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Each and every week the football world provides us with a collection of stories, rumours and events that get tongues wagging with both praise and criticism.
England will be a hotbed of debate and discussion around the apparent racial and personal abuse hurled in Raheem Sterling’s direction on Saturday, as well as the defeat of his City team by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The latter is good football discussion, with any commentary around an unbeaten season now moot, yet the former will brew up passions in those still stunned by the Neanderthal-like behaviour of some football fans.
The frequency of the abuse, in and outside football, tells me quite succinctly that there are still a hell of a lot of racist and narrow-minded white supremacists living on this planet. Some of them enjoy football; turning up to games and spewing their hateful vitriol in the direction of black players.
Sadly, Chelsea’s brave defensive stand and subsequent upset of the champions will take something of a back seat in many people’s minds, as the game grapples with another shameful incident. It comes soon after a Spurs fan threw a banana peel in the direction of Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang just a week ago.
Australian football will experience a week of equal excitement and controversy over the next few days, hopefully without our version of the racial abuse. We all hope that the anger directed towards Jamie Young in Mudgee never occurs again.
The local game has a colossal week ahead and much to devour on the football plate.
Brisbane Roar’s slump to ninth on the A-League ladder will no doubt set the wheels in motion on the #Aloisiout express. The dapper and suave figure that stalks the sidelines at Suncorp is at the helm of a club in decline.
Sometimes, such a fall can be a cyclical phenomenon, however the general trend in Brisbane is clear and the graphs that map it head south.
John Aloisi (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
While easy to take John Aloisi’s future as the key talking point from the furnace that was Sunday afternoon at McDonald Jones Stadium, I would prefer to be discussing Lauren Barnes.
The Melbourne City defender produced what I felt was the most complete defensive performance I have seen this season from an A or W-League player.
The 29 year-old American played a game I will never forget. Alongside the returning Steph Catley, Barnes was faced with the astonishing pace of Newcastle’s Taylor Smith bombing down the right flank.
Despite the speed of the Jets’ winger and Catley’s departure from the game at half time, Barnes was astonishing, held firm and frustrated Smith; the woman touted as the speediest in the competition.
When the ball was played more centrally, her use of the head was astute, precise and clinical.
In such oppressive conditions the game was destined to open up despite the extra breaks provided for the players and when it did, the life of a defender become near impossible, as fresh legged substitutes surged towards the back four.
Barnes prevailed and led a City defence that had leaked the most goals in the competition over the first five rounds. After a bright start from Newcastle, City goals to Yukari Kinga and Tameka Butt had the visitors in front after 45 minutes.
The home side rallied in the second half and Barnes was often called upon to re-order the chaos that Newcastle created via their speed down the flanks. Jasmyne Spencer sealed the game for City in the 72nd minute, yet it was Barnes the hero in a typically blue collar performance by a defender.
It was the highlight of the day, really, yet Aloisi and to a lesser extent the dire performance from Sydney FC on Saturday were destined to be the headlines.
Wednesday presents itself as a potentially remarkable day in the history of Australian football.
Business people, ex-players, administrators and fans have all played a role in the long awaited A-League expansion process.
Bids have been built, submitted, inspected and now analysed. Wednesday will see a decision finally made after the new FFA Board meets on Tuesday. What that decision will be is anybody’s guess.
Whilst the announcement of two successful bids would be an exciting development, the reality is that a postponement is still possible. The financial demands of the FFA swirl murkily in the background, with vast sums apparently being demanded in licensing fees.
David Gallop (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
Debate over the potential growth in the six regions covered by the new bidders and the impact on broadcasting and attendance is important, yet until a decision has been made, many Australian football fans still can’t believe it will actually happen.
Call me a doubting Thomas, but I would prefer to be talking about the launch of Trevor Thompson’s new book that occurs on the same day. Playing for Australia: The First Socceroos, Asia and World Football is a look at over 150 years of Asian influence on the Australian game.
Whilst Asian Confederation membership may have only been granted as recently at 2006, Australia’s footballing cultural diversity saw the region play a key role in the development of the game.
Ange Postecoglou will be present to launch the book at Gleebooks in Sydney, in what might be a fitting way to end a potentially monumental day in the local game.
The Football world never fails to produce and this week, as awful, intriguing, disappointing and celebratory as it may turn out to be, will be no different.
Hopefully, I will enjoy the launch on Wednesday night and catch up with a few old friends and colleagues. All the while, I’ll have Lauren Barnes in the back of my mind, because that is what the game is all about.
John Aloisi will have to sort things out for himself.