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Australians have a particular aversion to attacking football. How else do we explain the unrelenting deference to the defensive side of the game on show in every facet of the A-League?
Besart Berisha’s red card at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night was the product of a long-standing refereeing tradition of protecting goalkeepers at all costs.
Yes, Berisha’s challenge was reckless – but was it really that much more reckless than the dozens of times per round that goalkeepers come charging out of their six-yard box, elbows raised at throat level, to collect a corner?
If Tando Velaphi had come sliding out feet first and collided with Berisha, would the Heart goalkeeper have been sent off instead?
Or would he, as I suspect, collect a yellow card – because sending off a goalkeeper for a dangerous challenge is considered a double-edged disadvantage?
To suggest as much is not to condone Berisha’s poorly executed tackle, but perhaps it’s time we acknowledged that one of the more frustrating elements of the A-League is the fact that trying to play attacking football is often punished.
How many times this season have we seen attackers flagged for offside after being denied the benefit of the doubt by assistant referees?
How many times have we seen opposition teams try and kick playmakers like Thomas Broich, Alessandro Del Piero and Marcelo Carrusca off the park because they’re incapable of stopping them by legal means?
Little wonder so many attacking players are deemed superfluous to requirements by coaches more concerned with versatility than creativity.
What do players like Alessandro Del Piero, Shinji Ono, Marcos Flores and the poorly treated Nicky Carle all have in common? None, it seems, will be employed by their current clubs next season.
Gui Finkler was left out of Melbourne Victory’s AFC Champions League squad as contract talks with his club stall, despite the Brazilian being by far one of Victory’s best attacking talents.
The salary cap doesn’t help, as it’s simply too low to attract and retain high-quality attacking players – particularly from overseas.
That’s probably why so many A-League clubs rely heavily on one specific playmaker, whom opponents try hard to mark out of the game.
Contrast that with the top teams in South Korea, China and Japan – who all tend to field multiple attacking talents across the park – and it’s no surprise that some A-League games fail to reach any great heights.
In fact, it’s no shock at all to see many A-League representatives struggle to close down opponents and retain possession in the ACL, given that many Asian squads are packed full of creative players capable of fulfilling ball-playing roles.
For all the conservative tactics on show then, wasn’t it refreshing to see bitter rivals Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC go at each other with gleeful attacking abandon at AAMI Park on Saturday night?
The unwanted Carle might have more chance of showing up in a Where’s Wally cartoon than ever pulling on a Sky Blues jersey under Frank Farina again, but it was nice to see Joel Chianese get on the scoresheet on his return to the starting side.
That it was World Cup hopeful James Troisi who equalised for the Victory with an outstanding finish was also no major surprise, with the on-loan Atalanta midfielder still a chance of claiming the Golden Boot following a fruitful campaign.
But what was most enjoyable about a thoroughly absorbing contest was the fact that both sides threw caution to the wind and simply tried to attack.
That’s something we don’t see enough of in the A-League, particularly when scores are still locked at nil-all.
It’s one reason plenty of neutrals would no doubt like to see Brisbane Roar win the Championship.
They may not attract the biggest crowds, but at least the Roar are committed to playing attacking football – even if it costs them the occasional red card.