As the dust settles on the 2019-20 A-League grand final and fans anticipate the start of the rapidly approaching new season, Sydney FC can bask in all its glory.
Melbourne City will lick its wounds, yet will be pleased in retrospect, knowing the squad finally produced real quality on the big stage.
After years of disappointment and glib performances, City pushed Sydney all the way and if not for something special from a Socceroo energiser bunny named Rhyan Grant, could well be holding the trophy.
Grand final penalties appeared likely, despite half chances becoming more frequent during extra-time, as legs began to grow weary. Yet the Sky Blues found what was needed yet again. They are making an excellent habit of doing that on a consistent basis.
It perhaps seems a little odd to call the interrupted season of football we have just lived a success, however, aside from global and domestic panic, forced lock downs and the postponement and/or cancellation of competitive sport across much of the globe, it will actually be seen as a success in retrospect.
Merely playing all the scheduled matches was something of an achievement in itself. The hub concept worked, players did the right thing and Wellington enabled the competition to eventually come to something like a natural conclusion by setting up digs in Australia for an extended period.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The football played was brilliant at times, Newcastle, Brisbane and Western Sydney showed signs of rebirth and 431 goals were scored at an average of 2.91 goals per game. The League culminated with a brilliant finals’ series and a thrilling grand final, after what was a competitive and unpredictable season.
However, it was the debut of Western United that arguably did more for the league than any other factor.
Mark Rudan’s team in green and black faced the challenge of a rookie season of play without a home venue and a nomadic lifestyle for two to three years awaiting its construction.
Membership and community support levels were destined to be low and the sheer difficulty in creating football cohesion on the pitch stood to be a daunting task for the coach.
With all of that stacked against the club, what they managed to achieve was simply astonishing and a breath of fresh air for a competition so oft described by critics as stale. There was nothing stale about Western United in 2019-20.
Quickly into stride, the team sat inside the top six for the first 17 rounds, then after briefly slipping out, stormed home with a run of form that was the envy of the competition after the league resumed in July.
That run saw United with a theoretical shot at third place in the final match of the home-and-away season. Their eventual fifth place finish was to send them into a knockout situation against Brisbane Roar, where they surprised many by extending the run.
United drew just three matches throughout the entire season, winning 12 and losing eleven in what was something of a ‘rocks or diamonds’ inaugural campaign.
Max Burgess came of age, Besart Berisha defied his and Alessandro Diamanti was at times astonishingly skilful.
Rudan let them play positively and aggressively and their collective haul of 46 goals was only less than the 49 managed by both grand finalists.
No doubt Rudan was given some quality tools with which to work. Josh Risdon, Andrew Durante, Connor Pain, Aaron Calver and Filip Kurto are all quality players, yet being able to morph his collection of weapons into a competitive team in such a short space of time is potentially Rudan’s greatest coaching achievement to date.
(Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Whilst the season of success meant so much to United supporters and the 4,786 members who have hitched their wagons to the club, it also added a new flavour to future Melbourne derbies; with a third prong now threatening to steal bragging rights in the city.
Western United invigorated a formally ten-team competition in 2019-20, despite their entry somewhat compromising the draw, and the powers at be will be hoping Macarthur Bulls have precisely the same impact and success when they enter the fray in the coming months.
Both teams bring new A-League fans on board, something that has not been happening for some time and proponents of expansion will site the success of United as what is possible with the continuing establishment of new teams in the league.
Western United have smashed the glass ceiling of expansion and shown just what is possible. We should thank them, not only for their play, but also for the freshness and interest they brought to a competition that was in desperate need of just that.
At work
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure it was, but it’d take a ballsy move from the suits to do that.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
As it should be - wasn't that part of the criteria for being awarded the licence?
At work
Roar Rookie
If they don't end up getting their rectangle stadium built then their licence may as well be revoked.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Stuart, My argument with the numbers game is that it fails to address the real level of interest in the game and it does nothing to make the league truly national. For far too long I have listened to so called experts telling us we have this many players - we are the biggest participation sport and therefore we should be able to attract large audiences particularly in metropolitan areas such as Sydney and Melbourne. Where the argument falls down is that it takes raw data and extrapolates it often based on modelling from overseas where the culture is very different. This is purely anecdotal evidence that I offer here but it is very real and very current. The grassroots club where I have played for years and coach a boys side and a ladies side has 3 adult teams. I have met with all three adult teams this season and asked a few pointy questions at every single player - that is a squad of 17 ladies, and 2 squads of 16 men. The first question I asked was whether they watch A League live in any form - going to games or on TV, paid or pirated, I didn't care. Of 49 players I had 4 that gave a positive response and all 4 go along to games. A further 2 go along occasionally. Nobody else was interested and whilst it wasn't the main thrust, I asked how many watched EPL and La Liga or anything else and got the same ones plus another 5 persons. I asked the others why they play the sport and why they don't watch the professional game. They love playing with friends, they enjoy the camaraderie, a beer/wine after the game, fitness and the like but they don't enjoy watching the game, most of them at any level. I surveyed my under 12 side this year - one child from 14 goes to games but 6 of them watch bits and pieces on YouTube and other platforms but not live games. Worryingly, 8 from 14 watch EPL and La Liga and love Mr Messi and 3 of them wear Barcelona shirts to training 4 Liverpool, 2 Man U, 1 Arsenal, 1 Chelsea One Juventus. Whenever I am with a group of grassroots players, I ask similar questions and have done for quite a few years and whilst I have seen changes in the numbers, I do believe what I hear is a true reflection on the amount of interest there is and that is why I urge caution when people start using participation figures and population to make assumptions about the level of interest and likely attendances etc. The end of season surveys that we receive from FFA and FNSW do not address the right issues imo and so they carry on regardless!
Stuart Thomas
Expert
It is serious IJ. Pleasing to know that I am apparently a part of the Lowy/Gallop axis. If only I was remunerated for it.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
In fairness, United's lowest crowd for the season was around 2,900 and their overall average was 5,653. Ps, I am 100% behind a Canberra team.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
We have seen such tactics and anger from fans on the losing side for ever. That is the game, World Cups, FA Cups, NSL finals and Asian competitions have been marred with the like for ......well......ever. I still think United achieved well for their first year in what is a demanding competition.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Wellington did fall away somewhat and never really recaptured the form they had at the start of 2020. Shame, but the COVID cards were dealt.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
All still a little up in the air and after Macarthur announced their membership fees without potential subscribers even knowing how many games they will see, the ??????'s over the upcoming season and its length remain.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Good on you Bev. For an inaugural season, it was extremely successful.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Considering the size of the city, three teams in Sydney still has greater numbers upon which to draw than a single team in many cities and/or regions. If Adelaide has a population of around 1.3 million and Sydney near 5 million, I would have thought, after doing the maths, that three teams can be catered for.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
An embarrassment? I'm not sure what would draw you to that conclusion.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Wouldn't matter if it was short memory or not. The fact is, over the length of the season, United were a classy outfit. Brilliant early and brilliant late, losing personnel somewhere in between. They should be commended for the season.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
It is in the long run. Let's hope the pandemic doesn't delay the development of the stadium too long and United debut there ASAP with a competitive team.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Nice positive comments; something too oft missing from A-League analysis. A great debut season and much interest added to the competition. Rudan developing into one of the best in the business.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
I believe Macarthur has a better chance of lasting long term than WU. But either way, it's the manner of their selection, and the obsession with collecting license fees which I object to most (and which will be the thing which delays the establishment of a full pyramid and P&R).
Johan
Guest
I don’t think they can easily scrap western united now as they have already been added to the league but I’m pretty sure they were unnecessary. However the Macarthur team should be scrapped now- they are not needed, wanted and the area is in dire straits economically with peeps living there having little disposable income. I have never understood why the FFA think it is better to have a dozen clubs with tiny fan bases and desperately poor crowds rather than 8 clubs with decent fan bases. The FFA is impatient and has added teams too quickly. Only Melbourne Victory has respectable crowds.
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
You're right Andy that month before the lockdown was our downfall. We have, in this season unearth some exciting young talent, and seeing our NPL side I think there is more on the way. With the change in [weather] seasons as well as playing seasons, another new side and hopefully, some live football for those of us who don't live on the Eastern seaboard, the 2021 season could be a boomer for the sport. As for Western United, apart from Diamante sheer brilliance, I don't think they are much to write home about. Mark R is different from many as a coach, and I can remember the many who were shouting for him to get his chance. I wonder how they feel about him now. When you put his tactics under the microscope, he hasn't introduced anything new to the game, he had the 'cattle' and should of finished in the top 6. As for their tactics of time wasting and simulation [faking injuries] there are laws of the game that could be used by match officials to eradicate it. Speaking of the Laws of the Game. Was that the easiest free kick a goal keeper has ever earnt? His view was obstructed, give me a break, that happens 10 times to a field player every game, but that would be the first time I have seen a free kick awarded because a players view of the ball was obstructed. [Rant over]
IJ
Roar Rookie
Is this headline serious? The last and most unhinged decision of the dying Lowy/Gallop axis is what I see. The "shovel ready" stadium was nothing but spin and the Geelong option was a disaster. The team was fine. The club is a relentless embarrassment.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
not a big fan of WU (very boring, dirty team) or Rudan who is an arrogant so and so. However i respect what Rudan and WU achieved this year, i knew they would be competitive and score/create chances with berisha and diamante in the team, but did not expect them to get into the 6 (they wouldn't have if we didn't have that mini slide before covid hit). as much as i despise rudan, he's done exceptionally well with clubs he's coached (sydney united, wellington & wu) i dare say he is the Australian equivalent of mouriniho in terms of demeanor, press conferences and playing styles. in saying that though, another Melbourne team wasn't needed