The A-League has finished for another season with a sold out final at AAMI Stadium. Despite all the controversy about which venue should be used, I thought the grand final was great to watch at a rectangular stadium.
Even though the season has finished, the A-League has probably attracted more attention in the national media for all the changes at different clubs (e.g. Newcastle Jets licence issues, John Aloisi to coach Brisbane, and all the player movements).
The off-season is looking busy. This week sees some marquee clubs coming to town, and it starts on Friday when Adelaide United take on Villarreal at Coopers Stadium. Sydney FC get a couple of London clubs in quick succession, taking on Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday at ANZ Stadium, then backing that up with a clash against Chelsea on Tuesday. Wednesday will then see Villarreal travel north to take on the Brisbane Roar.
July brings the best in the world to Australia, with Liverpool, Real Madrid, Roma, and Manchester City all set to play friendlies on our home soil.
The Socceroos are in action on the 17th of June in Kyrgyzstan, and then again in Perth on the 3rd of September against Bangladesh.
Personally, I will also be watching National Premier League matches in my city. It may not be the A-League, but the NPL offers up some entertaining football. Our national second tier competition is at the halfway point in most states, so every game counts at this stage. The Premiers from each state division will play off to decide the NPL champions.
For the football purists, in most states there is also a relegation battle for those teams at the lower end of the table.
The National Premier Leagues have the advantage that the grounds are easy to get to (though they may not be as wee-appointed as the major stadiums of the A-League), and the competition is strong (this is where future A-League players get the start).
I hope you get to enjoy a game near you over the next few months.
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