Football can certainly be an unpredictable game, with unforeseen results paving the way for the underdog to prevail. On this occasion, week 10 of the A-League exemplified why the competition is on such an even playing field.
Punters, in conjunction with the football community were scratching their heads when Brisbane Roar was inflicted with its third successive defeat – an unlikely sentiment a fortnight ago – courtesy of a rejuvenated Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix outfit, with the latter playing host to the defending champions in a mid-week fixture.
Meanwhile, Central Coast Mariners continued its imposing display of football, now equal on points with the Roar at the top of the table.
Melbourne Victory continued its unsettling start to the campaign, yielding another lead to share the spoils with an uninspiring Adelaide United, while Sydney FC picked up its first point at Surfers Paradise with a scoreless draw against Gold Coast United.
Furthermore, on the local front, South Melbourne unveiled its refurnished arena, with a friendly against old foe Sydney Olympic at the Lakeside Stadium.
Evenness amongst the competition:
Constituents akin to salary cap constraints and limitations within squad-size allowances harness the playing field to rather similar propitiations – in contrast to the many leagues abroad, where there are the powerhouse clubs striving for the championship, the teams who are content with finishing anywhere from outside the top four or five to mid-table and the battlers who strive to avoid relegation in order to fight for another year.
The A-League is a rather unique competition, where every outfit, to a degree, has a realistic chance of claiming silverware in any given season. Reminiscent of the Major League Soccer (MLS) competition in the United States and the other football codes on Australian soil, salary cap restrictions are part and parcel of why the A-League has been a strewed success in its preliminary stages on the pitch.
With the addition of the finals series, it allows fans to dream, and rationally believe it can encompass a shot at glory, despite its position on the table.
Currently, Australia’s premier football competition is arguably the closest it has been since its initiation little over six year ago. After 10 weeks, only 10 points separates joint leaders Brisbane Roar and Central Coast Marines – on 20 points apiece – from struggler Adelaide United, in ninth place, on 10 points.
With little separating the elite from the cellar dwellers, Melbourne Heart has illustrated how an outburst of positive results – sitting third on the table with four victories from its last five outings – can overturn the outlook of their season.
Even the mighty Brisbane Roar appear susceptible, once the A-League front-runners – going on a 36-game unbeaten run, eclipsing a 74-year old record held by the Eastern Suburbs rugby league club from the 1930’s – have hit a hurdle in recent weeks, losing its past three fixtures.
The moral of the story: acquire a promising run of form; reap the results, gain some morale and your team may just be in line for a shot at silverware. It may sound like a simple assignment; conversely it is one that is achievable.
Brisbane Roar suffers third successive defeat:
After breaking the record for most consecutive game undefeated in Australian professional sport, Brisbane Roar’s imposing 15-month scamper has been turned on its head, with defeats at the hands of Sydney FC, Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix over a 10-day period.
Incredibly, it was the first time since January 2010 that Brisbane has suffered a loss on its home turf.
Although, it would be folly to undermine the powers of Ange Postecoglou’s troops, who have surrendered its advantage as the A-League front-runners, amid the Mariners swooping at their misfortune, picking up six points in its last two outings.
The Roar has illustrated an astute temperament within the playing group and its cohesive nature inundated throughout the playing squad. The football ethos utilised by Brisbane is still the best we’ve seen throughout the A-League, and most probably in the history of football on Australian soil.
Despite Central Coast’s strewed form – 19 points from a possible 21 in its last seven games – Postecoglou’s Brisbane side are still the team to beat and the benchmark team’s look to emulate.
Unveiling of South Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium:
To celebrate the redevelopment of South Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium, the former National Soccer League champions played host to an erstwhile NSL rival and New South Wales Premier League affiliate Sydney Olympic last Sunday.
A healthy, vibrant crowd of around 4,000 witnessed an entertaining spectacle, where the visitors grasped the bragging rights with a 3-2 triumph.
The $60 million state of the art configuration is shared by Athletics Australia and South Melbourne, which features two grand stands – seating approximately 8,000 fans with a capacity of around 15,000 when including standing room. The new arena also attributes a brand new electronic scoreboard, floodlights and a refurbishment of the dressing rooms.
The boutique stadium adds another dimension to the football landscape in Melbourne, located in a beautiful location – on the cusp of the Albert Park Lake with a stunning outlook on the city – it garners another alternative for football in Australia.
An intimate atmosphere, ideal for a smaller, but enthusiastic crowd, the Lakeside Stadium could possibly play host to A-League fixtures in the future – whether it’s for a community round, a possible option due to other stadium demands or pre-season matches.
Whilst AAMI Park is a fabulous amphitheatre for football, South Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium adds another attractive dimension to football in Victoria.
Courtesy of Goal Weekly – Follow Robbie on Twitter @RobertDiFabio
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