Comments on: Is Valentines clash biggest A-League game ever?

By: Isen

Isen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:36:52 +0000

You know this competition is going somewhere when Sydney FC is expected to draw 30 K +

By: albatross

albatross — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:28:49 +0000

Plus on a Sunday evening in muggy weather with the match live on TV, there are better places to be in western Sydney. In addition there us virtually no public transport in the region at this time on a Sunday.

One real issue with Parra Stadium is that there is not much nearby parking and Western Sydney Rovers will have to confront this at some time.

By: Australian Football

Australian Football — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:40:11 +0000

This healthy hate thread is building quite nicely I am going to wait until the end of the week before I publish my thoughts on this fixture.. I don’t like to see grown men reduced to tears too early before the event..

~~~~~~~
AF

By: roary

roary — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:27:53 +0000

Yeah, went to that. It ended up 0-0, you could see people saying to themselves they were suckered in with the hype. The game lost a bit of it’s momentum that night.

They play the stupid, brainless long ball, kick and hope tactic too much.

By: roary

roary — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:24:59 +0000

Bring it on!

This is what soccer passion is all about. Without that, it is just, ahh, like basketball.

Melbourne to win the fights and the match.

By: MV Dave

MV Dave — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:01:42 +0000

“That was in Melbourne and the league really looked like it was going somewhere then.” Ahh yeh that was when there was no Youth League, no W League, no acadamies, no expansion, no huge new TV deal in prospect, no increased number of games, no ACL, no current Socceroos returning to the league….geeez Altra you know, l think that for a 5 year old comp HAL is doing very nicely and heading in a very good direction.
ps you might want to check out some action this week at SFS or the finals in a few weeks time or some ACL action coming up.

By: Altra

Altra — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:53:05 +0000

That was in Melbourne and the league really looked like it was going somewhere then.

By: MV Dave

MV Dave — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:26:33 +0000

Looks like rain, rain and then more rain is the forecast for Sydenee this weekend. The condition of the pitch will therefore be a significant factor…but will a heavy/bumpy pitch favour MV or SFC? MV have certainly played on some poor quality pitches at ES this season and in the long run that may make a difference…in the end however MV dont need to win and with AT missing will probably have a more cautious approach. SFC need to score and this will allow MVs counter attacking game to flourish. l still think it will end up a draw with most if not all, of the goals in a 2-2 draw coming in the last 25 minutes.
It is certainly the biggest H&A game in the HALs short 5 year history and if the weather is reasonable 30,000 plus would be expected.
Hopefully this fixture will be repeated in about 5 weeks time in the GF this time in front of 55,000 at ES!

By: Macs.football

Macs.football — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:39:02 +0000

Hopefully the day after the game the headline in the Sydney Morning Herald will be “Valentine’s Day Heartbreak”.

By: Rhys

Rhys — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:34:12 +0000

Getting 8.5k at Parramatta was pretty good considering the 200mm of rain the area had gotten in the days leading up to the clash.

By: Al

Al — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:50:05 +0000

I’d take a 7-0 Melbourne win!

By: Towser

Towser — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:26:23 +0000

So what if it is ingrained Mike. It was ingrained in the casual fans mind that the NSL was a wogs competition.
You should know better than most that our acceptance into Asia changed football in Australia.
Part of that, is respect for being able to participate in the ACL.
To call someone minor premiers when they get a spot in that competition is in my book an insult.
Its something other sports dont have in Australia & changed the parameters of the domestic League.
Australians cant have it both ways.
The only reason that football in Australia has forged ahead in the last 5 years is Asia.
Sorry Asia, we call it minor premiers.
Sorry Australia, you dont respect our competitions back to Oceania & oblivion.

By: Brett McKay

Brett McKay — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:25:31 +0000

what money on headlines of “VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE” should it be a large margin…

Not that I think it will be….

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:07:22 +0000

MV v Sydney got 50,000 in season 2 but Adelaide have never drawn the same crowd except for finals.

For the record, the result was a nil all draw.

Don’t expect too many of the travelling fans to be disappointed if its the same result this time round.

By: Mike Tuckerman

Mike Tuckerman — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:50:38 +0000

Point taken, Brendo.

Although I think it’s a shame that the FFA had to run with the premiers/champions tag given that it confuses many of the A-League’s more casual fans, when the concept of minor premiers/premiers is already ingrained in our sporting psyche.

By: whiskeymac

whiskeymac — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:31:07 +0000

should be a good game but ashame its not in Melbourne re:atmosphere.
went to the game at parra. wasnt bad and the support was vocal and appreciative but the game wasnt exaclty advertised that well and in mnay respects shows that SFC, to engage with the region, needs to do more than just turn up (and only then because their SFS is trodden on by the tattoo). i noted one corner had a WS banner in red and black…. Western Sydney supporters already?
maybe the truth is is that SFC is not resonating beyond strathfield becaus they have never tried too and this explains the turn out.

By: Ben of Phnom Penh

Ben of Phnom Penh — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:25:14 +0000

I can’t remember the game however I seem to recall MV v AUFC getting 52,000 odd for a regular season game. Still, it’s a great promotion for the game and hopefully the Sydney fans show up.

By: Art Sapphire

Art Sapphire — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:59:39 +0000

We don’t trade in excuses down in Melbourne. No one in Melbourne has complained about Muscat’s punishment.

By: Brendo51

Brendo51 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:50:20 +0000

Wow, after just finishing Adrians article about the lack of media using the correct term for the winners of the plate (ie Premiers) what do I find but the very next article on Roar is your using “Minor Premiers”. What hope do we have when even passionate football writers such as yourself as referring to it as the MINOR premiership.

By: Punter

Punter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:47:31 +0000

Of course the Melbourne Victory have a ready made excuse if they do lose, that the Sydney Bias FFA rubbed out that thug Muscat for this match.

By: Art Sapphire

Art Sapphire — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:33:28 +0000

GCU will beat Fury. Fury have nothing to play for and the club has a chance to repay Palmer’s generosity in being their shirt sponsor by rolling over

The pressure will then be on Sydney as they will need a win. A draw will only see them coming third and missing out on the double chance. The pressure will be too much and Victory will get the result they need to ensure they finish 1st. This will then be the cue for the Sydney FC loving football media mafia to have a good sulk.

Get your tissues ready

By: YouKnow

YouKnow — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:48:52 +0000

Again with the crowds. You poor folk culturally cringing yourself to unenjoyment really need a beer and perhaps that new meow meow stuff.

Corresponding fixture 2 years ago, in the rain, drew about 34,000 form memory, and even if there is only 15 or 20, pretty sure it’s set to be very enjoyable to watch.

So forget about what’s happening in the stands and enjoy the spectacle of some B- Minus grade football being played with a whole lot of passion in front of people that care.

By: Lu

Lu — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:35:08 +0000

This game will decide the true champions (finals? Pfft)

Victory 2 (Hernadez, Mrdja), sydney 1 (Aloisi pen)..

20K people..

1 red card (Bredtner)

If/when Mrdja scores the winner there will be an outcry from up north for years!!!!

By: TammyS

TammyS — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:21:07 +0000

Sydney 2 – 1 in front of 28k

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:12 +0000

Fearless prediction:
Melbourne to win 0-0 in front of a crowd of 15,000 (consisting mostly of the extended families of the Sydney team and traveling Melbourne fans). Sydney could only get 8,000 to a very important game last week – aside from the away fans it won’t be any different next week.

By: agga78

agga78 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:54:52 +0000

I will take 0-0 thank you very much as a Melbourne supporter, as a football supporter 3-3 would be great, if this was in Melbourne you would be looking at 40k to the match of this stature so you would hope the fickle Sydney public would come out in big numbers for this match.
I personally think Melbourne are done, with Archie, Muscat, Celeski and Kemp out we are missing 4 crucial players and I just don’t see us scoring goals in this match or any other match in the finals. We were lucky last week against NQF that we had Carlos Hernandez who scored two wonderful goals, but without a speedy striker to play through balls too, it will take something special for Melbourne to be champions this season.
Sydney were really lucky last week, I thought Perth were the better team for large parts of that game, but under 8′s defending cost them and Melbourne, I expect Sydney to come out all guns blazing and if Melbourne can hold out for the 1st 30 minutes the pressure may build on Sydney, but I would say Sydney are favourites and should win the match if they are good enough.

By: mds1970

mds1970 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:47:08 +0000

If it’s a great game and passes without incident off the field, it would be a sensational advertisement for the A-League. But sadly, given the history of bad blood between the two sets of supporters, it’s more likely the game will be remembered and reported for disgraceful supporter violence.
I don’t know what the answer is. But the whole “Tards” v “Scum FC” hate thing has got completely out of hand.

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:46:53 +0000

Here’s hoping the Big Blue is a classic with Melbourne winning 5-4 in the 92nd minute from a El Zorro thunderbolt from outside the area