With their neutrality caps planted firmly on their heads, the bean counters and officials at the FFA have surely worked out the possible fixtures for the upcoming A-League finals.
Like fans, they will have seen that a monster match looms on the ANZAC Day horizon – Western Sydney Wanderers versus Sydney FC.
The Wanderers have booked Homebush’s Olympic Stadium for Friday, April 25 if their grand-final qualifier opponent is their crosstown rivals. For that to happen, Sydney needs to beat Melbourne Victory on Friday at Docklands, and Adelaide United must prevail against the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night in Gosford.
While the Victory and the Mariners deserve to be favourites for each game, the Asian Champions League may well be a deciding factor – not only in the upcoming week but for the whole finals series.
On Tuesday night in Melbourne, the Victory face reigning ACL champions Guangzhou Evergrande in a game Melbourne need to win to keep their Champions League campaign alive. Only three days later, they then face a sudden death semi-final against their old nemesis in a re-acquaintance of the Big Blue rivalry.
The Mariners have a similar task. They face FC Seoul on Wednesday night and back up against Adelaide United on Saturday.
Fatigue will most certainly be a factor for Victory and the Mariners, though at least both games are at home. If they do progress, the following week sees the two clubs travel to South Korea and Japan respectively on Tuesday before coming back to resume their A-League finals campaign.
Back to that possible Sydney derby. The finals format decrees that the first-placed Brisbane Roar will play the lowest ranked winner from this week’s finals. In the numerically ordered world, that would be Melbourne Victory, while the Wanderers would get the Central Coast (giving us the classic 1st versus 4th and 2nd versus 3rd semi-final showdowns).
However, if Sydney upsets the Victory on Friday, the Sky Blues will not know their semi-final opponents until the Mariners-Reds game is finished a day later. And that will be 24 hours in which most of the Harbour City (with due respect to the Mariners, who have defied the odds yet again) will be willing on Adelaide United.
What are the expectations of the crowd at a Sydney finals derby? Well, already, Western Sydney have realised it is a lot more than what their home ground of Parramatta Stadium can hold. Clearly, they were not going to take a “home” game to the home ground of Sydney FC, and in any case, the Sydney Football Stadium will host the Roosters-Dragons traditional ANZAC Day clash.
FFA would be hoping, if not expecting, that a Wanderers-Sydney FC match could set a new crowd record for an Australian club game. Is a 60,000 crowd too optimistic an expectation on a holiday Friday? If it does happen, I’d expect that the match would outdraw the grand-final.
Now, Victory and Mariners fans are probably boiling in their own juices at the moment so let me say this is mere speculation on my part, not a dismissal of the two clubs’ chances. But it is speculation that I can guarantee is humming around FFA offices at the moment, buoyed by strong attendance figures in the lead-up to the finals.
All eyes will be on this first week of the finals because a win to either Melbourne or Central Coast will mean a potential difference of 40,000 at the gate the following week. The Wanderers would go from playing at an 80,000 seat venue (against Sydney) to a 20,000 seat one (against Victory or Mariners).
Either way, bring on finals football!
clipper
Guest
This is a result the NRL will not want - 60,000 Football fans at the ANZ showing up whatever crowd turns up to the ANZ the next day. The memory of the first round when the biggest crowd was 25,000 against the Derby which attracted 40,000 would still be in their minds.
apaway
Roar Guru
Bondy Happy to help! I'll email Mossy my address for a case of good red...:)
RBBAnonymous
Guest
I cant see this match happening this year. From what I saw of the Victory tonight against Guangzhou Evergrande they should be able to beat Sydney quite easily. I do believe Adelaide has a great chance to knock off CCM especially when you consider CCM are playing in the ACL on Wednesday. I dont think their squad is as deep as Victory and so Victory wont be as affected when they play Sydney. The semi finals I have are Bris vs Adelaide and WSW vs MV. Although I would much prefer WSW to play Sydney or CCM. By the way a match between MV vs WSW would be massive. You would easily get 10-15k travelling Victory supporters especially on ANZAC day weekend.
Arto
Guest
Hehehehe! Yeah, it's all good fun! :-) I'd love to see the game happen though and regardless of the end result, I think it would be a success if it pulled a record crowd!
ciudadmarron
Guest
Yeah not by much though arto is it lets face it. And because you guys have extra room and don't fill it, your average reflects the top whereas ours doesn't. Ah banter over something that probably won't happen.
apaway
Guest
Football United Can you tell me the difference between WSW and FFA, given the Wanderers are still owned by the Federation?
Stevo
Guest
I would not be surprised if the mariners are given some harsh calls against them so as to ensure that they are eliminated. The FFA would much prefer the Wanderers stay in the finals because of their larger fan base and thus more money to the FFA that this brings. Call me a cynic but stranger things have happened folks! I would like to see the mariners win but they are playing the opposition and the FFA. The refereeing against the mariners in Perth the other day was a farce!
Arto
Guest
@ ciudadmarron: I think you'll find that SFC's average attendence is higher than WSW - even discounting the impact of the 2 Derbies. Which makes SFC's crowd-pulling ability slightly more impressive given that people know they can rock up to the game if they want to buy a ticket - the same can't be said of WSW games now, can they? Just out of curiosity, what was WSW's highest attendence (apart from the 18,080 who attended the Derby in Rnd 14) this season? Given that this is a one-off game where the winner gets extra bragging rights, it's quite possible this could draw a bigger crowd than either of those 2 Derby games (40,388 & 40,285) For the record: (source from Ultimate A-League) SFC w/ 2 Derbies: Total - 261,843; Ave - 18,682 SFC w/o 2 Derbies: Total - 180,870; Ave - 15,073 WSW: Total - 193,177; Ave - 14,860
AR
Guest
To avoid this, the alternative is to start the season in August, so the pitches are in better condition for finals. The problem with that, is that you lose the "clear air" at the start of the season.
Franko
Guest
The finals in general appear blighted by NRL/Union tearing up pitches. Adelaide is the only venue safe from these savages and unfortunately, they finished 6th. Newcastle and SFS were poor last weekend, Central Coast won't have 24 hours breathing this weekend after the NRL and Etihad will probably remain configured for Aussie Rules.
AZ_RBB
Guest
The best thing about playing the semi final at Parra is the fact that it will be vacant for nearly two weeks before the game. Eels are taking their next home game to Olympic, with only a 4 day turn around before our semi final. Although, Olympic has held up fairly well in the past and neither team really play a free-flowing passing game.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Hmmm Your biggest crowd excluding the derby this year was 20000 relatively early on. In what was potentially a must-win fixture on the weekend you drew 15000. On that evidence alone I'd suggest that the numbers will be pretty even, at best.... But yes WSW want the best chance of progressing no doubt. Not sure that Stadium Australia will provide that.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Not just that. This will be a massive boost for the game in Australia. FFA aren't exactly swimming in cash. An event like this won't only have massive financial benefits but it'll also be an incredible advertisement for the game. Although the Socceroos have drawn sold out crowds to the stadium in the past, it hasn't come with the level of active support the two Sydney clubs possess or the tension that exists between the clubs and its supporters. If it does eventuate, I highly doubt you'll find anyone calling it a bad idea afterwards.
Titus
Guest
This is true, I can't imagine WSW's wanting to go from having a home ground advantage to being outnumbered by SFC fans, if they had the choice.
Towser
Guest
Gotta say that the debate surrounding home ground advantage for what is now a Knockout competition is somewhat mute. For decades the FA cup semis have been at neutral grounds and the final at Wembley, which it could be argued favours any London club in the final. The FFA are on the money(literally) in trying to gain the biggest commercial advantage(at the gate,media exposure) within the rules of the Finals format.
AR
Guest
I agree AZ. For all the whinging about ANZ, a GF there would be a massive celebration and allow thousands more to the game. Why not be all you can be?
AZ_RBB
Guest
Gotta say this prospect is really exciting. The Olympic Stadium has been booked for the grand final as well in case WSW make it and Brisbane don't.
Franko
Guest
You have to wonder weather WSW v MV wouldn't be worth playing at Homebush??? Could WSW draw 40,000 to that game?? How many would MV send over?
ciudadmarron
Guest
Yep. All operational decisions have been made directly by the FFA for the last two years. All appointments were made completely in house and now the sale is next to completed the entire staff is leaving. Wanderers officials have never questioned any FFA decisions. They haven't fought against them either. The FFA has never controlled any aspects of any other club. And you people aren't muppets.
Greg
Guest
When I read that about wsw booking anz I thought it was wrong as well. Then I remembered, what's the difference between ffa and wsw? I think a sydney derby at anz would be awesome.