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Carlos Hernandez of Melbourne Victory challenges Emmanuel Muscat of Wellington Phoenix. AAP Image/Joe Castro
As I noted in my team of the season piece earlier this week, there have been some absolute star performers this season, especially in the decisive front third. Never before in the short history of our new national league have so many guns, both local and imported, fired at the same time.
Tonight, at the annual A-League awards night at Ivy in Sydney (which is likely to be drowned out by the Allan Border medal), the best will be honoured with the Johnny Warren medal, and the great man himself, a proponent of positive, attacking football, would have been delighted so many skilful and inventive front third technicians are vying for the award.
While past seasons have given us stand-out candidates like Nick Carle and Joel Griffiths, this season there are at least seven players who could legitimately lay claim to the award, such has been the quality at the top of the competition.
There is not much between them, especially the first four, but here I run the rule over the contenders:
Jason Culina; while he had a dip around the time of the Clive Palmer crowd-cap saga, his form at the start of the season, and at the end, has been inspirational, and so easy on the eye. Culina has had a license to roam where he wants, but his energy, drive and will to win has been brilliant to watch. Meanwhile, his ability to draw defenders and then shift the emphasis of the attack with a long diagonal switch of play has created time and space for his teammates, while his work out on the right, delivering inch-perfect crosses for the likes of Shane Smeltz, proves he can be a potent attacking influence. While he currently sits top of the assists charts, perhaps the one thing missing is the goals that the next bloke has provided in abundance.
Carlos Hernandez; the Costa Rican had an influential last season, earning himself a full time deal this season, which was sealed with an A-League record transfer fee. While he’s been good previously, this season he has taken his game to another level, and is among the leading men in both the goals (12) and assists (9) tables. Not only is he lethal from the set piece, he has been ghosting into the box, or to the edge of the box, and thumping some absolute bombs from distance. The one in round two, in the 3-3 draw at Etihad against Brisbane, and the one in round eight, in the 3-2 away win over the Gold Coast, spring to mind. Hernandez’s strength to hold the ball up, find space and invariably take the right option has been a joy to behold.
Paul Ifill; the last time I saw this guy live was just short of 12 months ago, at Selhurst Park in South London, but it was only for a brief cameo off the bench as Neil Warnock kept him and Carle away from the action for too long (at least Ifill got off the bench in a 0-0 draw with Reading). Fortunately for fans of the A-League, Ifill left Warnock, and has been able to express his wonderful gifts for 90 minutes every week. His strength, deceptive movement and pace and ability beat men with a quick drop of the shoulder and shift of the ball have been brilliant to watch. He gives defenders and goalkeepers alike nightmares anywhere around the box because he can comfortably glide by them, or shoot from distance, and some shot it is.
Alex Brosque; Even in the pre-season it was obvious this bloke was onto a big one, threatening to take Sydney’s main-man mantle and make it his own. Fortunately, for Sydney fans and Vitezslav Lavicka, he has lived up to the promise, for Sydney are a completely different side when he is no there. While the start was slow, at least from a goals perspective, he has been untouchable for large parts of the campaign, with his pace, touch and sharpness causing constant headaches, whether he drifts out wide or through the middle. Some of his link up play, with both Mark Bridge and Steve Corica has been a joy to watch, while his work as the first line in Sydney’s defence has been breathtakingly consistent. Energy and influence are words now synonymous with the Brosque game.
Steve Corica; Last season John Kosmina managed to convince most that Corica was no longer a 90 minute player. Indeed, there were many questions marks about whether the veteran could still handle the physical demands of the A-League, but, with a bit of faith from Lavicka, and his own self belief, Corica has been able to have arguable his most consistent and influential season for the Sky Blues. His ability to constantly find space in between the midfield and defensive lines, drive at the opposition, and combine with his front men has been a lesson in how to control a game from the front third. In past seasons he has had periods where his form has dipped, but this season he has been up for it every week. Will be sorely missed.
Archie Thompson; when Danny Allsopp left for the Middle East early in the campaign, it looked like Melbourne’s season could unravel. But up stepped Thompson, who along with Hernandez, he kept the Victory flowing in the front third, and he has been able to combine effortlessly with the likes of Robbie Kruse, Mate Dugandzic and Nick Ward. Stung by a couple of omissions from the national team, Thompson has been a man a mission, and his hunger and energy throughout the middle third of the season earnt him a recall.
Shane Smeltz; fortunately for last season’s Johnny Warren winner, he isn’t the only man at his new club, but the Gold Coast have still relied on his lethal finishing to be where they are. What makes Smeltz such an effective player at this level is that he is equally adept on the ball, outside the box, as he is inside the box, where he uses his heading ability, strength and cunning to get on the end of the things. The other thing I enjoy about watching Smeltz is his composure in an around the box. The beauty about his season is that he has been able to back up last season, and it would be great for the A-League, if not for the Gold Coast, if he can make an impression at the World Cup.
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