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Sydney FC's team coach, Branko Culina faces the media. AAP Image/Ardiles Rante
This was the most important week of the A-League so far. Gold Coast are running hot, signing Charlie Miller and maybe even Adam Griffiths as the season gets serious, and now they beat Sydney in Sydney 1-0.
Sydney have lost Kofi Danning, Mark Bridge may be slower than John Aloisi, reserves in Brendan Gan, Chris Payne and Rhyan Grant have given the team nothing extra – though Payne may come good yet.
And of course Terry McFlynn is wide left crossing with his right. That’s painful.
Andy Harper says Sydney are the fittest team in the comp. That may be, but they are the slowest … by a mile. No pace, no goals or maybe one per game.
Sydney have no chance of reaching the Grand Final, even with their flattering league position. Who will score for them to get them there?
Think Victory with Archie, Kruse and Carlos, think Jason Culina, Joel Porter, Miller, Tahj Minniecon and Shane Smeltz. Think goal threat.
What do Sydney have? Who can score, who will score, who can change a game?
John Aloisi, Mark Bridge, Chris Payne, Terry McFlynn and Stu Musialik, there’s not a real finisher among them. No goals or not enough.
And teams with goal threats usually win games, tight games and finals football. Sydney have lost three times to the A-League’s newest team Gold Coast and it’s no fluke, is it?
Wellington have a chance to fire, Newcastle as well, although both may fail away from home in the new finals format. Neither have a real goal threat in the big games although Wellington, in Ifill and Bertos, may have an edge. Forget Dadi, he won’t go the distance in the fast-paced frenetic finals games.
The pressure’s on now for the first Asian spot with just 4 games left, and Sydney failed their first real test. After the match you could hear it in Corica’s voice.
Sydney have been bluffing all season. Sexy football, Cockerill tells us, and yet the goal scoring sheets see almost a goal a game. For a top of the table side it’s not enough, is it?
Can Alex Brosque save Sydney? Or after yesterday’s substitution, maybe’s Sydney’s very own Jamie Harnwell, Hayden Foxe, can do the job.
And Melbourne, didn’t they return to form this weekend. With the third goal made in heaven by Archie’s touch. The goal of the season, maybe all five seasons.
Chris Coyne was shocking for Perth, but it was Jamie Coyne’s mistake having inherited his brother’s position that had me in stitches. Maybe Jamie had travelled to China with his brother this week as well.
Then there was the coach, Dave Mitchell. One of Fozzie’s overseas coaches, yet he clearly told his team to give Archie and Carlos the freedom of the park.
Were Perth bribed? Is Mitchell on the take? What other explanation could there be? It’s not like we don’t know how Melbourne like to play at home. Perth were pathetic, but the responsibility rests with Mitchell.
North Queensland, Brisbane, and Central Coast may yet make the six, but they won’t last long, will they? Adelaide have a mathematical chance, but that’s the only chance they have.
So Perth will make it I reckon but away from home, which is their likely first finals game, they haven’t a chance have they!
A Melbourne-Gold Coast final? You heard it here first!
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