A brilliant Archie Thompson double and grim defence salvaged a nine-man Melbourne Victory a gallant 2-2 draw with A-League leaders Brisbane Roar at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Victory had two players sent off by the 37th minute, but managed to keep the game scoreless from then on.
While the Roar’s record unbeaten streak stretched to 33 games, it was the Victory who would have gained the greater morale boost from becoming the first team this season to deny Brisbane maximum points.
In front of 24,820 fans, Victory began disastrously, to be a man down after 65 seconds and a goal down four minutes later.
Victory goalkeeper Ante Covic was sent off for bringing down Roar striker Besart Berisha, after the Albanian had stripped Melbourne captain Adrian Leijer and raced into the penalty area.
Henrique scored from the spot.
But Thompson answered superbly, taking a pass from Diogo Ferreira and lobbing advancing Roar keeper Michael Theoklitos in the 10th minute.
The A-League’s all-time top-scorer produced another gem to put the Victory ahead in the 22nd.
Harry Kewell dispossessed Henrique in midfield and sent Thompson into the box with an excellent ball, Thompson zig-zagging to wrong-foot a defender and Theoklitos, before finishing on his left.
Leijer’s second defensive error allowed the Roar to draw level six minutes later, the Victory captain tugging Thomas Broich’s shirt to give away a free kick.
Broich’s kick rolled straight at the Melbourne defensive wall, under the feet of the leaping defenders, leaving 19-year-old substitute goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas no chance to stop it.
The first-half drama continued when Victory youngster Matthew Foschini was unlucky to be sent off for a crude tackle on Broich, reducing the home side to nine men in the 37th minute and sending the crowd into uproar.
Predictably, the Victory then set up camp in defence.
Attacking players Kewell and Carlos Hernandez were both subbed off by the 71st minute.
But despite the Roar completely dominating possession and territory, they rarely looked like penetrating the Melbourne defence, with the nearest they came to a winner a long-range Broich shot which whistled past the right post in the dying minutes.
Victory coach Mehmet Durakovic was adamant Foschini should not have been sent off and said Melbourne would consider an appeal.
“The second send-off was unacceptable for us,” he said.
But Durakovic described his team’s commitment to hold on after that setback as “unbelievable”.
“We’re playing one of the best teams we’ve ever seen in the A-League, and to go down to nine men, I couldn’t be any prouder of these boys tonight.”
Roar coach Ange Postecoglou said his players became too caught up in the emotion of the dramatic first half.
“It was a weird old night. It was a crazy old night actually, it was chaotic in the first half and a little bit frustrating in the second half,” Postecoglou said.
“With everything that was happening in the first half we lost our composure a little bit and we struggled to regain it for the rest of the night.”
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I'm surprised that the VFA record hasn't been picked up in the media.
Stephen
Guest
saying 5 mins was a little hard sorry for that The Record its self is " best unbeaten run across the 4 Football codes" so if want it too be team's who play in a National comp then say that and make it AFL from 1990 make it from when ever the NSWRL went National and super 15 Rugby from 1996 , but no the top "Records" quoted were from a Sydney Club rugby legaue Side from the 30's and a VFL side from the 60's hitherto if those are counted you must add WAFL , SANFL , Queensland Club Rugby League and What about Rugby Union?? so do it the right way and when The Roar beat it that will be Fantastic and it will mean something, But doing it this way were you pick and choose the stats you end up with a pointless Record
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Saying the Roar has been around for 5 minutes is a little harsh given they've existed in one form or another since 1957.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
VFA was number 1 before 1900? Its a little hard to quantify, and South Australians might disagree (the SAFA was several months older than the VFA).
Stephen
Guest
so what your saying is East Fremantle who won 35games in a row in the WAFL and who have been around for over 100yrs is less a team then the roar who have been around for 5mins yet the so called record that the roar are going too break is of a Nsw club rugby league side from 30's!!! the so called record is for "Senior Football across the codes" I know this may surprise some in the Media north of the Murray but the AFL is not a Football code, its a league that play Australian Rules Football so the Record for a Senior Australia Rules Team Unbeaten is 58 games held by North Melbourne Football Club
jmac
Guest
thanks cattery.. its an interesting one. all academic tho' when the phoenix upset the roar this weekend ;)
The Cattery
Roar Guru
jmac It's a good point, one I agree with, you have to be talking about the senior national level (and prior to the senior national level, the bigger, recognised state competitions). One complication with the VFA is that in the early years of the VFL split, they were almost on par as Victoria's premier football competition. It took around 20 years for the VFL to become the more dominant competition, although right up to the 1950s it was possible for good footballers to earn more money in the VFA than they earned in the VFL. So it's a little bit complicated.
jmac
Guest
if leagues below the highest level are counted, then where does it stop? I'm sure there is a park team in some sport somewhere unbeaten for 300 games. VFA at that time, correct me if I'm wrong, was below the VFL?
Stephen
Guest
your right it was the VFA but the whole premise for the Record was that it was across all codes , So If we are counting Sydney Club Rugby League from the 30's then The VFA is right up there! pre 1900 the VFA was the number 1 Football in this country The whole thing that the Roar need 2 more games too beat the "record" of a NSW rugby league club is just something someone has said and has become fact by lazy media too never seem too check its right and clearly is not right. Took me 5mins too find 5 Australian Rules clubs with better record (4 VFA and 1 WAFL) and thats not without even going in too club rugby and rugby league in Queensland and club Rugby in NSW
The Cattery
Roar Guru
You should clarify that that was in the VFA in the early 1900s, after the VFL clubs split off. Does it count? I'll leave that one for others to argue for and against!
Whites
Guest
Big ratings for the game. It's possible it was the highest rating regular season game ever. 1 LIVE: FOOTBALL: A‐LEAGUE MELB VIC V BRIS FOX SPORTS 1 Sat 20:00 - 155,000
jmac
Guest
johnl, you're right, but fussball's point - that I was agreeing with - was that bris still had the same game plan despite being against 9 and an 8 man wall. that plan involved essentially having 3 or 4 players at the back marking invisible men and building up from the back under no pressure. the so called genius ange did not adjust in order to give his team more of a chance of breaking down the wall. stil might not have worked, but it seemed like a no brainer. or was he that concerned about archie's ability to beat his defenders on the break 1 against 4?
JohnL
Guest
Jmac, how many teams in the world can create space when their opponents have 8 players in their own penalty box?
jmac
Guest
+1.. 12 against 9 and they still couldn't score in open play..
tommaso
Guest
MV will probably appeal and win the appeal against the red card given to Foschini - Ben Williams erred big time and got sucked in by Broich theatrics. Unfortunately BW giving that 2 red card ruined the game a a spectacle and it was a minor miracloe that MV survived the game by drawing 2-2. Also, Be Williams smiling and joking at half time and after the game was very distasteful and he should be reprimanded on that point alone.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@ David V. Keen to learn more about this ... at what stage of the game last night did BNR "avoid defeat when it seems likely" BNR had an extra player for 89 out of 90 minutes and 2 extra players for nearly an hour ... so when did defeat seem likely?
Lorry
Guest
Terrific to be there last night. The fanatical home crowd really made a big difference. Was a bit puzzled as to how the ref found an extra 4 mins of injury time in the 2nd half??? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Bondy
Guest
Guys i just wanted to give a reminder Dateline on S.B.S. tonight are doing a story on Les Murray and his cicumstances in Hungary prior to coming to Australia. S.B.S One 8.30 .
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Fuss thanks for that---I now can see where all these funny codes have popped up. I suppose there is a good reason for it..?
Roarchild
Guest
I think MV will take a lot from this game. Should give the coach a boost as the players performed under pressure which doesn't happen if you don't believe in your boss and the game plan. It was also a brave decision to drop Solarzano and completely ignore the guaranteed goal from him since he would have been playing his former club. If MV can get at least a draw against CCM they will be looking alright. For the Roar I think it was a good test and will give them something to think about and make them a better team for it. Looking forward to the next MV vs Roar game. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.