This is exactly how the A–League needed to respond; a demonstration of everything that is great about the league that we call our own.
On Friday night, the Melbourne Victory took on Melbourne City in the derby, and it certainly did all it could to rid the back pages and forums boards of the negatives of the past week. This game had it all; it was tense, aggressive, attacking and I’ll even praise the use of the VAR.
It took 52 seconds for the game to ignite, with Kosta Barbarouses having his opener chalked off courtesy of the VAR, with perennial goalscorer, Bersart Berisha to be adjudged offside when the ball was played in.
In this, is where VAR’s use is warranted, validated and vindicated. There is no grey area (unless we’re using the same technology that was available during the Manchester United versus Huddersfield FA Cup tie; seriously, what a joke). There is no human element to the decision; you’re either onside, or offside at the time the ball is played through.
(AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Victory didn’t have to wait long for the opener, with Barbarouses breaking the deadlock on 12 minutes, with a neat finish to wrong foot Dean Bouzanis in the bottom right corner.
Melbourne City’s shining light of 2018, Daniel Arzani did his best to spark City to life, and had a decent effort from just inside the 18 yard box inside in the 21st minute.
While Arzani has been City’s main creative outlet the back half of the season, it’ll be interesting to see how he copes with the extra attention he is undoubtedly going to attract in the coming games. He was carded early in the second half for simulation, and I hope this is ripped out of his game. He’s clever enough, and has the delicate touch and skills to damage teams.
A little all in brawl scuffle took centre stage on the stroke of half time, with both Victory’s Kev Muscat and City’s Thomas Deng both shown yellow for their involvement. What’s a derby without a little emotion, right?
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Down 0–1 at the half, City came out of the tunnels fired up and taking command of the match, and were rewarded with a penalty. As an aside, I hate this term, along with ‘winning a penalty’ – as it gives the characteristic that players are ‘playing’ for a penalty, I’m a little conflicted by this – but perhaps this is not the time to delve into that.
Leigh Broxham, sliding in to stop the cross, was adjudged to have impeded the ball with his arms well away from his body. It was hard not to give.
Up stepped none other than Bruno Fornaroli, with the Uruguayan dispatching it into the roof of the net. This effort also rewarded him with a place in the top ten goal scorers in A-League history, so congratulations on that!
City had the bulk of possession, but Victory turned the match in their favour when Broxham made up for his earlier error with an absolute gem of a ball, deftly dinked to the back post and right on the head of Leroy George, who expertly headed towards the ground and into the back of the net from close range.
City threw all they had at Victory. They amassed 64 per cent of possession in the second half, but unfortunately for them, they were unable to get back on level terms.
Their job was made harder when Arzani went down in the 65th minute on the edge of the box, quite easily, and was shown a yellow card for his theatrics. He was then stretchered off after an extended period of time for what seemed to be cramps. Quite odd, but nonetheless, I hope for himself, City and the A-League in general that it is only cramps.
The game ended with City pushing everyone forward in a desperate attempt for a late equaliser, including the keeper, but it nearly backfired when James Troisi was left to run into an open goal, but the skipper somehow missed by the width of the goal.
Luckily for Troisi, and Victory, that there was not enough time for Troisi to be utterly embarrassed, and the game ended City 1–2 Victory. Victory also won the battle of the yellow cards, 4-3 over their rivals.
City are destined to spend another season in Victory’s shadow, but no doubt have ambitions to challenge Victory on all fronts, much like their bigger brother Manchester City have managed in the EPL.
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