It’s still early days, but Perth Glory’s stunning start to the season has given them a chance of setting a new record for most goals in an A-League campaign.
Glory’s 3-1 win over Brisbane Roar on Friday night lifted their season tally to 18 goals after six games – a new A-League record for that stage of a campaign.
The most goals ever recorded in a regular A-League season is the 64 Sydney FC posted in 2017-18. Glory face a huge battle to surpass that, but the early signs are promising.
Perth boast the most exciting attacking strike force in the league, with Diego Castro, Andy Keogh, Nicholas D’Agostino and Bruno Fornaroli combining brilliantly this season.
Star Socceroos winger Chris Ikonomidis will add further firepower when he returns from a knee reconstruction in the coming weeks.
Glory are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, but their attack-minded approach to games has won over fans across the country.
First-year coach Richard Garcia made it a big priority to play attractive football when he was appointed to the top role last year, and he hasn’t disappointed.
“I want us to be the type of team that I would like to watch,” Garcia said.
“I feel like the guys have really started to take that on board. I feel they want to play that type of football as well.
“At the moment they’re really hitting their straps and doing really well.
“I just think the group is very much together. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the starting XI or not, it’s a great team environment and the guys are really happy with everyone else in the squad. That creates a good buzz.”
Castro’s brace and a brilliant volley from Fornaroli were enough to secure all three points against Roar.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The result was all the more remarkable given it was Glory’s first game since February 5, after which they were forced into two weeks of quarantine.
Glory will be back in action on Tuesday night when they host the ladder-leading Central Coast Mariners.
Brisbane Roar’s winless run has now stretched to four games, with the team scoring just one goal across that period.
Roar coach Warren Moon isn’t worried just yet, believing his team are creating enough scoring opportunities.
“We couldn’t stop scoring a few weeks ago,” Moon said.
“We’re getting the same kind of chances, it just hasn’t fallen our way.”
Striker Scott McDonald, who missed the loss to Perth with a hamstring injury, will also be unavailable for the March 6 clash with Sydney.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Notice how with Nisbet starting and the old foreign player on the bench the trend of CCM conceeding goals in the first half stopped . This shows the problem with the Perth approach if you come up against a good defensive team then you still concede goals while not scoring that many. Stajic finally made one sensible coaching decision to start Nisbet, with a lead its just as important to respond to the opposition subs, they got outgunned by Perth in the second half because they made a lot of subs and Mariners didnt though he did take off the other old foreign player at least. Protecting a lead he needed to make more defensive subs though than changing strikers a midfielder for a striker would have been a better move.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
glory has done better than expected so far. I wouldn't say its that surprising though; they were always going to score goals with that forward line; but its been the younger players that have been impressing. I was bitterly dissapointed to lose armiento, used to love watching him swing in balls with that left foot in training. Its well known that we were always going to lose him to victory when kurz went; but even in training you could see the talent there; he just needed game time which we couldn't give him with the amount of young attackers currently going through the club perth are an injury or 2 away and they will drop down the table very fast (lots of O.A.Ps in that team; keogh/fornaroli/kilkenny/castro etc) they've been lucky with injuries so far.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
brisbane are long ball merchants, that's not going to change anytime soon lol
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Glory approach is very interesting and entertaining you have a surplus of strikers and you end up with players in the box. Also good use of substitutes. They outscore the opposition rather than prioritise defence. Popovic once he lost Davidson who would go forward all the way to the box, had the reverse issue shortage of attackers. Garcia is a very interesting coach. In the past we saw a lot of defensive teams with intensity in the A-league , the Perth approach would come unstuck that sort of team but its paying dividends now.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Diego Castro is good but he was not that good under Lowe. For seasons, he had been kicked down regularly. Professional foul is not ethical but people do all the time. So, people should watch the old videos to see how he was nullified.
jbinnie
Guest
Lionheart - Two classy goals, for sure. Where were they engineered and executed from? One from the Perth left wing, the other from the Perth right wing, once again the back three idea was found wanting when it came to the wing backs retreating, so making it a back five when needed. This is happening almost consistently in the team performance and poses the question, with the present personnel can Roar afford to play a "back 3 " ? The immediate defenders, Young, and the two experienced centre-backs are being asked ,during a game, to "blood " a youngster into a system he probably has never played so it probably inevitable that sometime in the 90 minutes they are going to be caught out, and this is what happened here, you cannot give finishers like Fornaroli and Castro space in the 18 yard box, they will punish you and that's exactly what occurred. If Roar are to challenge the top boys in this league they are going to need players of the calibre of the two I mentioned, but could add a few others, McManaman and Diamantina as examples. Take McDonald out of the Roar line up and that sort of influence disappears. Cheers jb.
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
Diego Castro is ageless. Still producing well in his late 30s.
Kevin
Roar Rookie
Will we see a 8-7 scoreline from Perth this season?
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Good stuff from the Glory. They are the first team to hit 18 goals after the opening 6 games of the season.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Ive said it so many times that Glory are just scoring goals for fun. They toyed with the Roar in the 2nd half and should have been up 6-1. They have the right balance in midfield which is really making a difference in getting goals and breaking down the defense. Can they go all the way to the top? right now it looks that way.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
A couple of classy goals by Glory, but Roar had their chances, let down by Mebrahtu far too often, in front of goal, one a sitter. Roar goal was a joy to watch - so much for the long ball critics! Well played Glory - great visa players and what a great prospect you have in Josh Rawlins. Roar needs to get better value out of our strikers - where's Masato Kudo? Akbahri looks better with every game.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
PG might end up with a record number of goals scored and conceded as they certainly look more than capable of both. As long as the ledger is in the black, nobody will really mind I expect.