A-League '12-13 :: Round 14

[Jobdog]

 

[Misanthrope]

2-2 draw
Adelaide 2-1
Newcastle 1-0
WSW 3-2
1-1 draw

 

[Big Sam]

Really curious to see what WSW get crowd-wise. With a public holiday, good form, and an always sizable MV away contingent, 13-15k is very doable.

 

[Big Sam]

I hear ADP is apparently out injured for tomorrow's game.

I reckon he just wanted to stay in Sydney and watch the fireworks from his penthouse ;-)

 

[***MH***]

Preview from http://www.westsydneyfootball.com/_/a-league-articles/round-14-preview-r272

WestSydneyFootball.Com Round 14 A-League Preview



Central Coast Mariners vs Perth Glory - Monday 6:00pm EDT – Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Central Coast Mariners are 1st. 8W 3D 2L. 27 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: LDWWW. 1-0 loss, away against Sydney FC.
• Ladder Movement: A win or draw would ensure Adelaide cannot jump over them and take 1st place. A loss would put them in the sights of Victory, Western Sydney and Adelaide.
• Keep Up The Good Work: No-one. The Mariners were abysmal as an entire organisation. They were late to the match due to a transport mix-up, they couldn't hold onto the ball, their attack missed several gilt edged chances and they lost their discipline.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Everything.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Perth Glory are 5th. 5W 3D 5L. 18 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: DWWLL. 1-1 draw, home against Western Sydney Wanderers.
• Ladder Movement: Winning would put them ahead of Western Sydney pending their tough Victory fixture and potentially opens up a 5 point gap between 5th and 6th. Losing makes them vulnerable to Wellington and Newcastle. A draw should be enough to hold onto 5th through Goal Difference.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Ryo Nagai was a bolt from the blue (or purple). Every time he got on the ball he promised to damage the opposition and eventually he burned Tarek Elrich for pace and delivered the cross that resulted in the Nick Ward wonderstrike equaliser.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Except for Nagai their attack was disjointed. The attacking trio of Nagai, Smeltz and Mehmet failed to fire that players of their quality should. Smeltz in particular is in a rut, Glory are a much lesser team when he's out of form.

Prediction: Central Coast are missing several big players, Perth are in decent form. Is this the start of the great Mariners choke? 1-1 Draw.



Adelaide United vs Sydney FC - Monday 8:00pm EDT - Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Adelaide United United are 2nd. 8W 1D 4L. 25 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: LLWWL. 1-0 loss, home against Brisbane Roar.
• Ladder Movement: Winning will see them defend their place from Melbourne Victory regardless of their result, and could see them take 1st place. A draw would be enough to hold 2nd barring a huge winning margin for Victory against Western Sydney.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Eugene Galekovic. Again. Brisbane peppered his goal but Adelaide only conceded once, and his work included a stunning save against Besart Berisha.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: The defence again, they let Galekovic down with poor defending, Brisbane should have scored more. Neumann could stop diving. He has indelibly been marked as a diver and his reputation will now precede him on the pitch when it comes to vital decisions. This should have been stamped down on after the Wellington incident.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Sydney FC are 9th. 4W 1D 8L. 13 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: WLLWD. 1-0 win, home against Central Coast Mariners.
• Ladder Movement: The highest they could realistically jump with a win would be 7th if Newcastle get hammered. Otherwise, they leap-frog Brisbane into 8th. A draw or loss is no help at all, and may push them back down to last.
• Keep Up The Good Work: They actually appeared to try to win the match, instead of just capitulating. The Mariners were absolutely woeful but Sydney still needed to penetrate to get the chocolates.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Defensively poor once more. Mariners should have walked away from this match with at least two goals and three points despite their overall lethargy. Only a miss of the season contender to Rogic and a miracle save by Janjetovic stopped that happening.

Prediction: Two teams with really bad recent form, both of whom of a penchant for not being switched on in defense. With no Del Piero for Sydney I'd tip 2-0 Adelaide.



Melbourne Heart vs Newcastle Jets - Tuesday 4:00pm EDT - AAMI Park, Melbourne.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Melbourne Heart are 10th. 3W 3D 7L. 12 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: LLLWD. 3-2 loss, away against Wellington Phoenix.
• Ladder Movement: A lift off the bottom of the table beckons for a win or draw, to either 8th or 9th place. Losing will keep them rooted to 10th place and the draw might not helping depending on the Sydney and Brisbane results.
• Keep Up The Good Work: David Williams has looked strong in attack and Gol Gol Mehbratu is growing in confidence.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Defense cost them this match. A penalty from Marrone and a shocking defensive error allowed Wellington back into the match and Heart were undone by an unlucky rebound. More composure in defence, more structure and steel is required.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Newcastle Jets are 7th. 5W 1D 7L. 16 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: WLLLD. 3-2 loss, away against Melbourne Victory.
• Ladder Movement: Newcastle winning puts the pressure on the later-playing Wellington for 6th position and may get them to 5th. A loss or draw could see them slip as low as 9th.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Heskey and Zadkovich continue to bulge the old onion bag as well as providing opportunities for team-mates.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Triple teamed Rojas. They weren't bad in this match, they just got beaten by a better team with a better more in form striker.

Prediction: If Newcastle play as good as they did against Victory they should comfortably account for Heart. 3-0 Newcastle.





Western Sydney Wanderers vs Melbourne Victory - Tuesday, 6:15pm EDT - Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Western Sydney Wanderers are 4th. 6W 2D 5L. 25 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: DWWWL. 1-1 draw, away against Perth Glory.
• Ladder Movement: This is a massive 3 points on the line for the Wanderers. They would go from fighting for the top 2 to scrapping in the 4-6 positions. A win puts them up to 3rd and within touching distance of Adelaide and the Mariners. A draw or loss could drop them to 5th and leave them in danger of dropping out of the top 6 next week.
• Keep Up The Good Work: The squad as a whole stood up in this match, huge changes in rotation without damaging their play too much.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Aaron Mooy didn't look as good as he otherwise has before the East Asian Cup qualifiers, but he's suspended for this match anyway. More potency up front and more concentration late in the match in defence.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Melbourne Victory are 3rd. 7W 2D 4L. 23 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: WWDLW. 3-2 win, home against Newcastle Jets.
• Ladder Movement: Victory could go to 2nd on the ladder, and be in striking distance of Central Coast. Losing could mean a 5 point gap between 2nd and 3rd.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Marco Rojas. Is there anything this kid can't do right now? An absolute danger man of epic proportions who is surely on his way to Europe within a year if that.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Yet again their defense failed them. If Ange can't sort it out they will always have a soft underbelly that could undermine their attacking potency.

Prediction: Match of the round. Wanderers have a top defence but poor attack, Victory the opposite. Anything could happen. 3-2 Wanderers.





Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix - Tuesday, 8:30pm EDT – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Brisbane Roar are 8th. 4W 2D 7L. 14 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: WLDLW. 1-0 win, away against Perth Glory.
• Ladder Movement: Winning is vital if they want to keep alive their final hopes. Depending on results they may stay in 8th or move to 6th. Sydney FC and Heart winning could turf Roar down into last place should Brisbane lose.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Mitch Nichols looks like a new man, he destroyed the Adelaide defence to give Henrique the tap-in to win the match.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Berisha needs to put his shooting boots on.

• Team & Ladder Ranking: Wellington Phoenix are 6th. 4W 4D 5L. 16 Points.
• Form (Recent->Least Recent) & Last Result: WDLLW. 3-2 win, home against Melbourne Heart.
• Ladder Movement: Move up one to 5th place with a win to solidify their hold on the top 6. Draw won't help positionally much. Losing may cause them to tumble down the table as low as 8th.
• Keep Up The Good Work: Jeremy Brockie continues to do his duty by scoring goal after goal. His brace may have been right place right time and a penalty but you still need to score what is put in front of you.
• Things They Could Have Done Better Last Week: Another poor defensive performance salvaged by a lot of luck up front.

Prediction: Both teams coming off a slender win, both teams would fancy their chances. 2-1 Brisbane.

 

[Timmah]

That's the strong rumour.

Even if he's trying to blame the Mariners for hacking him...

 

[Big Sam]

Some good crowds last night. Currently every Australian club bar Perth is averaging over 10k.

 

[Timmah]

Round complete. Mariners with the best crowd:

CCM v PG 14,591
WSW v MV 13,659
ROAR v NIX 11,358
REDS v SYD 10,943
MH v JETS 5,641

 

[langpark]

I caught up on a fair bit of A-League these last two days (I'm back in Aus for a bit) and here's a few thoughts:

- The refereeing is pretty bad. Two blatant penalties not given to the Wanderers, and two blatant red card offences went completely unpunished in the Roar/Phoenix match. The two elbows to the face (that Berisha was complaing about) and the headbutt on Leo Bertos.

- Full marks still to West Sydney fans, even if they are still a bit too well-behaved for my liking ;-)

- The 10 teams now seem to be the perfect mix and the comp is the perfect size. I just worry a bit about Melbourne Heart and some of their small crowds, hopefully after a season or two they can build that up a bit. The other 9 will have no problem though, I'm sure.

- Nathan Coe is terrible! How did he ever get into the national squad! You can't tell me he's a better keeper than Federici!....

 

[nöyd]

muscat by name, muscat by nature

 

[Big Sam]

The 10 teams now seem to be the perfect mix and the comp is the perfect size. I just worry a bit about Melbourne Heart and some of their small crowds, hopefully after a season or two they can build that up a bit. The other 9 will have no problem though, I'm sure.

10 is fine for the next few seasons but for me 14 is the ideal number with 26 rounds of double round robin. Canberra and Wollongong could sustain a team easily and Victoria should have a 3rd team. I'd like to also see another crack at Townsville but done properly this time. Either way I don't think expansion will occur until after the Asian Cup.

The problem with Heart is that they're having an identity crisis. They need something to differentiate themselves from MV besides the colour of their kit.

LP, from an outsider's viewpoint who hasn't watched the league in depth for a while, how much do you reckon the standard has improved since the early seasons?

 

[langpark]

I don't think it's improved a whole lot in the 5 years since I watched it... Don't get me wrong, it's still watchable, but it's a sub-standard league with a sprinkle of class players like Ono and Del Piero... But it is what it is, we all knew it would never become an EPL, so I think it's going great. But to answer your question, it's about the same as it was in 2008 I think. (which isn't at all a bad thing when you consider; there are now two more teams playing and; how much better the national side was compared to now)...

 

[VictoryFC]

Some good crowds last night. Currently every Australian club bar Perth is averaging over 10k.

Which is understandable considering they are capped below 10k due to construction.

10 is fine for the next few seasons but for me 14 is the ideal number with 26 rounds of double round robin. Canberra and Wollongong could sustain a team easily and Victoria should have a 3rd team. I'd like to also see another crack at Townsville but done properly this time. Either way I don't think expansion will occur until after the Asian Cup.

The problem with Heart is that they're having an identity crisis. They need something to differentiate themselves from MV besides the colour of their kit.

LP, from an outsider's viewpoint who hasn't watched the league in depth for a while, how much do you reckon the standard has improved since the early seasons?

14, agreed. Another team in Christchurch or Auckland, Canberra, Wollongong, and a return to the gold coast.

I don't think it's improved a whole lot in the 5 years since I watched it... Don't get me wrong, it's still watchable, but it's a sub-standard league with a sprinkle of class players like Ono and Del Piero... But it is what it is, we all knew it would never become an EPL, so I think it's going great. But to answer your question, it's about the same as it was in 2008 I think. (which isn't at all a bad thing when you consider; there are now two more teams playing and; how much better the national side was compared to now)...

Changes to youth structures are still in their infancy. The standard should rise considerably by 2020 as those changes come to fruition. Ange and Arnold teams are definitely a cut above anything in 2008.

 

[Mong]

I don't think it's improved a whole lot in the 5 years since I watched it... Don't get me wrong, it's still watchable, but it's a sub-standard league with a sprinkle of class players like Ono and Del Piero... But it is what it is, we all knew it would never become an EPL, so I think it's going great. But to answer your question, it's about the same as it was in 2008 I think. (which isn't at all a bad thing when you consider; there are now two more teams playing and; how much better the national side was compared to now)...

Each to their own but I strongly disagree with your assessment. The standard has improved dramatically since 2008 for the most part. Sure it's no EPL and never will be, nor should it be expected to be.

But to say it hasn't really improved is far from the truth. As a regular viewer i would say It has noticeably improved bit by bit, season by season.

There are still some very ordinary games that are a struggle to watch, can say that about the EPL as well though.

Get some videos if games 5 years ago and compare to what you see now, I bet you agree with me.

 

[Big Sam]

I think it has improved a fair bit overall. Any of the Victory/Brisbane games from the last few years wouldn't look out of place in Europe.

Problem is whilst some clubs (MV, BR, CCM) have evolved, Sydney's regressed badly and Wellington persists with their route 1 crap which brings down the league overall.

Adelaide and Newcastle are also trying to adapt to more evolved tactics so they'll improve too in the future. And Poppa is coaching superbly at WSW.

 

[langpark]

Get some videos if games 5 years ago and compare to what you see now, I bet you agree with me.

You could be right, but it is easy to forget too that back then there were guys like Archie Thompson in their prime and pushing for a spot in a national side that was far better than the one we have now. There were a few other decent players running around too and only 8 teams, like I mentioned before... If it has gotten better, it's not a dramatic change I don't think. It's definitely on the right track though and not going backwards...