Despite a great overall contribution, and roaring support from the stands, Harry Kewell missed a bagful of opportunities on Sunday. In his heyday at Leeds he would have scored three or more and surely walked away with the match ball.
The fact that this touch let him down all afternoon and he was unable to finish any of several charging breaks tells you that for skill and touch, the A-League is well short of the EPL.
But let’s look at the other side of the coin. Let’s not look at the misses of the weekend but for a moment let’s look at the ones that didn’t get away.
If Jeremy Brockie was wearing number 10 for Man United in front of full stands at Old Trafford, there is no doubt that we would be waxing lyrical about his goal against Sydney. Had Rooney scored with such a wonderful volley from a looping header that gave the player possibly too much time to think, the scribes would be talking about the balance, the poise, the superb execution of the shot and the sheer class of the player.
But it wasn’t from the EPL goal of the week reel; it was one of the A-League’s own and certainly one for Brockie’s ‘best of’ video collection.
Maceo Rigter’s rifling stunner against Adelaide from just outside the box left Galekovic rooted to the spot and the crowd stunned as it hit the back of the net in a flash. It was a Drogba-like strike that would have had a Chelsea crowd in awe at the timing and execution.
Matt Thompson’s burst to clear space in the box before thumping the ball into the net was the icing on a well played break down the left hand side for Heart that started in their own penalty area. Any EPL side would have been delighted at the passage of play and the resultant goal.
And on Sunday we saw Diogo Ferreira’s short back-lift jab from hip height. It was perfectly executed and going nowhere but the back of the net from the moment it left his boot.
Sure the A-League players stumble and bumble from time to time and the overall quality, while constantly improving, is often uneven. But when it comes to scoring goals, A-League players have shown in the past, and shown again on the weekend, that despite getting fewer plaudits than their EPL counterparts, the quality of the finishing is often equal to anything that other leagues in the world can deliver.
Shane
Guest
Crap that comment have a look at the space those three defenders often give away, they are not really the best players to use in an argument about defences. Watch Terry closely, he is often caught out of position and giving away chances. There are more goals scored in English football than in previous seasons, the calibre of defenders can't be that high.
Shane
Guest
This happens in every league in the world, its football. You couldn't say it happens more than one than another and if you compare the money paid to players in the 'EPL' it should happen a lot less there than it does here but in reality its probably the other way around. I think the league in England just has the hype. The article is right saying that something Rooney does will be lauded as incredible but if a less famous player does the same thing its just alright.
Shane
Guest
Stevo
Guest
Adam Johnson for Man City scores a Rigter like goal after a cheap Stoke turnover and no pressure from defenders. Must have been a crap EPL goal ! ole ole ole ole
striker
Guest
Phillcoates some people awlays knock the league even if teams were playing exactly like Barcelona i think there scared of the progres the game has come in the last few years and look at any opportunity to knock it dowm.
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
B.A. I agree that often the commentators overstate the performance or execution but I would disagree that all the goals I mentioned would be just 'average' in Europe. If Rigter was wearing a Barca shirt, a Chelsea shirt, or a Man Utd shirt he could not have hit that ball any better. I'm not comparing the leagues, that is pointless, just saying that sometimes - and I repeat, sometimes - the goals would stand up in the best leagues.
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
Don't disagree with you Futbanus, as I said in my piece, the overall quality is uneven but my article wasn't about the quality of the A-League in general or a comparison in general with the EPL (or football in a public park). Just saying let's give credit where it is due and some of the weekends goals would not have been out of place in Europe. As for football in general, yes please, more Aminis, Ibinis, Behich's ...
Johnno
Guest
What about Fred he is Braziillian, would he make the EPL.
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
I disagree. In fact, to be blunt Mattay, your comment is rubbish. Rooney doesn't score every goal under tight marking. When he scored his stand out goal against Man City last year, there were two defenders each three yards away from him (one in front one behind) and Rooney was almost on the penalty spot. Nobody said anything about poor marking of Rooney, too much space in the box etc etc., they only commented on the execution and the goal. Brockie had a defender two yards from him when he struck the ball and he could not have hit it better and I recon Rooney would have been proud of it, if it had been one of his.
Johnno
Guest
Fred.
striker
Guest
B.A im sure if you watch the premier league or any european games you get crap games too especially the bottom teams in these league, all im saying is the standard is getting better as most experts are saying it will never be the premier league but the standard is getting better and that has to do with the coaches getting better.this country produces good young players and ones to watch,amini going to Borussia Dortmund next season ,ibini,dugandzic and Eli Babalj are super talents which will all end up playing overseas.
Roarchild
Roar Guru
"At the end of the day, how many A-League players could play in the EPL? Ans is next to zero (or they would be over there), hence the standard isn’t going to be as good." Emmo was in the starting team at Blackburn when he decided to come home....so the answer is not zero.
B.A Sports
Guest
No one said the game hasn't improved, that wa snever the question or topic of discussion - Thats good if it has (although while Brisbane may have played the best football this country has seen, the Fury and a couple of other teams trotted out some rubbish in the last couple of years.)!
striker
Guest
Well if you have been watchng the A-League im sure Brisbane played the best football this country has ever seen before there loss a few weeks ago and that was knocking the ball in close quarters, there seems to be no pleasing people even when the game has gotten better in the last few years, even players like bosnich, kewell and emerton are surprised how good the standard is here but you know better than them sorry.
B.A Sports
Guest
Striker; Did you read my post “I watch plenty of A-League. Do Barca not score much from outside 18? I don’t know I will take your word for it. But their players have the skills to knock the ball around in close quarters and get a shot off. A-League players don’t, or they would be playing top flight football in Europe. I was watching the Mariners game last week and a guy was played in behind the defence but because he can’t dribble and run he kicked the ball 5 metres in front of him and couldn’t even get a shot off! Look you don’t watch the Italian rugby league and expect it to be as good as the NRL and you shouldn’t watch the A-league and expect it to be as good as the EPL.... and that’s fine, people just shouldn’t try and make it something its not. As for Brockie’s goal, it was good, but not spectacular. I am pretty sure I have scored goals like that one, and I wasn’t that good!
striker
Guest
Yeah Mattay im sure if those goals were in the EPL then you would respect it but because its the A-eague its a fluke or the defence is crap, i dont see Emerton or any other play come back to this league and dominate it, it shows its half decent thats all im saying.
jbinnie
Guest
Futbanous - One of the best replies I have seen on this website. The quality of a league's football cannot be measured by individual goals that are scored,for in fact you could see a 40 metre rocket being scored in a public park kick-about. The goals that "philipcoates" cites were all cracking goals but were only a measure of that player's competence at that point in time. No doubt if our teams & players continue to work hard and improve their skills we should see more of these "cracking" goals, but until then, we have to put up with a higher "breakdown rate" than superior competitions.Keep up the good work jb
Mattay
Guest
The difference though is that in the Premier League, you have defenders of the calibre of King, Terry, Vidic on your tail. Compared to EPL, players are given huge space and plenty of time on the ball. Fact is, Brockie would not have been given the opportunity to take the shot in the first place in the EPL, or any other higher calibre league.
striker
Guest
B.A sports if harry kewell scored that goal where he beat 4 players and smashed it over the bar it would be a standout in the premier league, were not comparing the two as you cant but some of the goals scored last week especially Jeremie Brocke and Matt thompson would have been great goals anywhere in the world, your just bashing the A-league , i dont see Barcelona score from outside the box much either does that mean there no good, go back in your box.
B.A Sports
Guest
I watch plenty of A-League and i think these goals that are being considered "spectacular" in the A-League are just average goals in the big Euro leagues. In fact i was watching games with a friend two weeks ago and there was 8 goals scored over the nights 3 games and none were from outside 18 yards and only one was from outside 6. We actually commented on how frustrating it is watching A-League teams trying to walk the ball into the back of the net, when the finesse skills aren't there to mauver the ball all the way in. At the end of the day, how many A-League players could play in the EPL? Ans is next to zero (or they would be over there), hence the standard isn’t going to be as good. It’s important to be the best you can be, and always aim to be better, and while there are plenty of things to be learnt from the big European leagues, this desire to place unrealistic comparisons between the A-league and the Euro leagues will only ever cause more harm than good.