Opinion
After another round of football, here’s a look at who performed and underperformed in Round 12 of the A-League.
Nicolai Mueller
He was a presence in attack for his side against Adelaide United, scoring two goals to ensure they left the city of churches with all three points. Both goals came from within the box, which demonstrates his ability to get into attacking positions. His finishing in front of goal is a skill the Wanderers have been lacking. Hopefully Mueller can continue to perform.
Ulises Davila
Again he was his side’s best performer, putting on an impressive performance against Western United. Scoring one goal and assisting one, he was crucial in his side’s triumph in Ballarat. Was also efficient with his passing, making 30 of his 40 passes (75 per cent accuracy) proving his quality.
Diego Castro
He continues to age like a fine wine. The attacking play for the Glory ran through Diego Castro, which was demonstrated through the wonder strike of an opening goal he scored, and he made the Mariners pay for their defensive error that allowed him to set up Bruno Fornaroli for the sealer.
Adelaide United
United suffered back-to-back losses against opponents that looked worse on paper. After losing to the Mariners in their last outing at home they needed to make a statement, but instead they followed up with a loss to the struggling Wanderers. Adelaide will be ruing their miss chances, such as George Blackwood’s missed penalty.
Western United
Though they’ve largely impressed this season, this Round 12 clash wasn’t impressive. They were outplayed by a side that have historically unperformed in Melbourne and ended up on the receiving end of the Phoenix’s fourth win in Victoria since entering the league in 2007.
Central Coast Mariners
Mariners star player Milan Duric came out during the week saying he’s not scared of Perth and that the Mariners had their sights set on the top six. Despite dominating possession and recording only one fewer shot than the Glory, they still went down 3-0. It’s not a performance that demonstrates a ‘fearless’ mentality nor ‘top six’ material. Luckily for the Mariners there are another 17 games to prove they are as good as their star believes them to be.
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