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With three rounds left to play in the A-League regular season, it is clear that the balance of power has shifted away from last season’s grand finalists.
Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC might be playing for their finals future, but you wouldn’t have known it judging by their performances this weekend.
Victory were fortunate to come away from a dreadful AAMI Park pitch with a 1-1 draw to show from their clash with the Newcastle Jets, after the visitors were unlucky to see defender Daniel Mullen sent off for a second yellow card following a challenge on Oliver Bozanic.
Mullen clearly won the ball ahead of Bozanic, and even if referee Chris Beath deemed the tackle reckless, he should have simply warned Mullen not to dive in again and continued on with the game.
Instead, the Jets were forced to play a man down for more than 50 minutes, and not surprisingly Besart Berisha nabbed an equaliser against a Newcastle side that arguably deserved all three points.
Despite 16 league goals this season, Berisha has been far from his best of late, and unless the normally deadly Victory striker can find some form up front, last season’s champions should make a swift exit from the finals.
How ironic that Mark Milligan is back on Australian soil for international duty this week, given how badly Victory have missed both Milligan and the ill Carl Valeri this season.
Sydney FC, meanwhile, have badly missed any semblance of form – and last season’s beaten grand finalists blew whatever remaining chance they had of sneaking into the finals with an inexplicable 2-2 draw against the Mariners.
All credit to Central Coast for continuing to play for the full 90 minutes, but Vedran Janjetovic won’t want to see the replay of Harry Ascroft’s equaliser any time soon.
The Sydney FC shot-stopper has had a season to forget, and it was interesting to see the Sky Blues announce Janjetovic’s re-signing last week when there is still plenty at stake in the current campaign.
How the Sky Blues must wish they had a commanding presence like Thomas Sorensen in goal, with the Melbourne City shot-stopper proving the old adage that if you’ve got a good goalkeeper, you’ll go far in football.
City’s best player this season has of course been Bruno Fornaroli, and although the Uruguayan failed to get on the scoresheet in the 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar on Friday, he was nevertheless the chief architect of City’s win.
The turning point was undoubtedly Jack Hingert’s 54th-minute dismissal, after Fornaroli reeled in the young defender hook, line and sinker to commit a foul inside the penalty box.
Aaron Mooy stepped up to convert from the spot – he too was superb – and from then on there only ever looked like being one winner.
That City had the power to steam-roll over the top of Brisbane says much about their depth, even if former Mariners man Anthony Caceres perhaps shouldn’t be playing in City colours.
Along with a resurgent Adelaide and current league leaders Western Sydney, City look set to play their part in one of the most exciting finals races in recent memory.
Adelaide were unlucky not to benefit from what looked like a foul from Wanderers goalkeeper Liam Reddy on Bruce Kamau on Saturday night – neither of the two Japanese referees on exchange from the J. League covered themselves in glory – although the Reds are still in the hunt to claim top spot.
Throw in dark horses Perth Glory and an inconsistent Roar, and the race for a finals place still has plenty of twists and turns to go.
Yet, you can’t help but wonder if the balance of power in the A-League hasn’t shifted – for this season at least.
Where once Victory swept all before them, today it’s noisy neighbours City dominating all the A-League headlines.