For all the myriad festivities across the country, wasn’t it great to see a couple of A-League blockbusters played on Australia Day?
On a day rife with symbolism, it was fantastic to see the world game play its part in the celebrations.
You could hardly pick a better example to sum up what an inclusive society ours aims to be, than the fact it was Serbian striker Ranko Despotovic who opened the scoring in Sydney FC’s stunning 5-0 win over Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium yesterday.
Without a club and seemingly without much hope of finding his way back into the big time, the hulking Serb was thrown a lifeline by Frank Farina and a Sky Blues side looking to add some depth to its squad.
And hasn’t Despotovic repaid the faith and then some, with the deceptively mobile striker utterly terrorising the Victory defence over the opening quarter of an hour in Melbourne.
Despotovic only scored one league goal in total during his time at Japanese giants Urawa Reds, so it’s safe to say the peripatetic front man is enjoying a renaissance in the harbour city.
The same could be said for Alessandro Del Piero – at least judging by his form yesterday.
The World Cup winner has oddly been written off by some sections of the Sydney FC faithful, but allowed acres of space by an admittedly dreadful Victory defence, the ageing veteran turned in a masterclass of attacking football.
What does it say about the A-League’s place in Australian society that two of the best players on the pitch at Etihad Stadium were an unheralded Serb and a much-vaunted Italian?
Hopefully it suggests that football, for all its faults, truly is a sport which brings together people from all over the world.
That’s arguably something Kevin Muscat will be desperate to do over the coming days, because at the moment his side looks like a total rabble.
Victory’s defence has been shambolic all season, but conceding back-to-back 5-0 defeats to two of the most unfancied outfits in the league hardly bodes well for Muscat’s immediate future.
Several Victory players are wretchedly out of form – even goalkeeper Nathan Coe turned in a shocker against the Sky Blues – and unless Victory can rediscover some defensive steel, they’re likely to be smashed come finals time.
Western Sydney Wanderers might well be hopeful of doing the smashing after they saw off Perth Glory at Parramatta Stadium in the second Australia Day fixture, with coach Tony Popovic likely to continue his tactical tinkering given the AFC Champions League campaign just around the corner.
The Wanderers have been in patch form of late, with Brisbane Roar still the team to beat after their come-from-behind 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix.
Devante Clut was the story of the round for the Roar, after the 18-year-old crashed home a stunning goal on debut to drag the hosts back into the match.
Coupled with Luke Brattan’s equally eye-catching strike, the Roar thoroughly deserved their comeback win over the otherwise plucky Phoenix.
The latter certainly look in better form than the Newcastle Jets, who simply can’t buy a trick after their dismal 3-0 derby defeat to Central Coast Mariners.
The Novocastrians are another side whose defence has simply been all over the place this season, so perhaps they need to draft in someone with a bit of experience like the much-travelled Eddy Bosnar.
Bosnar trained with Sydney FC last week and the off-contract stopper is keen to finish his career in the A-League, following a lengthy career in Europe and Asia.
That Bosnar is eager to return to his homeland says much about the sway this country still holds on those who choose to move overseas.
And with the A-League playing its rightful part in the Australian sporting landscape, here’s hoping the competition continues to do its bit for multiculturalism now, and well into the future.
Da`
Roar Rookie
Thomas Broich isn't 39 and isn't a has been. :P Just kidding. I gather you're meaning ADP, who though a legend of the game, is hardly the comp's best player.
AZ_RBB
Guest
if he/she/whatever-floats-your-boat doesn't like the football they can just watch the RBB or even the visiting fans who have in the past put on a great show.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
That's fantastic news! Hopefully they sellout each match
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Some very good numbers this season. 2012/13 regular season average was 12,347 2013/14 regular season average so far is 13,787 An increase of 11.66% on attendances, though that can still increase or decrease.
ciudadmarron
Guest
So just read 6000 3 match passes have been sold to the ACL games in the last 24 hours. Not a bad beginning, and no public sale yet, which will be a very interesting indicator.
Matthew Skellett
Roar Rookie
Got tickets to all three ACL games woohoo just hope Poppa knows what he's doing with the management of the players for these and hope i canfind a date who's willing to watch football for 270 minutes lol
Post_hoc
Guest
Now I know this is pointless, Rooster has no interest in the game, this is more for someone that might be reading this and wanting to see the truth. The truth of the matter is, Rooster is scared of the Wanderers in the ACL, (in fact he would be scared of Sydney FC in the ACL as well) why? Because he may criticise the A Leagues viewers, the amount at the stadium etc, but in a few weeks the Wanderers will play (as will the Mariners and maybe Victory) in the ACL. Last year the combined viewing of the Group stage and the Group of 16 had an accumulative viewing audience of 155 million. That is right 155 million viewers. How many years worth of the NRL would it take to add up to that? That was achieved in I think 34 games of football? Mid week, Tuesday or Wednesday viewing times. The final last year between Evergrande and FC Soul was viewed by 30 million people in China alone. That is why ours is a world game
Gooner
Guest
Talk about dedicated fans!
ciudadmarron
Guest
WH&S would not allow that.....
Cameron
Roar Guru
Good to have you back on board Fuss.
Ballymore
Guest
Why not oversell the stadium, say to 110% of capacity. If approx. 25%(?) of members aren't turning up, selling 110% won't see anyone turned away?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Thanks for the kind works, AK and apway ... thanks for the unkind reminder, Middy & Bondy! ;-) Yes, sat there stunned on Sunday afternoon watching that happen in front of me. But, as quickly as we've transformed from swashbuckling team, to weaklings; there's no reason Super Kev can't initate a form reversal. Although, as one wag observed on Twitter... if only we'd lost both games 6-0, Ange may have taken over... just as he did after Holger lost 2 consecutive games 6-0! Yes, it's been 2 days, and the pain has gone.
bill boomer
Guest
Yeah but it's true. There just isn't a lot of competition in swimming. If there was such as in the 100m Aust would be nowhere. At least they , thugby and no-rules, don't do as their American counterparts and declare themselves world champions on the basis that their silly game is not played anywhere else. No-rules really is not ery silly. When they are out of bounds carrying the ball hanging it over the line is just rediculous. The worst rule is the tackle rule. You know where the tackler lays such a good tackle that the carrier is unable to release the ball. Free kick tackler right? not a bit of it you see he "tried" to get rid of it. WHAT!? he tried what a game.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Well, if nothing else, 'Fuss' is back. A poster a couple of months back mentioned 'RIP Fuss'. I was genuinely concerned that we'd lost him (and not in the : we can't find him, sense either). Thankfully, that's not the case.
Jacques
Guest
It's the world game
langou
Roar Guru
Are you trying to start a code war with swimming fans? That is one group you don't want to mess with
albo
Guest
Flares are expensive
bill boomer
Guest
Australia going off in the corner and play something no-one else plays then we win. Australian success in sport international sport generally is built on targeting sport where there is not a lot of competition like swimming. So we do well cause most of the world doesn't swim and our women do better as even fewer,much fewer, women swim across the world. Yeah we're the best. Sheesh. thugby and no-rules will die out over time anyway the concussion based sports have serious health and safety issues that could well end them sooner. Moyes lol
Bondy
Guest
Yanker I'd have to take issue with the Rgby Lge team being loved and adored its not even national, you'd have to concede most people in the southern states wouldn' t know who most of those players are taking into consideration they're watching their beloved afl at the same time nrl runs around so how could most of those people know who they are, Rgby Lgs and east coast sport almost exclusively. Indecently Australia and New Zealand both stand a 100% chance of reaching the Rugby Lge World Cup and Australia a further 85 % chance of then winning the Final,interesting . Yanker , Try and enjoy your next NRL season, relax. Hey Fuss , you must of died a thousand cuts on Sunday...
fadida
Guest
true believers always gets a mention :)