The timing is perfect for the Australia Day clash between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, given Victory’s sparkling return to form last weekend and the largely negative way in which Sydney’s derby win was received.
Victory finally broke out of their funk with a 4-0 home win over Brisbane Roar. When they are at their best or very close to it, they are still the benchmark team in the A-League.
Sydney beat Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at Pirtek Stadium, but were widely criticised for setting up very defensively and trying to win on the counter-attack. In the end, neither of their goals came strictly from general play – one was from a corner and the other followed a free kick.
But the criticism of Sydney seems unfair. They came to a tough place to win with a specific plan and they got out with the three points. It wasn’t a remotely pretty approach, but it was effective.
While Sydney managed to limit clear opportunities for the more likely goalscorers in the Western Sydney side, such as Mark Bridge and Mitch Nichols, it wasn’t as if they shut the Wanderers down as a team. The home side still had enough chances to at least get a draw and probably win. The problem was that most of the better chances fell to players like Romeo Castelen, Dimas and Kearyn Baccus.
Catselen is a marvel with the ball at his feet and taking defenders on out wide, but he is not a good shooter. Too often he either hits wide or straight at the goalkeeper.
The best chance Nichols had was when the referee’s assistant flagged Bridge for offside and Bridge reacted smartly by pulling out of the play. The Sydney defenders stopped as well, but the referee allowed play to continue, and Nichols took his chances one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Yet he was unsuccessful, when he could have passed to Dario Vidosic for an easy goal.
Vidosic has been disappointing in front of goal this season. He did score Western Sydney’s only goal in the derby, but the chance came when the Sydney defence dragged across to their left and he had plenty of time to set up for an admittedly good shot.
If Sydney hope to win the A-League championship they are going to have to find a different way to play against Victory, in the likelihood that they would have to beat them at some stage of the finals series.
Victory were way too good for Sydney in last season’s grand final. It was a physical game early on, but Victory were as capable of sticking that out as Sydney were.
When it settled down to become more of a game of football, Victory started creating genuine chances and their big-game players rose to the occasion, led by the biggest big-game player in the A-League, Besart Berisha. Melbourne won 3-0.
The first time the two teams met this season, Sydney emerged from their shell to be much more proactive, but after leading 1-0 and 2-1 they ended losing 4-2. Sydney had second-half chances which, had they taken them, would have put them in the picture to win, but they couldn’t do it.
So Victory have beaten Sydney in very different types of games each of the last two times they have met.
It is going to be interesting to see how Sydney presents against Melbourne this time, if they are proactive rather than reactive and whether their approach changes according to whatever ups and downs they experience. We know Victory will aim to go forward whenever possible.
Just the same as the Wanderers have got to learn how to turn their edge in general play in their recent games against Sydney into wins, Sydney have got to find a way of beating Victory.
It will be fascinating to see how they go about it this time around.
Post hoc
Guest
I honestly can't see it bothering Popa that much. Yes it annoys fans, maybe players, but I get the feeling Popa looks to the long game, very rarely about the week past
j binnie
Guest
fiul -You have to be joking when you accuse me of "cherry picking numbers". One thing I prefer to do is use actual numbers when doing an analysis and to that end will take your % figures and replace them with actuals. Round 10 to Round 15 last season showed a drop from 14,891 to 13,811. (7%+ in my book). This season the same time period has seen a gain from11,930 to 12,203 (2%+ in my book) Now why is it, despite it being pointed out to you, you seem to have ignored the fact that this rise was aided and abetted by a home derby for Melb City, a Sydney derby, and 2 Victory home "gates" of over 22,000. ??????? The next 15 games only show ,as I pointed out to you, 2 games where Victory will be at home ,a "big blue" being one of those games. Another 6 of those games will be "home" games for the lesser supported clubs in the league with the 6 probably contributing an average of 9000 / game which would more than offset the gains made by the Victory "gates".. And still no comment on the overall drop in attendances from 1,035,797 to 915,230 at game 75 in those respective seasons.(11.5% for your info.) Having fun?????? Can you imagine how you would feel if your boss docked 11.5% off your salary tomorrow.Not funny.Cheers jb
j binnie
Guest
Fadida =I don't know the answer to your questions-----------But neither do you.. I would warn you not to compare how a team, any team, will perform by citing last year's results. After all the two GF teams did meet on 3 other occasions last year and drew 3-3 twice, with the other game finishing 0-0. Get my point? Cheers jb
Justin Mahon
Guest
Was just watching the Football Roundtable on Fox. The panel said the same thing.
Justin Mahon
Guest
I agree. I am also happy for City to continue to have great potential. Forever.
Ian
Guest
Good thing I have soft carpet here.......I'm just picking myself up off the floor after your compliment. Keep them coming. It was a magnificient game for a GF though. I think Archie even expressed that opinion - albeit a year or two ago. Yes, no doubt, the Premiership shows the best team over the entire season.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Yeah we won ugly but I have to tell you it sure feels good having that continental title in the trophy cabinet. We have probably used up all our luck in winning that trophy for the next 10 years and I am not expecting another A-league team to win it for a long time. The team this year who has the most realistic chance would be MV. Will be very difficult but I wish all our Australian teams luck with the exception of SFC. No one wants them to win.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
I'll say it again middy, you're a gentleman and a scholar.
FIUL
Guest
I'd rather never make it out of the Group than play the garbage WSW played to win the ACL in 2014. Of course I like winning, but if MVFC plays to our best & we lose - so be it. Our best is not good enough & we have to keep improving until our best is good enough.
Midfielder
Guest
I gotta cheer for someone..... drum roll, lights, camera, ... I want the BT's to win...
Qantas & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Yes, I would back Simon against Del Pierre or Leigh Broxham in a foot race any day---two of the slowest CB in the HAL I have ever seen.
Midfielder
Guest
Fuss Let me assure you the future is very bright ... arguably the best thing to happen this year is the LT's are very competitive and maybe will wear the Queens of Melbourne tag for being the best team in Melbourne...
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
LOL
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"Good squad considering the legalities of the salary cap." Ian's in tinfoil-hat-overdrive now..but still he's made an admission that MVFC have a good squad. It's pretty simple. We are the biggest and best club in the land.. If you were a star player, where would you want to play? The most livable city in the world perhaps?
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
C'mon Ian, grand finals are for the theatre goers., we true football fans all know the plate is the only thing that matters. BRFCs undefeated streak was a victory for us all as a code. I was definitely tuned in for all roar matches during that time. A golden era in Brisbane..and Australian football as a whole.
Punter
Guest
Worked for Greece in 2004!!!! Broke my heart!!!!!
Ian
Guest
LOL - 'it is safe to say they are a great team'..........a team of individual stars we have indeed in MV. Good squad considering the legalities of the salary cap.
Punter
Guest
I would say working well would be getting out of your group or even very well winning it like WSW did. Happy that MV has low expectations as of coming third & were unlucky as 'going well'.
Ian
Guest
The nutmegging is being used as the example from apparently experienced football lovers when that is generally just a flashy move. The rest is a reasonable reply. The kid had a good game and as said, he spoke with respect in the interview with Zappers about Broich.
Punter
Guest
Yes it does, but it can't just go ahead Fadida, it has runaway from SFC, because according to most MV has a dynamic entertaining fast team & SFC are a slow, ponderous boring team. I expect if this would be correct for MV to be 10 pts clear, but instead they are 3 pts behind. But like you said I could be all wrong & you 100% correct by season's end, only time will tell.