Newcastle 0 V Sydney FC 0 plus 'This is find out day'

Well you could say find out week. But today is the really critical day for the Roar, Wellington and the Glory.

Find out 1 - the Roar: Was the off-season purchasing in tune with the challenges of version 4 of the A-League? Key find out: is Sergio V-D a quality striker and is Craig Moore in good enough shape to handle the A-League?

Find out 2 - Glory: Can the talents of Dadi and Amaral turn them into winners? Or will Glory merely be a source of under 23s for the national squad and other teams when their talents are proved?

Find out 3 - Wellington: Can they convert the incredible interest they have created in NZ, their 2nd in the pre-season, a team packed with all white players, the talents of Kwasnik, Durante and McKain?

Find out 4 - Central Coast: Well not actually the CCM, just Mark Bosnich.

The other find outs: Sydney isn't the best team in the league and Aloisi looks at sea. Gary V-E is the A-League's best coach - able to take whatever is thrown at him in terms of 'player for entertainment purchasing' (a mask anyone?) and create a class team. And Melbourne are now firm favourites to take the title.

Newcastle v Sydney

It was redemption for Newcastle in front of their home crowd. Song and Joel Griffiths were outstanding, plus a new look defence - without North in the starting line-up - held and showed how easily an effective defence can be built. The crowd of only 11,000 will be of concern to management.

Sydney is the team that Australian A-League players seem to want to play for, but who knows why. It can't be the money as the salary cap limits that, nor the crowds because at home they are disappointing.

Melbourne, on the hand, is the team that up-and-coming foreigners want to play for - much more effective.