The Roar
The Roar

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Are the Brisbane Roar on their way to a remarkable comeback?

6th March, 2015
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The Roar need a win against Melbourne City to keep their slim finals hopes alive. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Expert
6th March, 2015
36
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It’s a season that started with the loss of key players, three straight defeats, and a poorly managed coach dismissal. Yet the Brisbane Roar are starting to show signs that they have the ability to turn around their fortunes.

While they still sit off fifth-placed Sydney FC by 10 points, making a finish higher than sixth unlikely, a place in the finals would still give them a huge chance of mounting a championship challenge.

Coupled with progress from the group stages in the Asian Champions League, which is still alive after a fantastic midweek victory against Urawa Red Diamonds, it would represent an impressive comeback.

In some ways it makes a mockery of the A-League, that six teams out of ten make it to the finals, in other ways it highlights the competition’s beautiful ability to give the underdog a chance at glory.

The only problem is, the Roar will not be underdogs if they make the A-League finals. No team that has their record in knockout fixtures could be classed second favourites, no matter how terrible their early-season form.

The team has the pedigree in finals football, and there are still A-League champions left in the squad to guide the new arrivals. If the Roar keep their form up between now and the end of the season, it would not be a surprise to see them make their way to the final.

It’s never been done before, as highlighted in Monday’s column, but if there’s one team to go against history it is Brisbane. This is a dynasty that went off the tracks and lost their way, but they are beginning to bring it all back together.

There have been doubters about whether this team is actually close to getting back to their best. That was largely debunked in the side’s victory over Urawa.

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A superb early Brandon Borrello strike sealed the tie, and although the Roar failed to capitalise on their lead, they held on for victory. Yes, it was against 10 men, but that one-man advantage came about due to a typical Roar press that saw Andrija Kaluđerović loose on goal. Daisuke Nasu was forced to make a challenge, and his rugby-style option resulted in a red card.

It gave Brisbane breathing space, and they held on. It may have been shaky on a few occasions but the early-season fragility has gone, a team that has conceded five goals in the last 15 minutes of matches refusing to budge.

Most impressive about this latest run of four wins, one draw and one loss in 2015, has been Frans Thijssen’s rotation. He’s used the returning Luke DeVere in the Champions League, as well as Jack Hingert in place of the ineligible Jerome Polenz, astutely.

DeVere has marshalled the defence well, and only a devastating last-minute goal prevented the Roar from a result against Beijing Guoan in their first group match. Jamie Young was also impressive against Urawa, acquitting himself well in place of Michael Theo after a shocking start to his Roar career.

The team look good, and it’s a big change from the start of the season. Whether it was the coach – I still feel Mike Mulvey could have turned it around given a chance – a lack of motivation, or jadedness, the Roar’s recovery is starting to roll through.

Thijssen has to be applauded for the way he’s managed to salvage the season, despite his initial start of just one win in seven – incidentally worse than Mulvey’s two wins in five start.

It was a tough assignment, and Thijssen has handled it well. It will be interesting to see whether he sticks around for the entire Champions League campaign if the Roar progress past the group stages, given that he was hired as a temporary option.

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March shapes as a big month for the Roar, as it does for the rest of the A-League teams. They face Western Sydney on Saturday, followed by Sydney away, Suwon Bluewings and Wellington at home and then Melbourne City away.

Thijssen’s continuing rotation of his defence, as well as up front with Jean Carlos Solorzano and Kaluđerović should keep the squad fresh and avoid complacency.

It would not surprise me to see the Roar make its way to another A-League final, and take it out. Hopefully they can also pull off a first foray into the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League as well, which would truly represent a stunning change in fortune.

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