The A-League has got off to a bad start in this year’s AFC Champions League.
The Newcastle Jets are already out and Victory lost 3-1 at home in their first game. Sydney FC play their first game tonight at Kogarah but go into the match with a poor home record from previous seasons hanging over their heads.
If Sydney FC and Victory cannot improve Champions League results this season then the A-League risks being cut to just one automatic qualification spot for next year’s Champions League. If that happens then who should the automatic qualifier be?
Real football fans would probably insist on football tradition and vote for the team who finishes first on the league ladder – the premiers.
But fair dinkum Aussies, brought up on the traditions of other domestic football codes, would probably vote for the team who win the grand final – the champions.
However, fair dinkum Aussie tradition does not always deliver a fair dinkum outcome. Last season’s grand final saw Melbourne Victory crowned as champions, many would say entirely undeservedly. The Victory finished a massive 21 points on the ladder below the premiers, Sydney FC, who beat them three times in the regular season.
The Victory only eliminated Sydney FC in the semi-finals with a lucky goal late in extra-time.
The Victory then stumbled to a lucky grand final win against the Newcastle Jets. The Victory’s controversial winning goal came courtesy of a clear offside that was missed by both the match officials and a malfunctioning VAR.
Even Melbourne Victory fans would admit their team was not a fair dinkum ‘champion’ last season. Clearly, the premiers, Sydney FC, were consistently best across the whole season whereas the champions, Melbourne Victory, were a mediocre team who benefited from a couple of lucky breaks in knockout games.
Higher rewards, like qualification to the AFC Champions League, should be based on consistent excellence, not luck.
On that basis, surely the automatic qualification spot should go to the premiers. This season that will most likely be Perth Glory, who would thoroughly deserve the reward.
AxeMaster
Roar Rookie
Well what about if the Premier team was rewarded by getting an automatic place in the G.F. Then the other 5 teams play a final series to see who their opponent would be. If the Premier team lost the G.F. well bad luck but if they won then they'd do the double.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
I stand by my comment then
Punter
Roar Rookie
Alexp is not a peasant, he is an AFL fan complaining about a football fan being on a football topic.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Ignore the peasants Nemesis. Welcome back - it’s been dull without you.
alexp
Guest
This comment has been removed for breaching The Roar's comments policy.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Welcome back Nem & great first post to put to bed what true football fans think of the finals football, it's nice but......
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
You're back! How have things been?
Nick Symonds
Guest
The Sydney FC vs Ulsan Hyundai match got just 4,039 fans at Kogarah. I hope Asian teams do well at the next World Cup then. It's also interesting to note that Oceanian nations will now be competing at the Asian Games, including in football, Australia too. It'll only add to the debate over merging the OFC into the AFC allowing them to field teams in both the ACL and Asian Cup. - https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/asian-champions-league/sydney-fc-played-their-first-asian-champions-league-of-the-campaign-in-front-of-a-small-crowd/news-story/53a080f951ee556d93b333b929583742 https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/australia-not-alone-asian-champions-league-not-even-popular-in-asia https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/australias-u-23-stars-set-for-asian-games-520051
At work
Roar Rookie
:) :) :)
At work
Roar Rookie
Well that was short and to the point, but I don't disagree with you. Clearly the best team is the one that finishes on top of the ladder after 27 rounds, and not one who can string a few good performances together. Plus the Asian confederation see it the same way and if we're down to one automatic spot it will go to the Premier.
MarkfromCroydon
Roar Pro
We were “fair dinkum champions” last season. No one can ever take that away. It’ll be in the record books forever. Now, as to the best system. Football, as we saw last season, is the sport where most of all we need a pure home and away league system with no finals where the top of the table is the champion. Football is low scoring and in any given match there is more chance than other football codes that the better team will fail to take their chances and score the winning goal. Over the course of a season however the best team will win more points than the others. A one off match or a series of a few knockout matches can allow a lesser team who takes maybe the only scoring chance they get to win the game. That’s o.k for a “Cup” type competition but not for the league.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
you mean it isn't true that for every 100 posts you put on here you get to vote on one major ruling that is usually the domain of FIFA and its dominions? Well - that is a real kick in the teeth.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Very true - for the most part last night Sydney played excellent possession football and made plenty of scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, Le Fondre, Ghoochannejhad, Brillante, Caceres, Brosque etc all thrashed shots high or wide. The wind maybe affected things because Ulsan did the same with their few chances.
reuster75
Roar Rookie
Well that's a blow, I thought that The Roar forum determined the rules/criteria for all the sports listed on there.
paul
Guest
How often do we see it, Redondo, that an Aussie side will play a match in the ACL, dominate possession and passing but still lose, or be held to a draw at home? That malaise was also apparent in the Socceroos at the Asian Cup.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Both Antonis goals were lucky. I agree about the Daegu goal. Overall, I thought Victory were as good as Daegu and unlucky not to at least draw. Some of the commentary on the game seems entirely based on the final score and not on actually watching the game.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Thank god you’re here! I know the AFC makes the rules but the question was ‘who should it be’ not ‘who will it be’.
Nemesis
Guest
AFC sets the criteria for ACL entry. Not FFA. Not The Roar forum. The ACL entry "sporting criteria" (Article 12, AFC Competition Manual) 12.1. To meet the sporting criteria, a club must have earned one (1) of the following (which shall be utilised in descending order for seeding purposes for any draw): 12.1.1. winner of the national top division league; 12.1.2. winner of the national knock-out cup; 12.1.3. runner-up of the national top division league; 12.1.4. third-place of the national top division league. The A-League Finals (not FFA Cup) is assigned as Australia's "National knock-out cup".
reuster75
Roar Rookie
It could be said Antonis' goal was lucky, but only if referring to the own goal (lucky in the sense it gave Sydney an undeserved equaliser and lerft Victory no time to respond before extra time). A lucky goal is one such as Daegu's second goal against Victory that took a deflection off Storm Roux. Anotnis' (second) goal wasn't luck because goals like that get scored in football all the time, it's called skill. If we go down to one ACL spot I would have no issue with it going to the winner of the league and as a Victory fan would have no complaints if Sydney FC were our only representative this season.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Antonis got a lucky bounce to break away and then a lucky deflection off Wilkinson to score. The goal involved a fair dose of luck. As for the game, Sydney dominated possession and had far more chances to score. Victory were poor for most of last season but won the championship by playing mucky niggling football in the finals. A Muscat special.