking up an assistants role to Marco Van Basten in the Dutch National squad in 2004 which ended after the Euro 2008 tournament.
He then went back to Ajax with Van Basten as co assistant coach. He played the part of interim Coach there for just over a month till the season ended after Van Basten resigned. Shortly after he accepeted the offer to Coach Melbourne Heart in their inaugaral season and the rest as they say is history.
Well.....not much history to speak of yet but in the space of a season and and half he has developed a squad from scratch into potentially the most exciting team in A-League history. Given that assumption they have to be a very realistic chance of taking out this years title honours.
They have lost only 1 of their last 10 matches and right now on a 4 match winning streak.
And on the evidence of those last 4 performances (particularly the Victory one) this is one Heart that probably won't be found wanting any time soon!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Football: Never Entirely Predictable
Ever since I boldly and confidently declared to a mate who was curious about how Brisbane Roar had gone 36 games unbeaten, and who does not normally follow football, that the Roar would win this season's A-League championship "in a canter" they have lost five in a row. In doing so they have established another record - the most consecutive losing games in the club's history and they have suddenly become arguably the team in the crappiest form of the competition.
Some turnaround, huh? How can a team that was playing like millionaires week after week, and that had everyone scratching their heads about how to stop them, all of a sudden start playing like paupers and start sliding down the A-League table at a rate that must now be alarming all concerned with the club? On the evidence of my statement above, that is for smarter heads than mine to figure out.
But I think that what it shows is actually something quite beautiful - that there can be no such thing as a "certainty" in the game of football. No matter what people involved in football for one club or another might do to try to engineer as much certainty in it for themselves as possible, they cannot succeed all the time because the game retains an innate capacity to surprise. And here in Australia, where the A-League has a salary cap, the game is probably more unpredictable than almost any other place on earth given that most countries have no such barriers to the power of the mighty dollar, pound or peseta to make things a little more predictable. We might not yet have the best football on earth to watch week in and week out, but we certainly have a kind of football where the soul of the game - the notion that every team can dream of being winners and champions - survives and even flourishes. There's something really satisfying about that for me.
It also, by the way, shows what an astonishing achievement it was by the Roar to go 36 games unbeaten. Some people, when they reached that milestone, were dumb or ill-intentioned enough to suggest that because football (or "soccer" as they usually called it) is a game in which a draw is a common result, the Roar's achievement was somehow diminished. That in comparison, for example, with a rugby league club that had gone 35 games unbeaten in a suburban Sydney competition back in the 1930s, it did not rate. I thought such statements were nonsense at the time they were uttered and the last five weeks have only magnified that impression for me.
I reckon the Roar would be more than happy with going two games unbeaten right about now!
Some turnaround, huh? How can a team that was playing like millionaires week after week, and that had everyone scratching their heads about how to stop them, all of a sudden start playing like paupers and start sliding down the A-League table at a rate that must now be alarming all concerned with the club? On the evidence of my statement above, that is for smarter heads than mine to figure out.
But I think that what it shows is actually something quite beautiful - that there can be no such thing as a "certainty" in the game of football. No matter what people involved in football for one club or another might do to try to engineer as much certainty in it for themselves as possible, they cannot succeed all the time because the game retains an innate capacity to surprise. And here in Australia, where the A-League has a salary cap, the game is probably more unpredictable than almost any other place on earth given that most countries have no such barriers to the power of the mighty dollar, pound or peseta to make things a little more predictable. We might not yet have the best football on earth to watch week in and week out, but we certainly have a kind of football where the soul of the game - the notion that every team can dream of being winners and champions - survives and even flourishes. There's something really satisfying about that for me.
It also, by the way, shows what an astonishing achievement it was by the Roar to go 36 games unbeaten. Some people, when they reached that milestone, were dumb or ill-intentioned enough to suggest that because football (or "soccer" as they usually called it) is a game in which a draw is a common result, the Roar's achievement was somehow diminished. That in comparison, for example, with a rugby league club that had gone 35 games unbeaten in a suburban Sydney competition back in the 1930s, it did not rate. I thought such statements were nonsense at the time they were uttered and the last five weeks have only magnified that impression for me.
I reckon the Roar would be more than happy with going two games unbeaten right about now!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Gold Coast United v Brisbane Roar 26/12
This is probably the most difficult game of the round to predict.
An out of sorts Brisbane side playing an improving team still anchored to the bottom of the table.
A quick review of the last 4 games played by both sides shows Gold Coast with a goal difference of 0 compared with -6 in the case of Brisbane.
The Champions are still likely to be missing the likes of Broich, Enrique & Meyer though captain Smith is apparently a 75% chance of making the side. He has been absent the past 2 games and whilst he did play in the Sydney & Melbourne Heart games I think it is fair to say that the goals conceded in the 2 games he has been absent (Wellington & Central Coast) have been 'softer'.
Since their record run they have conceded 2 goals in every game and have conceded the first goal each time. 1st minute against Sydney, 12th minute against Melbourne Heart, 26th against Wellington and a 5th minute clanger last week against Central Coast. That quite obviously has to stop and coach Ange Postecoglou will breathe a huge sigh of relief if they can at least get to half time without being breached in this one.
It really isn't rocket science for coaches atm to work out how to play Brisbane. You either sit deep, soak up pressure and rely on the counter attack, or you press high in defence, wait for the Roar to cough up possession and spring the offside trap. The latter has reaped massive dividends for Wellington & Central Coast in recent times. Without Broich, and Enrique to a lesser extent, Brisbane have looked way too predictable in attack and have been picked off with ease in games of late. Surely Gold Coast coach Bleiberg will be looking to exploit this weakness again and he probably has the players to do it. Youngsters Brown and Halloran have pace to burn on the counter and Maceo Rigters up front has a lethal finish given any free space.
What might help Brisbane a bit is the 9 day break between games. It has all been a bit hectic of late for them with 3 games in quick succession. They have had a bit of extra time for self analysis and to put things right. Conversely the Gold Coast could have done with a quicker backup after suddenly finding their feet against Adelaide. They will have had 10 days between games.
The other positive for Brisbane is the resolve they showed in the 2nd half against Central Coast. They weren't too far away from pulling off another miraculous comeback against their old foes and young Kofi Danning was largely responsible for that. He isn't quite Broich but his fluke goal should provide him with some much needed confidence. If he carries that confidence into this game and shows the same willingness to run at players, it could be the difference between the 2 sides. Ideally though you would expect to see him employed again as a 2nd half substitute for maximum effect. He doesn't look a 90 minute player just yet and has a tendency to lose possession too easily, something that Brisbane can well do without in the early stages of this encounter.
No real home ground advantage to speak of here in the M1 Derby. Probably good for Brisbane to get away from Suncorp after losing their last 2 home matches there and it's quite possible they will have more supporters behind them given the poor home attendances at Skilled Park.
Jonas Salley is reportedly back for this match but I'm not sure that it would be to Gold Coasts' advantage to have him start the game. He lacks pace and it should be quite easy for the Brisbane midfield to dominate this one if he is the midfield General for the home side. It certainly wouldn't be wise to fix something that isn't broke.
Like I said initially this is a difficult game to predict. Brisbane are going to have to start better and get a bit more out of their somewhat beleaguered players if they hope to come away with a win.
I think they can find the necessary improvement though and might just edge this.
Would the Gold Coast have fared any better against the ladder leaders last week? Very doubtful I'd say. And it was a terrible goal keeping error that proved the difference between Brisbane winning or drawing that game. The form guide doesn't look pretty but the reality is a bit different.
And I do want to see Gold Coast repeat their effort of last week before I jump on their bandwagon.
They knew they would be the Guests of Honour at owner Clive Palmers' Christmas party the night after, and there is nothing quite like pleasing the boss at this time of year!
An out of sorts Brisbane side playing an improving team still anchored to the bottom of the table.
A quick review of the last 4 games played by both sides shows Gold Coast with a goal difference of 0 compared with -6 in the case of Brisbane.
The Champions are still likely to be missing the likes of Broich, Enrique & Meyer though captain Smith is apparently a 75% chance of making the side. He has been absent the past 2 games and whilst he did play in the Sydney & Melbourne Heart games I think it is fair to say that the goals conceded in the 2 games he has been absent (Wellington & Central Coast) have been 'softer'.
Since their record run they have conceded 2 goals in every game and have conceded the first goal each time. 1st minute against Sydney, 12th minute against Melbourne Heart, 26th against Wellington and a 5th minute clanger last week against Central Coast. That quite obviously has to stop and coach Ange Postecoglou will breathe a huge sigh of relief if they can at least get to half time without being breached in this one.
It really isn't rocket science for coaches atm to work out how to play Brisbane. You either sit deep, soak up pressure and rely on the counter attack, or you press high in defence, wait for the Roar to cough up possession and spring the offside trap. The latter has reaped massive dividends for Wellington & Central Coast in recent times. Without Broich, and Enrique to a lesser extent, Brisbane have looked way too predictable in attack and have been picked off with ease in games of late. Surely Gold Coast coach Bleiberg will be looking to exploit this weakness again and he probably has the players to do it. Youngsters Brown and Halloran have pace to burn on the counter and Maceo Rigters up front has a lethal finish given any free space.
What might help Brisbane a bit is the 9 day break between games. It has all been a bit hectic of late for them with 3 games in quick succession. They have had a bit of extra time for self analysis and to put things right. Conversely the Gold Coast could have done with a quicker backup after suddenly finding their feet against Adelaide. They will have had 10 days between games.
The other positive for Brisbane is the resolve they showed in the 2nd half against Central Coast. They weren't too far away from pulling off another miraculous comeback against their old foes and young Kofi Danning was largely responsible for that. He isn't quite Broich but his fluke goal should provide him with some much needed confidence. If he carries that confidence into this game and shows the same willingness to run at players, it could be the difference between the 2 sides. Ideally though you would expect to see him employed again as a 2nd half substitute for maximum effect. He doesn't look a 90 minute player just yet and has a tendency to lose possession too easily, something that Brisbane can well do without in the early stages of this encounter.
No real home ground advantage to speak of here in the M1 Derby. Probably good for Brisbane to get away from Suncorp after losing their last 2 home matches there and it's quite possible they will have more supporters behind them given the poor home attendances at Skilled Park.
Jonas Salley is reportedly back for this match but I'm not sure that it would be to Gold Coasts' advantage to have him start the game. He lacks pace and it should be quite easy for the Brisbane midfield to dominate this one if he is the midfield General for the home side. It certainly wouldn't be wise to fix something that isn't broke.
Like I said initially this is a difficult game to predict. Brisbane are going to have to start better and get a bit more out of their somewhat beleaguered players if they hope to come away with a win.
I think they can find the necessary improvement though and might just edge this.
Would the Gold Coast have fared any better against the ladder leaders last week? Very doubtful I'd say. And it was a terrible goal keeping error that proved the difference between Brisbane winning or drawing that game. The form guide doesn't look pretty but the reality is a bit different.
And I do want to see Gold Coast repeat their effort of last week before I jump on their bandwagon.
They knew they would be the Guests of Honour at owner Clive Palmers' Christmas party the night after, and there is nothing quite like pleasing the boss at this time of year!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Perth Glory vs Central Coast Mariners
This looks to be a very predictable game.
Central Coast are flying pretty high atm, and providing they haven't played themselves out of form after a disappointing 2nd half against Brisbane Roar last week, then they should pack too many guns for a disappointing Perth outfit.
It has been a pretty interesting week over in the West with owner Tony Sage saying he was packing his bags and leaving the club at seasons end earlier in the week, only to rescind that statement a couple of days later. Quite a lot of loyal Glory supporters have apparently had enough of the mediocrity they have had to witness over the past few seasons and vented their anger at the Chairman (and his family) after the Melbourne Heart match last weekend.
Whilst that is hardly ideal and not very comforting to the powers to be the fact is the fans do deserve to be entertained and can't see a light at the end of the tunnel, with the current manager at the helm. And neither can I, though a coach can only do so much with the players at his disposal too. There probably needs to be a decent overhaul of the playing staff, possibly easier said than done.
It is true though (as Sage says) that looking at their results from a statistical viewpoint,that they have only really put in the one bad effort. That just happened to be the one I saw live against Brisbane in which they were absolutely horrendous! But it seems that was all down to the Manager being too worried about Brisbane attacking and not enough about his players doing the same .That mistake was punished severely in one 20 minute period in the first half whereby they conceded 4 goals. The 2nd stanza was a big improvement when a bit of attacking aggresion was employed.
Apart from that, of the other 5 losses they've sufferred only one has been by more than 1 goal. The reverse fixture of this tie earlier in the season ended in a 2-1 victory to Central Coast.
And that previous point is a pertinent one because on an overall historical basis Perth have an absolutely terrible record against the Mariners winning only 2 against them and drawing 5 from 19 enocunters.
But, at home, they have played 9 Won 2, Drawn 4 and Lost 3. Those 3 losses have all been by 1 goal!
Which leads me to suggest that Central Coast will still win this match but probably not by what I originally thought. Perhaps the one goal will be enough?
Central Coast are flying pretty high atm, and providing they haven't played themselves out of form after a disappointing 2nd half against Brisbane Roar last week, then they should pack too many guns for a disappointing Perth outfit.
It has been a pretty interesting week over in the West with owner Tony Sage saying he was packing his bags and leaving the club at seasons end earlier in the week, only to rescind that statement a couple of days later. Quite a lot of loyal Glory supporters have apparently had enough of the mediocrity they have had to witness over the past few seasons and vented their anger at the Chairman (and his family) after the Melbourne Heart match last weekend.
Whilst that is hardly ideal and not very comforting to the powers to be the fact is the fans do deserve to be entertained and can't see a light at the end of the tunnel, with the current manager at the helm. And neither can I, though a coach can only do so much with the players at his disposal too. There probably needs to be a decent overhaul of the playing staff, possibly easier said than done.
It is true though (as Sage says) that looking at their results from a statistical viewpoint,that they have only really put in the one bad effort. That just happened to be the one I saw live against Brisbane in which they were absolutely horrendous! But it seems that was all down to the Manager being too worried about Brisbane attacking and not enough about his players doing the same .That mistake was punished severely in one 20 minute period in the first half whereby they conceded 4 goals. The 2nd stanza was a big improvement when a bit of attacking aggresion was employed.
Apart from that, of the other 5 losses they've sufferred only one has been by more than 1 goal. The reverse fixture of this tie earlier in the season ended in a 2-1 victory to Central Coast.
And that previous point is a pertinent one because on an overall historical basis Perth have an absolutely terrible record against the Mariners winning only 2 against them and drawing 5 from 19 enocunters.
But, at home, they have played 9 Won 2, Drawn 4 and Lost 3. Those 3 losses have all been by 1 goal!
Which leads me to suggest that Central Coast will still win this match but probably not by what I originally thought. Perhaps the one goal will be enough?
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets 23/12
Don't like the look of this game at all. Wellington play their 3rd game in 9 days but are good at home and probably going better than their opposition. Still no Paul Ifill to my knowledge though and he is their game breaker.Couldn't possibly back them to win at the shortish odds on offer.
I'd really love to tip Newcastle here at decent odds but their away form is atrocious this year and historically the trip over the Tasman for them is about on a par with that.
Wouldn't be confident about a draw either. Just as likely the game will be won or lost.
Both these teams are likely to be vying for 5th or 6th position come finals time so even at this stage both should be eyeing it as a crucial encounter. At this stage it is difficult to see either side finishing higher up than that.
If I had to stick my neck on the chopping block I'd be suggesting a 0-0 draw here but the game doesn't look a betting proposition to me.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sydney FC vs Adelaide Utd 22/12
Not sure this is as easy a task for Sydney as the Betting Agencies suggest.
There is little doubt that Adelaide will be pumped up by their new (returning) coach John Kosmina.
He has attempted to instil a "Warrior" attitude in the players at training this week and according to him the team has responded. So much so that Kosmina has reminded them that it can't just be a one off. It has to be the attitude on display all of the time.
And so often a new coach can work absolute wonders from the off with a struggling outfit. It is almost a given in other leagues around the world. It is actually quite rare to not see a team respond in a positive manner given similar circumstance.
Add to this the fact that Adelaide have beaten Sydney the last 2 times they have travelled there, and honours are just about even between the two since the inception of the A-League (22 games).
There is also a tendency for Sydney to struggle a little of late against teams that are below them on the ladder. They conceded first against Newcastle in their last match but turned that game around in the second half to win 2-1. But they could only draw against Gold Coast and lost to Wellington albeit both away from home. Sandwiched in between those 2 encounters was the history breaking win against the then dominant Brisbane Roar where they certainly rose to the occasion.
It wasn't at the Sydney Football Stadium though and they have lost 2 of their 3 home encounters this season at their home venue.
Nick Carle also has to sit this one out with injury, another possible negative. He is their highest scorer and has been influential in a few games for them this year, particularly late in the piece.
Adelaide have been absolutely woeful from a defensive viewpoint this season and that is what has to improve markedly. A negative 13 goal difference tells you all you need to know really. They haven't scored enough goals either but that should rectify itself when Dario Vidosic and Sergio Van Dyke get a bit more game time under their belt.
Structurally of late they have been 'all over the place' and at least 2 players have been playing out of position for them (Djite & Ramsay) which probably doesn't help the issue of team harmony.
Their last 2 away games have yielded 2 draws against Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory respectively so if they can repeat either of those efforts they will be more than competitive in this match. Of late they are performing much better away from Hindmarsh. No goals scored and 7 conceded in their last 3 games at home possibly tells you that negative press at home has been affecting team morale.The last time these 2 teams met at Hindmarsh in October the result went to Sydney but it was a narrow 2-1 victory with Adelaide scoring first and Sydney scoring the winner in the 82nd minute (Carle).
To me this his game shows signs of being a tight encounter again and whilst I've dwelt on the negatives for Sydney and the positives for Adelaide it is a bit hard to see Adelaide turning things around quickly enough to get a win on the board. Possible, but unlikely.
I'm suggesting a draw is well and truly on the cards though.The $3.70 about that might be worth an investment.
There is little doubt that Adelaide will be pumped up by their new (returning) coach John Kosmina.
He has attempted to instil a "Warrior" attitude in the players at training this week and according to him the team has responded. So much so that Kosmina has reminded them that it can't just be a one off. It has to be the attitude on display all of the time.
And so often a new coach can work absolute wonders from the off with a struggling outfit. It is almost a given in other leagues around the world. It is actually quite rare to not see a team respond in a positive manner given similar circumstance.
Add to this the fact that Adelaide have beaten Sydney the last 2 times they have travelled there, and honours are just about even between the two since the inception of the A-League (22 games).
There is also a tendency for Sydney to struggle a little of late against teams that are below them on the ladder. They conceded first against Newcastle in their last match but turned that game around in the second half to win 2-1. But they could only draw against Gold Coast and lost to Wellington albeit both away from home. Sandwiched in between those 2 encounters was the history breaking win against the then dominant Brisbane Roar where they certainly rose to the occasion.
It wasn't at the Sydney Football Stadium though and they have lost 2 of their 3 home encounters this season at their home venue.
Nick Carle also has to sit this one out with injury, another possible negative. He is their highest scorer and has been influential in a few games for them this year, particularly late in the piece.
Adelaide have been absolutely woeful from a defensive viewpoint this season and that is what has to improve markedly. A negative 13 goal difference tells you all you need to know really. They haven't scored enough goals either but that should rectify itself when Dario Vidosic and Sergio Van Dyke get a bit more game time under their belt.
Structurally of late they have been 'all over the place' and at least 2 players have been playing out of position for them (Djite & Ramsay) which probably doesn't help the issue of team harmony.
Their last 2 away games have yielded 2 draws against Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory respectively so if they can repeat either of those efforts they will be more than competitive in this match. Of late they are performing much better away from Hindmarsh. No goals scored and 7 conceded in their last 3 games at home possibly tells you that negative press at home has been affecting team morale.The last time these 2 teams met at Hindmarsh in October the result went to Sydney but it was a narrow 2-1 victory with Adelaide scoring first and Sydney scoring the winner in the 82nd minute (Carle).
To me this his game shows signs of being a tight encounter again and whilst I've dwelt on the negatives for Sydney and the positives for Adelaide it is a bit hard to see Adelaide turning things around quickly enough to get a win on the board. Possible, but unlikely.
I'm suggesting a draw is well and truly on the cards though.The $3.70 about that might be worth an investment.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Melbourne Heart vs Melbourne Victory 23/12
What a mouth watering prospect this game is!
Cross town rivalry at it's best with an expected crowd of 28,000 at Aami Park in Melbourne . It is now the most anticipated fixture in the A-League and this particular match has even the neutrals salivating with both teams arguably at their peak, coming off wins last weekend.
Every time these 2 teams have met the Victory have been overwhelming favourites. Despite that fact honours are actually even with 1 win a piece, 1 score draw (2-2) and an entertaining scoreless encounter at their last meeting this October (Round 3).
This time around there is very little between the 2 teams, with most betting agencies perhaps surprisingly quoting Victory as slight favourites.
The Heart sit 3 points clear of Victory, have conceded the same amount of goals but have scored 2 more themselves. They are the home team on Friday night and have been a far more consistent side of late winning 5 of their last 6 encounters with 1 loss to the current competition leaders, Central Coast Mariners. In retrospect that was certainly no disgrace.
In contrast Victory have only won 2 of their last 6, drawn 3 and lost 1.
Going on previous history between these two and current form, it is very hard to tip against Melbourne Heart either winning or drawing this match. Given the passionate support for both teams and heightened adrenalin levels of the combatants, the most likely result would appear to be a draw. That would be the typical Derby result but let's hope this time both sides at least get on the score sheet.
Really looking forward to this clash!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A League Round 11
Hopefully some common sense to prevail;
Adelaide vs Gold Coast
Really expect Adelaide to be too good here. Their 2
best players returned last week (Van Dyke & Vidosic) and they looked a far
better side, drawing against a heavily favoured Melbourne Victory away from
home. Under fire coach Rine Coolen has also vowed to not change the 4-2-3-1
structure of his team for the rest of the season. It could be a very good ploy
and did get off to a good start last week. Gold Coast are really stuggling
and their last away trip against possibly the worst team in the comp was a
disaster. They are also missing Salley in midfield. He may not be the most
impressive player in the world but does offer some soildity to the midfield
which could be sorely missed away from home. Adelaide by 2 goals I
reckon.
Brisbane Roar vs Central Coast
What a pity both
teams aren't in form coming into this one. Which makes the $3.25 or $3.30
(Sportsbet) about the visitors incredible value.About the only thing
Brisbane have going for them here is the fact they really 'have the wood' on
their rivals over the past 12 months. But I really can't see that counting for
much on current form and there is nothing that the Central Coast would like more
than to exact some revenge on their bitter rivals. And its not as if the Roar
have been a far better team the last few times they met. They have just had more
self belief at the end of games and arguably a slice of luck to go with
it.
Central Coast are the form team of the competition and now really
look the part with 2 in from strikers firing. That is something they didn't have
at all last year in reality. And they have young Amini in confident mood
breaking from midfield and willing to chance his arm, shooting from a
distance.
Brisbane are backing up from a long trip to Dunedin On
Wednesday and on a quick backup here. Central Coast are fresh. Brisbane
are still likely to have Broich (is he the missing link?) and Enrique missing.
If the former does happen to play then they are back in this contest but
otherwise I think Central Coast are pretty close to specials in this. Have to
remember too that the last time these 2 met in the Grand Final it took Brisbane
117 minutes to put one past CC.
Newcastle vs Sydney
Don't like the look of this game at all. Newcastle are a far better proposition at
home than away but have hardly been inspiring of late. Sydney had a big let down
after bringing the longest unbeaten streak in Australian sporting history to an
end against Brisbane. They may have 2 classy strikers returning too and have
been dominant against Newcastle since the A-League began.Could go either
way.
Perth Glory vs Melbourne Heart
Sorry but I couldn't pick Perth to win a chook raffle despite me picking against them in their last home match against the Gold Coast. To the best of my knowledge they haven't scored a goal from open play for 270 minutes (plus injury time) and were gifted
2 penalties against Gold Coast which was pretty much the only thing that
separated the 2 sides.
Melbourne Heart are currently the 2nd best team in
the competition looking at the form guide and are playing with great confidence.
They should have a little too much flair for a disappointing Perth oufit who
might seal the fate of their coach with another mediocre display here. It is a
late game too which should play into the hands of the Melbourne outfit who may
otherwise have struggled in the Perth afternoon heat.
$3.15 about Melbourne Heart winning is probably worth a lash. The 'Draw No Bet' option may even be a better ploy as it is hard to see them being outplayed by a currently inferior opponent.
Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix
On current form this looks like a very close encounter but
Wellington have to back up and travel after their win against Brisbane in
Dunedin on Wednesday. And more importantly they will probably be missing Paul
Ifill, the one player that has made.a massive difference to them this year
since his return recently.Maybe a bit harsh but Wellington are surely ready
to implode after a pretty decent run of late. It wouldn't be the first time.
With the exception of Archie Thompson the Victory have 'flattered to
deceive' all season but there have been signs of late that things are going to
click into gear. Kewell was on song against Adelaide and very unlucky not to
provide a winning assist late in that game. Carlos Hernandez is starting to
really look good again, and he can score from anywhere when in the mood.
The problem for Victory this season has really been defensive frailty but without
the menace of Ifill it is hard to see enough concerted pressure being exerted by
Wellington to cause the Victory too many problems at the back. Roddy Vargas
should be back at the heart of defence for Melbourne too which should ensure a
bit more stability.Probably the only danger to Melbourne getting maximum
points from this game is complacency. Their home support is worth at least a
goal and it is well and truly about time that the players seized that advantage.
This could well be the 'carpe diem' game for Melbourne
Victory.
Selections in order of confidence;
Adelaide
CentralCoast
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Heart (at least to draw)
Adelaide vs Gold Coast
Really expect Adelaide to be too good here. Their 2
best players returned last week (Van Dyke & Vidosic) and they looked a far
better side, drawing against a heavily favoured Melbourne Victory away from
home. Under fire coach Rine Coolen has also vowed to not change the 4-2-3-1
structure of his team for the rest of the season. It could be a very good ploy
and did get off to a good start last week. Gold Coast are really stuggling
and their last away trip against possibly the worst team in the comp was a
disaster. They are also missing Salley in midfield. He may not be the most
impressive player in the world but does offer some soildity to the midfield
which could be sorely missed away from home. Adelaide by 2 goals I
reckon.
Brisbane Roar vs Central Coast
What a pity both
teams aren't in form coming into this one. Which makes the $3.25 or $3.30
(Sportsbet) about the visitors incredible value.About the only thing
Brisbane have going for them here is the fact they really 'have the wood' on
their rivals over the past 12 months. But I really can't see that counting for
much on current form and there is nothing that the Central Coast would like more
than to exact some revenge on their bitter rivals. And its not as if the Roar
have been a far better team the last few times they met. They have just had more
self belief at the end of games and arguably a slice of luck to go with
it.
Central Coast are the form team of the competition and now really
look the part with 2 in from strikers firing. That is something they didn't have
at all last year in reality. And they have young Amini in confident mood
breaking from midfield and willing to chance his arm, shooting from a
distance.
Brisbane are backing up from a long trip to Dunedin On
Wednesday and on a quick backup here. Central Coast are fresh. Brisbane
are still likely to have Broich (is he the missing link?) and Enrique missing.
If the former does happen to play then they are back in this contest but
otherwise I think Central Coast are pretty close to specials in this. Have to
remember too that the last time these 2 met in the Grand Final it took Brisbane
117 minutes to put one past CC.
Newcastle vs Sydney
Don't like the look of this game at all. Newcastle are a far better proposition at
home than away but have hardly been inspiring of late. Sydney had a big let down
after bringing the longest unbeaten streak in Australian sporting history to an
end against Brisbane. They may have 2 classy strikers returning too and have
been dominant against Newcastle since the A-League began.Could go either
way.
Perth Glory vs Melbourne Heart
Sorry but I couldn't pick Perth to win a chook raffle despite me picking against them in their last home match against the Gold Coast. To the best of my knowledge they haven't scored a goal from open play for 270 minutes (plus injury time) and were gifted
2 penalties against Gold Coast which was pretty much the only thing that
separated the 2 sides.
Melbourne Heart are currently the 2nd best team in
the competition looking at the form guide and are playing with great confidence.
They should have a little too much flair for a disappointing Perth oufit who
might seal the fate of their coach with another mediocre display here. It is a
late game too which should play into the hands of the Melbourne outfit who may
otherwise have struggled in the Perth afternoon heat.
$3.15 about Melbourne Heart winning is probably worth a lash. The 'Draw No Bet' option may even be a better ploy as it is hard to see them being outplayed by a currently inferior opponent.
Melbourne Victory vs Wellington Phoenix
On current form this looks like a very close encounter but
Wellington have to back up and travel after their win against Brisbane in
Dunedin on Wednesday. And more importantly they will probably be missing Paul
Ifill, the one player that has made.a massive difference to them this year
since his return recently.Maybe a bit harsh but Wellington are surely ready
to implode after a pretty decent run of late. It wouldn't be the first time.
With the exception of Archie Thompson the Victory have 'flattered to
deceive' all season but there have been signs of late that things are going to
click into gear. Kewell was on song against Adelaide and very unlucky not to
provide a winning assist late in that game. Carlos Hernandez is starting to
really look good again, and he can score from anywhere when in the mood.
The problem for Victory this season has really been defensive frailty but without
the menace of Ifill it is hard to see enough concerted pressure being exerted by
Wellington to cause the Victory too many problems at the back. Roddy Vargas
should be back at the heart of defence for Melbourne too which should ensure a
bit more stability.Probably the only danger to Melbourne getting maximum
points from this game is complacency. Their home support is worth at least a
goal and it is well and truly about time that the players seized that advantage.
This could well be the 'carpe diem' game for Melbourne
Victory.
Selections in order of confidence;
Adelaide
CentralCoast
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Heart (at least to draw)
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