The Roar's A-League expert tips and predictions: Round 2

If Round 2 of the A-League lives up to the drama of the opening weekend, I may need a good lie down by Monday morning.

What a controversial and sometimes unfortunate round it was, with Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar no doubt feeling aggrieved that their chances were stunted by some questionable officiating. Luckily for the Roar they did manage a point, although Victory will be seething and left the derby with a very bitter taste in the mouth.

Bring on the next edition I say.

Only one expert manage two correct tips last week and the crowd was well off the mark, failing to register a score. This week has some interesting matches with the Reds having another opportunity to win at home and a Sydney derby being played at the home of cricket in New South Wales.

Can Brisbane find the attacking form of last weekend and, this time, put away its chances? Surely Victory will bounce back and can the Mariners sink City with the latter looking to maintain a perfect start to the season?

Let’s see what the experts have to say and make sure you insert your tips into the sheet below. Last week saw 283 responses and it is great to have the roar of the crowd involved.

Mike Tuckerman
Adelaide, City, Sydney, Brisbane, Draw

I’m off to a flyer after tipping none from five last week, but I’ve given the crystal ball a polish with the Windex and reckon I’ll get back on track this weekend.

Adelaide United looked much the better side against Sydney FC last weekend, but it took a fortunate goal from Scott Galloway to get on the score sheet. Do they have goals in them? If they can nick one against the Jets, I suspect they’ll hold on for all three points.

The Central Coast Mariners dug in for a draw in Brisbane last Sunday but, in truth, they could have conceded three or four before half-time. Kalifa Cisse looks the goods in central defence, but it won’t be enough to hold out an attack-minded City side in Gosford.

There’s only one team in the Sydney derby at the moment, and they don’t wear red and black. The unusual Sydney Cricket Ground configuration will do neither team any favours, but the Sky Blues should have too much quality for the visitors from Western Sydney.

Was it a case of a point gained or two points dropped by Brisbane Roar last weekend? They should really have beaten the Mariners and Wellington Phoenix under Mark Rudan look like they’ll be a tricky customer. I’m tipping the Roar to win at home – but only just.

Brisbane should get the job done. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

It wasn’t a great start to the season for either Perth Glory or Melbourne Victory last weekend. Glory had enough chances to finish off the Wanderers, while the Victory were outplayed in the Melbourne derby. I reckon this one will finish in a score draw as both sides look to iron out the kinks.

Stuart Thomas
Adelaide, City, Sydney, Brisbane, Victory

Adelaide showed enough last week to convince me that they will be more than a tough proposition at home throughout the season. With Michael Jakobsen and Jordan Elsey destined to become the bash brothers of the league, so hard and firm at the back they are, scoring against Adelaide will take some real class.

City will win again despite Mariners supporters feeling hopeful after what was a solid display against the Roar last week. Amidst a sea of cricket analogies, Sydney FC should beat the Wanderers on Saturday night, with all eyes on the attendance and the message it sends about the homelessness of both teams.

Based on the chances created last weekend, Brisbane look like an early favourite for the highest scoring team this season and Adam Taggart must be short odds for the golden boot. Wellington fought harder than they have in recent times in their victory against Newcastle last week and if they bring a similar attitude, could trouble Brisbane.

Victory looked slick and precise at different times last week and despite a much improved Perth defence, should get their season rolling with three points at home.

Paul Nicholls
Draw, City, Sydney, Brisbane, Victory

Adelaide are nothing if not well-coached. Marco Kurz has the team humming and Craig Goodwin may prove to be one of the buys of the year. Newcastle should be good for the draw though.

Are we over the Usain Bolt thing yet? That saga has more twists than a Chinese diving team. Ignoring the Bolt fog, Mike Mulvey looks to have a promising side but Melbourne City should have too much class.

City should be able to get past the Mariners. (AAP Image/Daniel Pockett)

Of the two coaches in the Sydney Derby, Markus Babbel of the Wanderers might have more reason to be optimistic after the opening game. The derby will be played on the unfamiliar surrounds of the Sydney Cricket Ground. On a turning pitch I would expect Sydney FC to win by two wickets – err, goals that is.

Brisbane played well in week one and were unlucky not to get the win. I thought Adam Taggart had a cracking game and could have had two goals if not for the technology that shall not be named. Mark Rudan’s Wellington look stronger this year but I can’t see them getting close to the Roar. Melbourne Victory should also chalk up a win against Perth Glory.

Evan Morgan Grahame
Draw, City, Sydney, Brisbane, Draw

Newcastle’s loss to Wellington in the opening game was a surprise, to be sure, and not an entirely unwelcome one; the league is better if Wellington isn’t a total gimme game for every club. This week the Jets face an Adelaide team that, for all their dominance against Sydney, couldn’t consistently trouble Andrew Redmayne, and could have lost the game at the end.

Both teams here feel a little blunt, for one reason or another, with Newcastle still missing Roy O’Donovan. Draw.

Well, just as he was a slightly garish distraction walking into the door – like a scrap of toilet paper stuck to the Presidential heel (that word used in all senses) – Usain Bolt has also caught the eye walking – apparently – out of it.

Central Coast are better without him, if indeed he is leaving, but their draw against Brisbane last week was more the result of astonishing profligacy than it was stolid defending, not that Bolt would have helped in that regard. City are that same planed-off, expressionless obelisk that they were last season, and will batter through the Mariners’ weak drawbridge door.

The Sydney Derby will be a wonderful event, and should really aim to beat the 40,000 attendance Melbourne managed for theirs last week. The Wanderers’ first half against Perth was a fairly comprehensive dressing-down; Perth had the ball, and took great pleasure in knocking it around the Wanderers team.

It could be a tough derby for the Wanderers. (Photo: Steve Christo)

Oriol Riera’s horror miss might have disguised all the flaws had he converted late to steal all three points, but he didn’t, so it doesn’t. Sydney to win, with Daniel De Silva a chance to return from a hamstring injury.

The Roar will be itching to prove they aren’t just foreplay, by bringing their shooting boots. Adam Taggart was excellent against the Mariners, and if he plays well again – and doesn’t have a goal scrubbed off by the VAR – it seems likely Brisbane will require fewer than the 20 shots they took last week to score against the Phoenix this week.

Wellington played largely without the ball in their first game, a reactive team that completed only 59% of their passes. They have certainly improved, but this week, in Brisbane; it will be a Roar win.

In what seems to me to be the match-up of the weekend – Derby hype discounted, of course – the Victory take on Perth. It’s doubtful whether Castro will make it back, which is a shame because it would have been a pleasure seeing him and Honda go toe-to-toe.

Muscat will want to make better use of the Japanese star, perhaps placing him in the interior, and reshuffling the midfield. Ola Toivonen should be back, meaning the Victory attack will be able to rear up to its full height. One wonders which team will take the initiative here; Perth will want to, and the Victory ought to. A ding-dong score draw? Yes, please.