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It’s a cruel game, but you have to admire the control of Alistair Edwards after Perth were controversially knocked out of the first elimination final on Friday night.
Fans and neutrals alike were outraged as Perth once again fell foul of several Jarred Gillet decisions in the dying moments of the match.
Gillet, as many may remember, decided upon that Besart Berisha penalty which allowed Brisbane Roar to snatch the grand final from under Perth’s nose last season. On Friday, the referee was again the focus of the post-match discussion.
But while there is some symmetry in Ange Postecoglou receiving favourable finals calls from Jarred Gillet, there is certainly no conspiracy. Perth fans have a right to feel aggrieved, but in truth the game was theirs to win.
Had Shane Smeltz converted his 88th minute penalty, the Glory would already be on their way to Parramatta.
Instead, Melbourne Victory rode their luck despite an average display, and were clinical in closing out the game against a ten-man opposition in extra time.
Amid the hysteria, Alistair Edwards was a picture of calm. By offering his congratulations to Melbourne with a smile on his face, he won something more important than just a football match. It’s become a cliché, but true class is shown by accepting defeat with good grace.
Edwards even went so far to admit that these moments are why fans love football. It’s a crucial point. Perhaps more than any other sport, football offers the lesser team an opportunity to stay in the match.
It’s frustrating, especially when the better side loses, but there is an element of beauty in this unpredictability that keeps fans coming back for more. Grieving Glory fans will be back next season, hungrier than ever.
This is to take nothing away from Melbourne or Ange Postecoglou, who looked particularly cranky at suggestions that his side were lucky to win. Poor refereeing decisions, whether we like them or not, are simply part of the game.
Jarred Gillet may have granted the home side a big advantage going into extra time, but the Victory still had to break down a resolute Glory defence. Indeed, it’s always been the case that whichever side adapts the best to the flow of the game comes out on top.
It’s a shame that in such a hyper-commercialised environment, football is trending – like other sports – towards video and goal-line technology. Thankfully, video replays aren’t likely to be called upon any time soon, but FIFA has already decided that goal-line technology will be introduced in the next World Cup.
But absolute fairness and efficiency have never been the reasons why we watch sport. We watch for the drama and for the contest. In football, it’s possible to draw an enormous amount of satisfaction from a last-gasp win that may have been thoroughly undeserved.
In any event, Edwards’ post-match response was welcome after a season of coaching dummy spits. While there has been a fair amount of ill-discipline on the pitch, it’s the histrionics of coaches which have been particularly disappointing.
While it’s silly to suggest that players and managers should always be on their best behaviour, some of the sideline displays this season have been hard to watch. We all like it when coaches voice a forthright opinion, but there is a certain level of respect that should be maintained towards match officials.
Indeed, the disconnect between Edwards and his boss, Tony Sage, could not have been starker.
While Edwards has since called for a stronger match review process for referees, Sage fired straight from the hip, warning the FFA not to appoint Gillet to future Perth Glory games “for his own safety reasons.”
Contrast Edwards’ measured response in the heat of the moment, for example, with Michael Valkanis’ petulant display back in February. After several decisions went against Adelaide United, Valkanis was sent from the field. He then clapped ironically into the referee’s face, making a fool of himself as he left the sideline.
John Aloisi and Graham Arnold have also been dismissed from their benches this season for their over-exuberant protests. It’s not a good look. As senior statesman for our game, coaches do have a responsibility for setting a respectful tone of debate.
Let’s hope that the rest of the finals will be untroubled by ill-discipline and refereeing blunders. With Melbourne Victory and Central Coast on one side of the draw, and Brisbane Roar up against the Western Sydney Wanderers on the other, we’re going to be treated to a fantastic Grand Final whatever the semi-final results.
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