Only six months have passed since the Mario Jardel-burdened Newcastle Jets were crowned A-League champions. Yet, it already seems the days of clubs left uncompromised by over-priced imports are long gone.
The Jets were embarrassed on Friday night, comprehensively beaten 5-0 by the born-again Melbourne Victory.
Whilst Mario Jardel was nowhere to be found, his replacement – marquee Columbian Edmundo Zura – was a second-half substitute who, like Jardel, is looking like yet another high-priced flop.
Victory fans could only stand by and celebrate as the post-Championship curse was being bestowed upon its next recipient.
The contrast was glaring: things are looking a lot brighter this year in Melbourne town. The underwhelming recruits of last year are out the door and a 2006/07-esque momentum is building.
In the import stakes, Victory has forgone its “hit and miss” approach with Brazilian talent and picked up Ney Fabiano, who they got familiar with during the AFC Champions League playing for Chonburi FC in Thailand. He managed just the one goal in Archie Thompson’s absence, but he definitely proved himself worthy of any call-up that may come his way.
Jose Luis Lopez, a compatriot of Costa Rican Carlos Hernandez, has slotted nicely into the midfield. Hernandez himself continues to go from strength to strength following a rough start in his first A-League campaign.
The final import, reliable Scot Grant Brebner, scored a (very) lucky goal straight off the bench on Friday, and will no doubt have more to contribute later in the season – particularly when a Costa Rican or two is called up for national team duties.
There are so many areas in which to praise this year’s Victory team (the Thwaite-Muscat-Vargas back three definitely among them). But a decent kudos has to be handed down for the fact that for the first time in their short history, they’ve got the import slots sorted.
Very sorted.
Sorted enough to win the championship though?
Well, Sydney FC would have a bit to say about that. It turns out there’s more than one way to play the import game.
John Kosmina appears to have adopted a “less is more” approach. The so-called glamour club has just two imports – Terry McFlynn and Michael Enfield. This is in stark contrast to the days of Dwight Yorke, Kazu and Juninho lining up in sky blue.
Yet they still have a capable (when not injured) marquee in John Aloisi and an array of strong local talent across the park. In spite of their predominantly Aussie line-up, FC still manages to be a genuine title threat.
When you can fill your squad with local talent in the way that Sydney FC (and, dare I say it, Newcastle) can, there is no need to take the risk.
There is no need to gamble on a high-priced import that is unlikely to ever emulate the success of Dwight Yorke. Why waste the resources?
Why take the “assimilation risk”?
The boys from the Harbour City have been in that game for a while.
Not this year.
John Kosmina clearly looks at the role of imports differently to some of his peers.
Across the board, the majority of clubs have stepped up a gear in the recruiting of imports over the off-season.
Adelaide United and Perth Glory, whilst guilty of taking more of a “hit and miss” approach than others, have provided the likes of Cristiano, Eugene Dadi and Adrian Trinidad.
Queensland Roar has unearthed Charlie Miller, who has become the first player in A-League history to score three goals in the first three rounds.
The youthful A-League has a tendency to jump from season to season so drastically that clubs unable to adapt are left behind. The turning point this year appears to lie in how clubs use their import slots, if they use them at all.
Those left behind have already been exposed, three weeks in.
Come February, a distinctly international flavour (or lack thereof) will prove more vital than ever.
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