Reigning champions Central Coast Mariners host the best A-League team of the past three years in Brisbane Roar. Join us for the A-League’s match of the round from 5.00pm AEDT.
It’s too early to call it game of the season, but it terms of quality and preparation this will definitely be a quality game and a great advert for the league.
The Mariners struggled last week in the F3 Derby and escaped with a draw, a very similar result to the Melbourne Heart game.
Brisbane put three past the aforementioned Heart last week in what was a walk in Lang Park.
Brisbane have comfortably dealt with the weaker teams, whereas the Mariners only took five points from Adelaide, Newcastle and Melbourne Heart.
However, they played very strongly in patches in those games. Can they put it all together against a stronger opposition?
Brisbane were matched by Melbourne Victory in a game of exact styles, and lost.
The wins against Heart, Sydney and Wellington may be a broken barometer to measure the Roar if they lose to another top four team from last season.
Last week brought a new A-League-oriented Socceroos coach in Ange Postecoglou, and Brisbane boast Matt McKay and Ivan Franjic in the national set up. But Postecoglou avoided the Mariners like the plague and no on was picked.
I think the Mariners are a bit like plain-packaging cigarettes; when you’re in their colours you look cancerous, a drain on society.
However swap those colours for a crisp shiny outer that Celtic, Jeounbuk and Winfield use to wear, and suddenly you’re really popular and the obvious choice.
None of the title-winning team got a mention, however ex-Mariners Tomas Rogic and Alex Wilkinson got picked.
Thomas Broich came out this week saying that they won’t use their injury list as an excuse if they don’t beat the Mariners.
Which is a great play, because now if they lose they were ‘injury plagued’ and if they win they have ‘strength in depth”‘.
Well in, Broich.
Brisbane have Besart Berisha, Liam Miller, Jade North and Shane Stefanutto all on the medical table, not the same one of course. Well, for the sake of medical standards, hopefully not.
The Mariners have McGlinchey up to speed, and Flores said during the week that he was on of the leagues best midfielders, not the best, because that would Flores, right?
On paper, the Mariners have the stronger lineup with Brisbane missing four from their best XI. However, anyone remember Dimitri Petratos? He’s hanging around on their bench, and may even start today.
He’ll be the one to look out for, with his direct dribbling and sheer arrogance to shoot.
Central Coast have yet to hit to truly dominate a game so far and it’s Round 5. No longer can they use the excuse that it’s still early in the season as coach Graham Arnold has said recently.
“We always start slow,” he said.
“We do our pre-season different to other teams – we try to build into the season.
“You could see a few of our boys cramping towards the back end of the game so, in another three or four weeks, we’ll hit our straps.”
Brisbane have hit their straps, and according to their own head coach, the Mariners are still at least three weeks from being near their best.
Brisbane have nine points from a possible 12, and so far are my favourite team this season.
They play attacking football with a touch of flair, German technique and that arrogance that they oozed in their title-winning years, and have played the best football of any team this year.
Brisbane know they’re the best, and don’t park the bus like Western Sydney did against Melbourne Heart and the Mariners did against Adelaide. They go in for the kill.
Though the Mariners are on six points, that is still too kind, and if they didn’t have the luxury of three penalties they would have lost against Newcastle and Melbourne Heart.
I can’t see them scoring more than once, without the next goal being from a dot shot, whereas Brisbane are looking odds on to score at least two goals.
Prediction: 1-2.
tk
Guest
They won it the usual way..by scoring more goals than the opposition.
clayts
Guest
Nice troll post. How is this person a "Pro?"
Ballymore
Guest
"Mariners were clearly the better team". Explain specfically why you think this?
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
I'm not sure if we were watching the same game. Brisbane has 60+% possesion. Ccm packing the midfield and defence isnt dominating. ccm have been the luckiest side this year, no way wss that a deliberate handball hes arm was by his side and shot straight at at him. Deserved win by Brisbane.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
How did Brisbane win that, Mariners were clearly the better team for most of the game and should have scored at least 2. McBreen a little bit rusty, but will punish them next time he runs out. Definite Mariners penalty missed by the referee. Brisbane so lucky in most of their games, but they'll be punished this week by the Jets, get on them early. Enjoy your time in front, because it ain't going to last much longer.
TK
Guest
Yes. don't mind eating it at all.
The Auteur
Guest
Hmm, I still think we're a bit ineffective when a team is well-organised and puts bodies behind the ball. I was a bit surprised the Mariners weren't pressing the Roar more and closing down space. I'll wait until the Wanderers game before I get excited about winning the league. They're very strong defensively and well organised, plus their high-pressing game is tough to play against.
Ballymore
Guest
Delicious humble pie no doubt.
Ballymore
Guest
This. Thug.
Ballymore
Guest
I too thought Brisbane's depth would be fine. It seemed like because the idea was repeated so frequently it became the status quo despite not really being grounded in fact?
Ballymore
Guest
Not suprised, but disappointed with Arnold's tactics. Champions, at home, vs an injury-riddled team and he parks the bus and emplys Hutchinson to kick people. An oversimplication yes, but too close to reality. As usual, HAL's sorest loser. Credit to Liam Reddy nobody saw that coming. I thought both penalty calls were correct. JD's arm was too close to the body to be deemed "unnatural" + the ball was coming at speed from not too far away. Up the other end even if Henrique was knocked over by Reddy his control was so poor he was never going to get the ball back anyway. "Magic Mike" with the match-winning change, from a player that was toothless last week against lesser opposition. Despite three (3) wins prior to this one, I felt this match would test our how good we actually were. Outplaying and beating the champions at their home sans BB, SS and LM demonstrates we are legit contenders. With the team performing well in their absence there is no need for them to rush back + it encourages competition for places. We had neither luxury last term. Donachie didn't look like he was playing his first match of season. I don't feel IF has been as effective in rounds 3-5 as he was in rounds 1-2 when he was best on ground IMHO. IF and MM's absence for the NT will further test our depth away to the rejuventated Jets team next Sunday afternoon.
TK
Guest
i am too. just heating up my humble pie.
Aleksandr Lalic
Guest
Olé olé I'm so happy Brisbane Roar won. Well deserved win to the Roar. And the Roar going back to the top of the ladder is even better. They have been playing good quality football and have shown this through the results. Keep up the great work Brisbane Roar!
Punter
Guest
Yes please!!!!!! Are you listening Arnie????
jamesb
Guest
What I like to see Arnie do is get rid of Hutchinson, and put in Caceres in the CM.
AZ_RBB
Guest
still waiting for a team to genuinely stamp their authority over the competition. but loving how tight it is. Roar were clearly the superior team today especially in the second half.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I'm glad we were wrong tk.
Cameron
Roar Guru
I too was going to point that out. Even some of our more experienced commenters on this site made the same assumption. These 'experts' are experts for a reason, but even they can get it wrong, which I'm more than happy to see. Roar still have a long way to go and were versing a very out of form mariners. Each match is a test but Wanderers.will be a big one.
Clayts
Guest
Mariners lost because Arnie decided to park the bus, just like he has the last umpteen times he's played the Roar. I'm more happy about them being punished than us winning. By the way, like I've said before many times since preseason, don't listen to 'experts' of the A League. They all said Brisbane had no depth and would be found out. We'll, minus Berisha, North, Miller and Stefanutto, Roar just dominated the champions on their own turf with Brown (imo) man of the match and Yeboah scorin the winner. Yep. No depth at all
Cameron
Roar Guru
I am happy Roar won. Didn't get to watch it so I hope Roar did put a solid performance in. Roar and Wanderers beginning to open a gap on the rest of the league now. Roar's next test, a somewhat rejuvenated Jets. They'll be high on confidence after their past two rounds. Then got the Wanderers. No easy matches ahead and that's the way it should be treated.