Juninho showed last night what you need from a marquee player. His perfect, look the other way, pass to release Brosque won the game for Sydney.
The first step for a marquee is that they must be the best player on your team. Then they need to, at least, offset the best player on the other team. Unfortunately, too many teams have been suckered into buying players who they think will bring in a crowd. At least Jardel is doing that for Newcastle.
However, the problem for Sydney is that even with Juninho they could only attract 13,755 fans.
This factor, together with Sydney playing Melbourne, the spirited CCM v Newcastle derby and most importantly absolutely must win games for the Roar and Perth, make next round, the last of the first of the 3 sets, the round of the season.
In this round we will know if the success factors for version 3, and perhaps the A-League in general, are hit:
- Sydney must regain its crowd anything less than 20,000 will be unacceptable and Melbourne is the team to bring it out (expect this to happen)
- the Roar must win at home and it must set itself up with a credible chance of making the top 4 (yes I expect this to happen)
- Perth must win at home (yep I think Perth can win)
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Melbourne Victory 2 - Roar 0
There is a slogan, 'one nuclear accident could ruin your whole day.' It feels a bit like that today.
The Roar scored Ben Williams as ref for the 3rd time in 6 games. Muscat, who surely must be on the FAA's 'Tiatto Player Rule' watch list, got away with shoving his wrist caste into Reinaldo's face. But must infuriating of all Leandro Love was rewarded for a dive in the penalty area just after Vargas cleared off the line a Craig Moore strike. Later, the Roar's run of 48 A-League games with only one penalty was continued by Williams despite Reinaldo being dragged down inside the box. By mid game, the Victory were making a game of trying to goad Tiatto into a second yellow card.
In the first half, Victory defence were everywhere closing down the Roar strikers. With only 8 teams, the A-League has learned to sacrifice entertainment for against run of play goals. Funnily enough, some former Roar fans made this point about their expectations for Frank Farina. He has boldly proved them wrong.
There were flashes of brilliance from the Melbourne defence, and both goal opportunities were constructed by Archie Thompson. Apart from Reinaldo's feistiness, the highlight for the Roar was Michael Zullo's 71 minute substitution for Simon Lynch. Zullo nearly pulled one back for the Roar with a magnificent header into the inside base of the post. Expect Mitch Nichols to be given the nod next week against Wellington, probably at the expense of Ante Milicic. The Roar defence is still a problem and they are missing Andrew Packer.
Now the pressure is on the Roar is like a pea stuck in a straw caught under a waterfall.
The Roar scored Ben Williams as ref for the 3rd time in 6 games. Muscat, who surely must be on the FAA's 'Tiatto Player Rule' watch list, got away with shoving his wrist caste into Reinaldo's face. But must infuriating of all Leandro Love was rewarded for a dive in the penalty area just after Vargas cleared off the line a Craig Moore strike. Later, the Roar's run of 48 A-League games with only one penalty was continued by Williams despite Reinaldo being dragged down inside the box. By mid game, the Victory were making a game of trying to goad Tiatto into a second yellow card.
In the first half, Victory defence were everywhere closing down the Roar strikers. With only 8 teams, the A-League has learned to sacrifice entertainment for against run of play goals. Funnily enough, some former Roar fans made this point about their expectations for Frank Farina. He has boldly proved them wrong.
There were flashes of brilliance from the Melbourne defence, and both goal opportunities were constructed by Archie Thompson. Apart from Reinaldo's feistiness, the highlight for the Roar was Michael Zullo's 71 minute substitution for Simon Lynch. Zullo nearly pulled one back for the Roar with a magnificent header into the inside base of the post. Expect Mitch Nichols to be given the nod next week against Wellington, probably at the expense of Ante Milicic. The Roar defence is still a problem and they are missing Andrew Packer.
Now the pressure is on the Roar is like a pea stuck in a straw caught under a waterfall.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Tempted by the light of another: Perth could beat CCM
Well I watch Roar dismantle Perth last week, and saw the goals that Perth missed after opening the scoring and their account. Then heard Total Football tell us how bad Perth's player acquisition strategy was (well we all know how had it is to buy players and how tempting it is to buy names to get the crowd in).
And have have seen the injury and sideline list, including Foxe and Lazaridis.
Then I read The Australia's wrap of the Sports Bet tipping. Humm $6 on Perth eh. I'll have some of that, well $5. Maybe I'll wish it were $50 or that I'd invested another $5 on the $3.60 for a draw. CCM have Mrdja out and Petrovski in doubt. But then Mori's back.
Don't know, not a punter. But this is a close league. Away teams do just as well as home teams. And I'd rather see Perth do well than Wellington any day. So I had to back Perth.
And have have seen the injury and sideline list, including Foxe and Lazaridis.
Then I read The Australia's wrap of the Sports Bet tipping. Humm $6 on Perth eh. I'll have some of that, well $5. Maybe I'll wish it were $50 or that I'd invested another $5 on the $3.60 for a draw. CCM have Mrdja out and Petrovski in doubt. But then Mori's back.
Don't know, not a punter. But this is a close league. Away teams do just as well as home teams. And I'd rather see Perth do well than Wellington any day. So I had to back Perth.
The Positives
The Roar will probably have attracted the biggest crowd this round - over 16,000. That's thanks to Melbourne being away, but can you image any other team with the Roar's home record doing that? (four wins in 23 games at Lang Park but who would count?)
Marcinho was on fire last night and set up some fabulous opportunities, including a cross for Reinaldo to stretch Bolton to the maximum. He was cheezed off about something, I not sure what. Simon Lynch showed flashes of capability. And Massimo changed the game when he came on. He (on the right) and Zullo (on the left) are remarkable to watch tearing up the Sydney flanks.
I was disappointed to watch Mitch Nichols make his way out from the non-playing players bench at half time. Maybe next week.
This week the shots weren't wild swings, at least were on target and 3 or 4 against any other keeper would have been in.
Marcinho was on fire last night and set up some fabulous opportunities, including a cross for Reinaldo to stretch Bolton to the maximum. He was cheezed off about something, I not sure what. Simon Lynch showed flashes of capability. And Massimo changed the game when he came on. He (on the right) and Zullo (on the left) are remarkable to watch tearing up the Sydney flanks.
I was disappointed to watch Mitch Nichols make his way out from the non-playing players bench at half time. Maybe next week.
This week the shots weren't wild swings, at least were on target and 3 or 4 against any other keeper would have been in.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Fan crusher: Roar 0 Sydney 1
Sydney is a boring team to watch. This is the reason that their gatetake in such a large city is so small. There is no getting getting away from it. I think playing a boring game is worse than playing a losing game. Just as well being a Roar fan.
The Roar's inability to score. Sydney's slow stop play. Bolton taunted Roar fans before the game - 'they'll probably shoot and miss all night' and then he pulled off around 8 world class saves....
Sasa Ognenovski came on as centre forward and it nearly worked.
Alex Brosque muffed what chances Sydney had before they scored against the run of play.
The Roar's inability to score. Sydney's slow stop play. Bolton taunted Roar fans before the game - 'they'll probably shoot and miss all night' and then he pulled off around 8 world class saves....
Sasa Ognenovski came on as centre forward and it nearly worked.
Alex Brosque muffed what chances Sydney had before they scored against the run of play.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sweet Sweet: At last Roar make music: Perth 1 Roar 2
The A-league is small. The A-league is beautiful. The A-league is fragile.
Frank Farina explained the game to fans and the press this week. He sounded good and strong. The Roar must stick with him. There is no one else.
But as the Roar went a goal down in the 14th after the Roar had already had a barrage of chances - well you could see it was going to get harder to explain. And a big crowd must be attracted for the Sydney game next week.
With a win, at least now the team has given the marketing team something solid to work with.
I was impressed with Moore's performance this week. Still the Roar rely heavily on Matty and Danny. Marcinho has been unable to live up to his promise, he talks a lot, misses a lot of set pieces. Reinaldo, is the fittest player in the A-League, and can be seen in every position on the park and played a lot of time in defence today. 18 year olds Mitch Nichols and Michael Zullo rewarded Frank's risk with great cameos.
There were 21 official shots. Great goals from a McKay corner - at last someone was there to take the goalkeepers deflection (Josh McCloughan) and from Milicic's bustling forcing run into the box to set the ball free for McKay to do his 'best practice' volley. Tiatto looks like he is going to score some goals - 2 or 3 for keeper saves and 1 into the post.
Perth could have equalised (hit the post in extra time) or run away with it. But at last things went the Roar's way and they got over the Ben Williams refing ho-do without a send off.
The Roar are by far the most exciting A-league team. And we knew they could win away. But now they must win at home. And against Sydney who just must win or risk writing of the season (and their home crowd).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)