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With the destination of the premiership set to be decided on the final weekend of the campaign, it is safe to say this is the A-League season we had to have.
After all the naysayers and negative headlines, isn’t it great we’ve finally reached a point where the only thing that matters is what happens on the pitch?
There are barely enough superlatives to describe just how exciting the race for the premiership is, with Perth Glory’s superb 3-2 win over Melbourne City last night denying City their chance to finish top.
Full credit to Kenny Lowe and his Glory outfit, who have put last year’s salary cap debacle behind them to announce themselves as a genuine title force.
In Diego Castro they have an absolute star – his volley last night was one of the goals of the season – while Andy Keogh set a deserved scoring record by notching for the eighth consecutive fixture in a row.
Coupled with the old-school defensive pairing of Shane Lowry and Alex Grant and the industry and guile of György Sandor, Nebojša Marinkovic and Krisztián Vadocz, and the Glory suddenly look like a team that could make a serious dent on the finals.
As good as their win was, it was hardly the only talking point of another breathtaking round of action.
It all started with Western Sydney Wanderers’ comprehensive 4-1 drubbing of the hapless Central Coast Mariners, in what was the final regular season game at Pirtek Stadium before its demolition and ultimate re-build.
The win leaves Western Sydney with a decent chance of finishing top – they’ll smash the Phoenix in Wellington – however with results elsewhere not exactly going the Wanderers’ way, there’s still plenty to play for going into the final round.
That’s because Brisbane Roar’s dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets yesterday saw the Roar return to the summit on the back of a rare goal from Thomas Broich.
The scheming German hasn’t had his most effective season in Roar colours, however his 74th-minute winner could prove priceless in the race for the Premiers’ Plate.
The hosts were helped by yet another red card to Nigel Boogard – the 10th of his A-League career – but still had enough to fight back from a goal down in a gripping second half contest.
The Roar are in the box seat to finish top, but they could hardly have asked for a sterner test when they face defending champions Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
It’s a shame Besart Berisha will miss the game through suspension courtesy of picking up an inexplicable red card against the Phoenix, although the Albanian can have no excuses after lashing out at Andrew Durante.
Berisha might have inflicted some real damage on his former club, however the Roar will surely fancy their chances against a Victory side forced to travel to South Korea in midweek to take on Suwon in the AFC Champions League.
That game could hardly come at a worse time for Kevin Muscat, who will at least have been glad to see his team cement its A-League finals position with the 4-1 win in Wellington.
Just three points separate the table-topping Roar from fourth-placed Melbourne City, making this one of the most nail-biting premiership races in A-League history.
The final round kicks off with a clash of monumental proportions on Friday night, when City hosts second-placed Adelaide United at AAMI Park.
There will be plenty of talk throughout the week that all five games should kick off simultaneously, but the situation is what it is and the two games in Melbourne could yet prove decisive.
It all comes on the back of another high-scoring round, in which City striker Bruno Fornaroli essentially wrapped up the Golden Boot.
And a campaign that got off to a faltering start now looks set to conclude with the most exciting A-League regular season finish yet.