The second-last round of the A-League did its best to maintain the mystery of which teams will be playing out this season’s finals series, which begin in just under a fortnight.
With three separate draws registered over the round giving little clarity, it was Sydney FC’s win at home against the hapless Wellington Phoenix that strengthened their chances of making the six, and the Mariner’s shock 3-1 loss away to Perth Glory that may have dented their chances of second place on the ladder and a home semi-final.
Results were as follows:
Adelaide United 2 – Melbourne Heart 2
Newcastle Jets 2 – Melbourne Victory 2
Perth Glory 3 – Central Coast Mariners 1
Western Sydney Wanderers 1 – Brisbane Roar 1
Sydney FC 4 – Wellington Phoenix 1
Remarkably, with the fixtures for Round 27 as they are, this leaves positions two to seven still undecided.
Play of the week
In the horrid conditions that were Allianz stadium, Sydney FC – and more specifically Sebastian Ryall – were able to produce a magical team goal that surely warrants inclusion as a contender for goal of the year.
Collecting the ball near the halfway line, Ryall traded passes along the righthand touchline before an incisive pass to Del Piero. A quality layoff by the Italian was exceeded only by the sublime first-time shot Ryall to register Sydney’s third goal.
A rare piece of team brilliance by a squad that has been living in the grasp of dependence on ADP for quite some time.
Farewell to Shinji Ono
The 1-1 draw played out between Western Sydney and Brisbane on Saturday night marked possibly the final home game of Shinji Ono for the Wanderers. As we have come to expect from the Red and Black Bloc and Wanderers fans in general, Ono received a boisterous celebration from Pirtek Stadium.
At 34-years-of-age and without a contract extension with the Wanderers on offer, Shinji will be joining J. League second division outfit Consadole Sapporo for the 2014-15 season.
While the 2013-14 season has not seen him reach the heights he did in 2012-13, the Wanderers are still losing a valuable member of their midfield squad, so often a central tenet of the Wanderer’s on-field dominance. As far as references from managers go, Ono could not have fared much better than the words of Tony Popovic following their match against Brisbane:
… On the field he brings his quality, his class, his creativity… As a club and certainly the players have enjoyed working with him. He’s very professional, very dedicated, and if you speak to any of our young players, Shinji Ono… The first one there in the morning, always working hard looking after himself.
Given such a glowing review from his coach, why was a contract extension not offered? Particularly given that Western Sydney has yet to find a replacement.
His lack of goals this year compared to last year is probably also an indicator of the decline in his general contribution to play for the second half of the 2013-14 season. Troubles with injury and illness restricted Ono in the middle part of this season, and it appears the Wanderers do not hold enough faith in his abilities to return to full form to chance another season with him.
Having said that though, his position within the team remains critical, and Western Sydney will need to ensure their next marquee player brings the same level of organisation to the squad, or risk having the club’s younger players without the strong guidance that Ono provided.
It remains a critical replacement for the Wanderers and may dictate a lot of their success in the 2014-15 A-League season. We wait with bated breath to see who the new player might be.
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