In A League of Its Own – Issue 19

Tom’s weekly outlook on the A-League

There is no doubt in my mind that Brisbane Roar are the best team in the A-League. Week after week they score goals and do not lose often at all; in fact they haven’t lost a game for 14 weeks, when they went down 3-0 to Melbourne Victory at home. Brisbane have scored 35 goals, and conceded just 15 in 19 games. They extended their unbeaten streak to a record 14 games this weekend when they accounted for top 4 placed Central Coast 5-1. In what was a brilliant display by the Roar, Jean Carlos Solórzano had cashed in twice along with Mitch Nichols by half-time to make the score an embarrassing 3-0 at the break. Adam Kwasnik scored the Mariners’ lone goal just after the break, but that was soon made unimportant, as Reinaldo scored in the 88th minute. Mariners’ captain Alex Wilkinson scored an own goal for the home side to cap off an awful Sunday afternoon for the Mariners.

On Friday night, Adelaide hosted a surging Gold Coast. Paul Reid scored a cracking goal 10 minutes in thanks to a fantastic cross from Marcos Flores. Bas Van Den Brink made it 1-1 in the second minute of stoppage time with his own scorcher from 25 yards. Travis Dodd scored what ended up as being the winner for his team 2 minutes after the sides returned, to keep Adelaide in 2nd position.

On Saturday, either side of David Beckham’s game, the two Melbourne teams played their respective matches for gameweek 16. The Victory played first, and we travelled to Wellington to take on the Phoenix at their once mighty cake tin. Tim Brown opened the scoring 17 minutes in, when he scored his typical early goal at home. Archie Thompson wasn’t having any of it, and he soon equalised, scoring in a one-on-one opportunity from a narrowish angle. Robbie Kruse put the visitors in front 5 minutes from half-time, to give the Victory a boost going into the dressing rooms. Paul Ifill spoilt the party with 83 minutes on the clock, when he looked to have held onto the ball for too long, but then – as usual – proved the commentators wrong by scoring to earn his side one point.

Melbourne Heart were next, and they played Sydney FC at a very wet AAMI Park. In treacherous conditions, the Heart drew another amazing crowd of 4½ thousand to their weekend game. I don’t blame the fans for not turning up, because they certainly didn’t miss out on much. A very poor 0-0 draw was the upshot from the game, and I think 2 or 3 players might have drowned out there.

Perth made a ridiculously long trip to North Queensland to face the Fury, in what was a bottom of the table clash. Robbie Fowler returned to face his former side once again. He had a good claim for a penalty twice throughout the match, when he was taken down by what looked to be a late challenge from a Fury defender both times. Fowler made amends soon after the first, when he converted a cross with an arching but powerful header from 10 yards. Naum Sekulovski received his second yellow in the second half, and was soon joined in the rooms by Griffiths. It was amazing that the Fury only drew 1-1, as the Glory played the last half hour with just 9 men. Mark Hughes was responsible for North Queensland’s only goal; he headed home a good corner 10 minutes from time. Gareth Edds was made to rue 2 clear cut chances for the Fury, a team who are now where they should have been right from the start of the season: Bottom.

This weekend, catch Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on Friday night taking on Melbourne Victory again. The game starts at 8 o’clock, leaving you plenty of time to get to the ground.

About Tom Riordan

Tom Riordan is in his second year of a Bachelor of Journalism at Swinburne University. He loves all sports, and plays for Brunswick Cricket Club. He supports the Western Bulldogs and can be found on weekends among half a dozen others in Q38 on the top level of the MCC.

Comments

  1. Djarindjin Jerker says

    Great stuff, Trio, I love reading your A league reports.
    Perhaps a prediction or two from yourself could assist those mucking around with multibets. I am desperately trying to make a big dollar from a small investment and I would love to see your predicted scorelines for the upcoming week of A league matches.
    Are you game?

  2. Tom,
    Infuriatingly it was Mark Hughes, who’d dragged down Fowler and arguably should have been expelled, who ultimately got Fury’s equaliser!

    Djarindjin,
    It’s not a tipping service! Good luck on the multis. I don’t even know how to take them on the A-League.

  3. Great writing Tom… that’s a header into “the onion bag” for me ;)

  4. Not sure if this is a reflection of how their goals are celebrated but BRISBANE ROAR is an anagram of AIRBORNE BRAS…

  5. lie down time Gigs…

  6. Thanks Crio. Sometimes I have to be told.

  7. Martin Reeves says

    Can’t argue with you Tom, Brisbane are rampant and should run away with the toilet seat this season. Adelaide have claims, but look like they might sell off Flores for a quick buck.

    Still hopeful Victory will make the top 6, but may struggle. Ernie’s tactics of sitting back for 45mins against an attack led by Paul Ifill cost us two points.

    On a side note – not long til we hear word from Zurich. Following Dan Silkstone’s ‘tweets’ and the Lowy camp seem quietly confident.

  8. That’s OK Gigs.
    By the way, I assume you know “Lie down time” is an anagram for

    “End Woe Limit” ?

    Now can we resume A-League discussions?

  9. Martin, Tom or others,
    What’s the best approach for Victory this week? Play tight and hope for a counter-attack solitary goal to win , or load up with Archie, Robbie Kruse and Carlos and go for their throats?

  10. Martin Reeves says

    Crio – load up and try to create a 2-goal buffer. They’ll attack us, so plenty of opportunity to counter.

  11. Gigs,
    The airborne bras thing does vaguely have something to do with a celebration that Roar player Reinaldo did earlier this season. After he scored, he whipped off his shirt and jogged over to a camera, which revealed one of those bra-like heart-rate monitors that some players wear these days!

    Crio,
    We need to hit them on the counter. They tend to pour men forward especially at corners or indirect free-kicks. If that doesn’t work, we might need a penalty, luck or Carlos magic

  12. I still think at their best, the Heart are the best. Though they don’t seem to be able to sustain it. In case you wondered, Victory are crap, led by a foolish old man with slow defensive colleagues.

  13. Djarindjin Jerker says

    Ok, Trio. I don’t want to get you in trouble as someone is obviously trying to discourage the genetic gambling intinct in you. I’ll give it a go this week, combine a couple of exact score combinations and see how I go. Maybe you can take the plunge next week in Round 18…
    So all the way from the north west corner of Oz:

    Melbourne Victory FC v Brisbane Roar FC – 0-2
    Central Coast Mariners FC v Sydney FC – 1-3
    North Queensland Fury v Newcastle Jets FC – 1-1
    Gold Coast United v Melbourne Heart FC – 1-2

    Load up punters..

  14. Let us know how you go. Do you have to get them all exact or is it a series of doubles/trebles and a quad?
    Also, for what it is worth, I predict Victory to score- maybe not win – and Central Coast to be far better than your dire prediction. A draw for Heart.

  15. Reporting still of a high standard – just like Adelaide United.It is a high class site, we are now into anagrams.

  16. Martin Reeves says

    Has been a tough day. Missing out to Qatar in 2022 and conceding in the 93rd minute after Theo handled outside his area.

    Victory were paying $31 at half time – hit the front in the 78th minute. Another two points thrown away.

  17. Dessand,
    You obviously like Adelaide United and anagrams…
    presumably you know, then, that, for you, your club’s anagram is
    “Indeed I Adulate”!

  18. what do u reckon about the the reds? do u think theyve had their luck for this year tc?things have definately gone a bit quiet on that front over here….

  19. Re anagram, well done Crio. Nice to see the Doggies tail wagging.

  20. It might depend, Susan, on what happens with transfers in January

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