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Perhaps the most sobering reality check for Adelaide United following a gripping final round is that they also won the Premiers’ Plate in the first season of the A-League.
Not only did the Reds finish top of the standings in season one, they did so by finishing an impressive seven points clear of runners-up Sydney FC from the 21-round campaign.
That’s worth remembering for the simple fact that it was the Sydney FC, not Adelaide, who wound up being crowned inaugural A-League champions.
If Guillermo Amor thought he’d done the impossible by steering the Reds from the foot of the table to the summit, he now needs to re-focus and hold his nerve in knock-out football if he wants his team to be crowned champions of Australia.
That’s the nature of the A-League and, rightly or wrongly, Adelaide’s accomplishment in winning the Premiers’ Plate will be quickly forgot should they fail to go on and win the grand final.
That’s to take nothing away from the Reds, who showed nerves of steel to beat Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Friday night, then watch with bated breath as arch-rivals Melbourne Victory did them a title-winning favour by holding Brisbane Roar to a scoreless draw.
Had the Roar taken any one of their countless chances – from Matt McKay’s scuffed volley at the start of the game, to Thomas Broich’s snatched effort at the end – it would have been John Aloisi’s team lifting the Premiers’ Plate.
Instead, one of Adelaide’s favourite sons watched on stony faced as the Roar blew a glorious opportunity to finish top of the league.
Western Sydney’s clinical 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix a day later saw the Wanderers leapfrog Brisbane on goal difference and book a home semi-final – compounding the misery for the Roar.
Brisbane face Victory once again in an elimination final at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, and Aloisi will need to draw on all his experience to motivate his side in the wake of a demoralising weekend.
It’s safe to say the Roar were the big losers from an enthralling final round of action, although neither Melbourne City nor Perth Glory will go into the finals brimming with confidence, and perhaps it’s fitting that the pair face off against each other in Sunday’s second elimination final.
There are plenty who argue that the A-League should be decided on a first past the post basis, but to do so would not only ignore the local sporting landscape, but also the ten seasons of finals football that preceded the current campaign.
Along with the hot-button issue of simultaneous kick-offs in the final round – a nice thought, but one that would require weeks of pre-planning from host broadcasters – finals football is a topic that generates heated debate every season.
It’s not as if all our Asian neighbours employ a first past the post system – the J.League switched back to a multi-stage format and a Championship series last year – while back home the finals draw the biggest crowds and best TV ratings of the season.
The finals are here to stay whether the purists like them or not, so fresh from driving his team to 14 wins during their league campaign, former Barcelona star Amor needs to inspire at least two more victories to be written into South Australian history.
With the Reds set to host their semi-final at the compact Coopers Stadium, they’ll hope to go one step further and book an Adelaide Oval decider on May 1.
The 53,000-capacity stadium might not be the ideal venue to host an A-League grand final, but it’s simply the reality of what we have to work with.
Amor has so far done a fantastic job of working diligently with what he’s got.
He deserves sincere congratulations for winning the Premiers’ Plate – and perhaps a gentle reminder that the job is only half done.