Brisbane Roar defeated the Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in the A-League game over the weekend. Mitch Nichols scored for the Roars in the 72nd minute, sealing the victory.
Performance of Roar players:
Michael Theoklitos – Goalkeeper – 6
Was not threatened on too many occasions, but was reliable when it mattered to keep a clean sheet.
Shane Stefanutto – Left Wingback – 6
Created several chances on the left-side and provided good support in attack.
Matthew Smith – Central Defender – 8
Saved a certain goal off a Michael Baird header, with a lunging goal-line clearance in the 47th minute. Showed commitment and leadership in defence.
Matthew Jurman – Central Defender – 6
Performed very well in defensive tackles and showed some good decision-making. However, occasionally gave away possession with poor passing.
Ivan Franjic – Right Wingback – 7
Provided powerful runs on the right side and delivered the assist for the winning goal.
Erik Paartalu – Defensive Midfielder – 6
Played well in the holding midfield role, with good vision to distribute the ball to the wings. Dropped deep in defence as cover for central defenders, as they shifted wide, to enable wingbacks to penetrate in attack.
Thomas Broich – Left Central Midfielder – 8
Showed tremendous heart throughout the match, battling for possession on every occasion. His technique on the ball was exceptional and was matched by his vision on the pitch.
Provided excellent leadership in the final third. Won the Man-of-the-Match award.
Mitch Nichols – Right Central Midfielder – 8
An exceptional performance all round. Was involved in a large number of attacking moves, either in support, or to provide a breakthrough pass, or making a run into space to receive the ball himself.
Scored the winning goal with a fierce strike into the bottom corner. He also won several challenges in defence to regain possession and dispel opposition build-up play.
Issey Nakajima-Farran – Left Winger – 7
Displayed dynamic skills in his dribbling and passing abilities, to wreak havoc on an otherwise strong Mariners defence. Supplied an outstanding through-ball to Mitch Nichols in the 24th minute and a wonderful low-cross to James Meyer in the 53rd minute.
Replaced by Kofi Danning in the 80th minute.
James Meyer – Right Winger/Central Midfielder – 3
Struggled somewhat in an unfamiliar right-wing role and could not produce a goal to finish the cross supplied by teammate Nakajima-Farran. Lacked pace and strength against the formidable Central Coast defender Joshua Rose.
Besart Berisha – Striker – 4
Showed signs of potential, but was not yet fully adjusted to the Roar’s style of play. Made some dangerous runs and had a few good touches, but generally did not engage effectively enough in the build-up play. Substituted in the 66th minute.
Substitutes
Massimo Murdocca – Right Winger – 4
Replaced Berisha in the 66th minute. Played in the right wing to move Meyer to the central midfielder role and play Thomas Broich as striker. Positionally, he played very well and supported the offensive pressure exerted by the overlapping wingback.
Kofi Danning – Striker – 4
Came on in the 80th minute to replace Nakajima-Farran. Played in the striker role, while Thomas Broich moved to the left wing. Reinvigorated the momentum in the attacking half with strength and acceleration power.
Roar team summary
Dominating possession, the Roar looked in control for the majority of the game. There was good movement and cohesion across the back four to build the play from the defensive line.
The midfielders and wingbacks added a dynamic element to the attacking play; however the finishing on several occasions was not clinical enough.
A middle-pressing Mariners defence took advantage of poor passing in the lower-middle third and counter-attacked well on several occasions to threaten the Roar.
Overall, the Roar showed determination to win and maintained a high level of intensity throughout the match.
Standout Mariners players:
Matt Ryan – Goalkeeper
Positioned himself very well to block several critical strikes on goal.
Oliver Bozanic – Left Midfielder
A very exciting performance by the 22-year old, who showed blistering pace on the ball to threaten the Roar on the counter-attack.
Matt Simon – Striker
Caused trouble for the Roar’s defensive line on several occasions by making angled runs to find space behind central defenders. He also contributed with dangerous crosses to supply chances to teammates.
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