Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar: A-League live scores, blog

11th November, 2017

Match result:

The battle between the two teams needing a victory so desperately has ended in a draw that will please neither of their managers.

» Click here to read the full match report

Final score
Melbourne Victory 1
Brisbane Roar 1

Match preview:

Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar meet in a crucial game at Etihad Stadium with both sides looking for their first victories of the season. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:50pm (AEDT).

The Victory will be buoyed by the point they nabbed on Monday night against the Wanderers after looking like being two goals down and playing with ten men. A stirring second half of composed tactics and simple, effective strategy saw Kevin Muscat’s men finally show some real steel.

For Brisbane, it has been much of a muchness in 2017. They look disjointed, clunky and easily dispirited. John Aloisi has the chance here to show that as the team develops a better fitness base and the combinations start to come, this squad is capable of challenging the teams higher on the ladder.

The unfortunate reality for Aloisi is indeed just that, the ladder. Gone are the days of claiming it is too early in the season and stating that you can’t judge teams based merely on a few early results.

After six rounds patterns are clear, and after the first five weeks the Roar have looked anything but title contenders.

The Victory are coming off a short turn around and could be ripe for the picking tonight, although Besart Berisha is back, a few key players are on international duty.

Prediction
Melbourne Victory are about to hit a sustained period of better play after a rocky start to the season. There is too much depth in the squad for the current results to continue. Despite Brisbane putting up a better performance, Victory will be too strong tonight.

Melbourne Victory 2, Brisbane Roar 1

Catch all the action on The Roar live coverage from 7:50pm (AEDT).

The Crowd Says:

2017-11-11T20:40:33+00:00

LuckyEddie

Guest

What's killing the A-League? Simple the cynical fouls being committed on or around half way to stop counter attacks. It's a cancer on our game and this is what is being done about it: Commentators joke about it "he took one for the team". FFA - they are doing sweet FA as usual. They only worked hard on the dodgy FOX contract to ensure they get overpaid. REFS - Hand out yellow cards to the smarties but only reds will fix this debacle Coaches - I would think they are all into it but some more than others Fans - are doing what sensible people do and refuse to watch the cynical rubbish they robs the game of excitement and they are staying home. Something has to be done quickly because there are a lot of options in summer in Australia, unlike Euro winter, and people will walk. We all accept quiet periods in a game but when the exciting periods are halted by cynical fouls, well why bother going. I'll send another complaint to FFA about this but you normally just get a Public Service reply i.e. they could not care less.

2017-11-11T11:19:17+00:00

Stevo

Roar Rookie

I thought he changed the dynamics. Played well.

AUTHOR

2017-11-11T11:11:04+00:00

Stuart Thomas

Expert

The battle between the two teams needing a victory so desperately has ended in a draw that will please neither of their managers. The Melbourne Victory and the Brisbane Roar came to Etihad Stadium to win tonight, after the poor starts to the season there was really no other option for either team. Sadly, neither will leave triumphant and both still sit mired on the lower rungs of the table, waiting for their fortunes to change. The first half was lamentable to say the least, as fouling and a stodgy style of play infested the game. When under points pressure from a ladder perspective, teams can sometimes submit to conservativism and that was the case for both teams tonight. It was one of those games where the game desperately needed a goal. Victory had the better of the first half possession yet did little with it and the half-time stats were less than fascinating. The second period started in a similar manner to the first before the drought was finally broken by Besart Berisha in the seventy ninth minute and the fans went ballistic in Melbourne with the first win of the season appearing well within reach. Inexplicably, five minutes later, Brett Holman, a fresh player, found his way into the box to knock home a neat ball from point blank range and astonishingly the game so desperately needing a goal had two. A few mad scrambles took place in the final minutes, however, the scoring was done for the night and both teams will leave with a sense of disappointment. A winless Roar and Victory after six rounds is an odd thing for the A-League. Plenty of soul searching to do for both managers, it will be interesting to hear what their take on the game is. Personally, it looked like two struggling teams a little scared to attack and frightened to lose. Melbourne Victory 1 Brisbane Roar 1

2017-11-11T11:01:35+00:00

Kangajets

Guest

Very good player Williams

2017-11-11T11:00:10+00:00

Kangajets

Guest

Theohauras. Terrific off the bench

2017-11-11T11:00:09+00:00

jamesb

Guest

Very true.