With no disrespect to the rest of the A-League, this weekend is all about the intense rivalry between the country’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne.
The Australia Day showdown between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at AAMI Park is one of the most anticipated encounters between these two great rivals in recent memory.
Whether or not it’s officially sold out – and if it’s not, it’s clear that only a handful of single tickets remain – the match-up between Ange Postecoglou’s championship-chasing Victory and Frank Farina’s suddenly in-form Sydney looks set to be a bell-ringer.
The thought of more than 27,000 fans packing into Melbourne’s boutique rectangular stadium should have every A-League fan salivating, with Victory set to break the current A-League attendance record at the ground.
That in turn should have armchair fans tuning into the Fox Sports broadcast in record numbers in what promises to be a bumper round for the code.
It’ll be a shame if Joel Griffiths and Rhyan Grant both miss the game through injury, the latter of whom has been one of Sydney’s best players this season, but the truth is most eyes will be on Alessandro Del Piero to see whether he can break down an often shaky Victory defence.
Spare a thought for Sydney defender Sebastian Ryall and Victory utility man Mark Milligan as well.
Ryall started his A-League career at Victory, while Milligan made his name in Sky Blues colours, however the pair now turn out for their rivals and will invariably receive a hostile reception from former fans – as will Sydney’s Brazilian veteran Fabio.
If the battle between the pair of two-time champions is a heavily anticipated showdown, then the clash between Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Heart should be an equally exciting affair.
If ever Wanderers fans had reason to turn out en masse at Parramatta Stadium, it should be to see whether their fourth-placed side can record its third win in a row against a Heart outfit which last week knocked off high-flying Adelaide United.
And with two former Socceroos from the class of Germany 2006 going head to head, it adds another layer of intrigue to a match which bears all the hallmarks of a slow-burning classic.
Wanderers coach Tony Popovic is highly rated and having served his apprenticeship at English side Crystal Palace, the A-League has been enriched by his presence on the bench.
It’s been a slightly different story for John Aloisi, who was preferred to Wanderers’ assistant coach Ante Milicic for the top job at the Heart at the start of the season.
Accused by many of favouring long-ball football over a more fluid passing game, Aloisi has been bolstered by the news young striker Eli Babalj could return on loan from Red Star Belgrade.
And if Vinnie Grella can finally put behind him his persistent fitness concerns and get on the pitch in time for the finals, suddenly the Heart could go from uninspiring plodders to a genuine championship dark horse.
But the real story this weekend is the enduring rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne.
The clash between the Mariners and Adelaide may be a top-of-the-table affair but it certainly won’t settle the question of whether Sydney or Melbourne is the better sporting city.
It will be a proud day for one city should both of its teams prevail and the animosity between the two cities adds extra intensity to what is already an intriguing round of football.
Hopefully no one labels their own fans “pathetic” (memo to Phoenix co-owner Gareth Morgan, people in glass houses, etcetera etcetera), but quite frankly there’s nothing more exciting than watching a couple of Sydney and Melbourne teams go at it for sporting supremacy.
The A-League is hotting up quicker than an Australia Day barbecue, so sit back, relax and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting rounds of the season.
mahonjt
Guest
Disagree - they will do a MVFC. The paralells are amazing. They will play majority of games at adequately sized Parramatta and shift bigger games to ANZ on a sweetheart deal that will bennefit th club long term and keep some compeditive presureon the Parramatta stadium.
mahonjt
Guest
Bigger in context of season. Time will also demonstrate this to be a bigger fixture full stop. The two biggest A-League clubs will come to represent the biggest league game. Of this I have no doubt.
mahonjt
Guest
MVFC united Melbourne football fans from the various communities. Anyone who has been to games since season 1 knows this. The WSW are doing the same in a way SFC coould not for various reasons - some of which were beyond their contoll. They were always going to e the marginal franchise - which i why i a 1 team/city model it was important they begiven a head start. Well done FFA.
mahonjt
Guest
This fact has amazed me after just 8 short years. As a MVFC fan I am delighted as we feature in a disproportionate number of these rivalries...
striker
Guest
V Bomber gotta agree alot more euro snobs are talking about the A-league and going to the games, i have seen alot of Euro snobs who have been to WSW games and have been blown away by the atmosphere and the standard of the game and said they wil be back to there games this can only be good for the league.
V bomber
Guest
Very good point. Especially re no EPL talk. Euro snobs are becoming increasingly more interested in A league
V bomber
Guest
Aussie rules, no skill? He obviously has never played before. Try running at full pace and spearing a pass 50 meters lace out to your team mate.
langou
Roar Guru
Well I supose that makes a little more sense. I do agree that even the RBB should be able to work out 80 minutes
Ken
Guest
Nothing defines a multicultural society quite like Western Sydney, Titus. Certainly no one ethnic base has a monopoly on the WSW nor does anyone who represents a particular ethnic background even consider whether more Italians, Lebanese, Croatians, Greeks, Brits etc are at the games. We represent the multicultural society of Western Sydney and are extremely proud of that fact. I predict the wanderers will grow to be a larger club than Sydney FC, and it seems it will happen sooner rather than later.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
kellet, I want them to give WSW a run for their money as well, but realistically the Wanderers look like they're on their way to being a bigger club- I have no doubt that SFC will continue to grow and prosper (like the rest of the A-League), but the way the Wanderers are going, they are likely to end up the MV of Sydney.
Bondy
Guest
Titan , I've noticed Ancestry have a free package ,you can trace your convict past if you choose for four days for free,just a heads up.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
News just in on Twitter that the Sydney FC team will be staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Spencer Street. I hope no one from the BWB accidentally lights a flare under a smoke detector around 3:00 a.m. ... that would be very very wrong & unsporting. ;-)
Wanderer Chris
Guest
I'm not a huge fan of the Poznan, but it's pretty simple, the RBB does it on the 80th minute mark of every game. I know the common opinion is that members of the RBB (or West Sydney, I haven't really discerned the difference in most peoples denigration) are morons, but at least give us the benefit of the doubt in being able to tell when the 80th minute mark is without being told.
Titus
Guest
Just doing a bit of trash talk before the big game Kellet, seeing as there are a lot of WSW fans here I am happy to involve them............however.........I think any violence at a WSW game will ruin any chance of them being as big as they want and I also think there is the danger of them becoming an ethnic team, rather than a multi-cultural Australian team like SFC. So despite WSW having more hectic NSL support, SFC actually has more mainstream appeal. Western Sydney had the NSL teams but North Shore/Beaches, Southern Districts/Sutherland and the inner-west have just as many participants and fans as the west.
stanofheart
Guest
c.c.m. v adel will be like watching grass grow again.best two games this weekend,heart and vic,with vict 4 syd 0 .go heart
JAJI
Guest
I agree we want all clubs to do well and prosper - what is happening with WSW, combined with ADP, Ange at the Victory has made this season the most exciting yet Sydney FC will be fine - there are now 3 mouth watering derbies to look forward to every year, and alot of fans who dont and have never lived in Sydney's West who will side with Sydney FC still - despite what goes on at the club.
langou
Roar Guru
Naughty WSW have had their toys taken away Without megaphones I don't know how they are going to spread the message about when they should be facing the field and when they should be facing away fom the field
Midfielder
Guest
I want all clubs to grow and prosper .... the potential for both SFC & WSW is huge .... what is fair to say is SFC past management [leaving aside the current mob] have been very poor.... further FFA made the huge mistake of expanding in the GC & NQ .. some say because they were scared of what a WS team could do to SFC... however as its turned out WSW has been good for SFC .... Again the price we are still paying for BB's error in the expansion... IMO the obvious expansion was first WS & the Gong... second Melbourne & Gold Coast ... But we are still alive and kicking....
Tizzo
Guest
And last paragraph "The A-League is hotting up quicker than an Australia Day barbecue, so sit back, relax and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting rounds of the season." Surely it should be heating up.
Tizzo
Guest
And last paragraph "The A-League is hotting up quicker than an Australia Day barbecue, so sit back, relax and enjoy what should be one of the most exciting rounds of the season." Surely it should be heating up.