When Henry Hore bundled home the scrappiest goal of the round in Brisbane Roar’s 3-1 win over Macarthur, he set the seal on what was one of the most entertaining weeks all season.
Warren Moon’s underrated Roar side took barely 60 seconds to open the scoring against the Bulls, with Jay O’Shea’s defence-splitting pass allowing Nikola Mileusnic to round Filip Kurto and open the scoring in Redcliffe.
The Roar could have been three or four up by halftime had they not been so wasteful in front of goal, and it took a decent cross from 200-game veteran Jack Hingert to ease the hosts’ nerves when the Bulls failed to clear their lines and saw Corey Brown rattle home in response.
Even then the Roar still couldn’t quite put the game to bed, and it was only when young attacker Hore added an unsightly third on the back of Adrian Mariappa’s unmarked header that the locals knew they were heading home happy.
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
So what did we learn from the Roar’s third win in five home games this season? Surely one recurring theme this season is that a lot of the social media critics who bag teams like Brisbane Roar never actually watch them play.
The campaign started with plenty of Sydney-based observers claiming Ante Milicic was the coach to watch, but it was Moon who had all the answers for a Roar side for whom new Japanese striker Ryo Wada is waiting in the wings.
The Roar game kicked off before Central Coast’s clash with Perth Glory had been completed, meaning plenty of us missed Daniel Stynes’s stoppage-time equaliser for Perth in the 1-1 draw in Gosford.
Let’s dispel another false notion that has popped up on social media throughout the season – that playing A-League games at the same time is no accident.
Just like taking drinks breaks in torrential rain, the whole point of simultaneous kick-offs is for TV, since it forces viewers – at least in the case of Saturday nights – to take out a Paramount+ subscription if their team is not playing in the free-to-air game on Channel Ten.
And judging by the reported ratings, not a whole lot of people are watching those games on free-to-air anyway.
It’s a shame Saturday night’s affair between Sydney FC and Western United was played in such a torrential downpour, even if it showcased the full limitations of open-air Kogarah.
Completion of the new Sydney Football Stadium can’t come quickly enough for the Sky Blues, who are starting to suffer the same dwindling attendances that plagued the Western Sydney Wanderers towards the back end of their long and frustrating stint in Homebush.
Now the Wanderers have attendance issues of their own at CommBank Stadium and although Mark Rudan has tightened them up considerably since signing on as coach, they were no match for a rampant Melbourne City in their 3-1 win on Friday night.
The much-maligned Mat Leckie bagged a brace in his finest performance of the season, but it was Frenchman Florin Berenguer who scored the goal of the game with an absolute belter for City’s third.
Yet it wasn’t even the goal of the round. That accolade belongs to a Macarthur player, although whether Tommy Oar or Craig Noone scored the better volley is a matter for debate.
The Mariners’ 3-3 draw with the Bulls on Thursday night was the sort of exhilarating encounter that deserved to be seen by a much larger audience.
And with the likes of Oar and Noone, Leckie, Mileusnic and Berenguer all scoring great goals – to say nothing of new cult hero Jason Cummings – there’s no shortage of quality on show in the A-League Men.
The trick seems to be getting anyone to watch it. Like the recently completed Big Bash League, the A-Leagues seems to be suffering from fixture fatigue, which is a shame, because the past week yielded the best football we’ve seen all season.
We’ve got more content than ever. All we need now is for a few more people to watch it.
HR
Roar Rookie
That's a fair point, but I do worry that it will stymie the growth of the league.
Muzza up the Creek
Roar Rookie
Completely agree adelaidefc. 10 play and Paramount don't work with Samsung TV so Chromecast is fine and you get over that hurdle. They need to broadcast at least half the games on free to air to get the supporters back, or will end up like English cricket buried behind a pay wall and no one playing cricket/football anymore. I enjoy going to the matches live (cost on an away game is over the top) but the coverage isn't up to standard, trying to do it at low cost. They seem to have enough cameras there when a goal is scored, as you get replays from all angles, but during play it taken from the top of the stand and they never zoom in to show the skills of the players. The clown directing the broadcast just needs to flick from one camera to another occasionally.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
JB, I watched Burnley, bottom of the EPL, play Liverpool with their three very high quality strikers all playing up front, on Sunday morning. Liverpool were fortunate to win 0-1. Their strikers found it hard to score.
Saffi
Roar Rookie
Just a thought regarding the non - tifosi watching the A League. How about the ALM leaders spend $2-3 million on non Ten channel high profile advertising ( seems to work for Clive Palmer!). Tell people about the Mens and womens league. Tell people about Socceroos and Matilda’s. They do not know it’s on. Only the passionate people (like the contributors to this page) know it’s on. Give it a go. If it means twenty thousand new viewers and 5,000 additional attendees it will be worth it.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
I totally agree about striking but I’ve given up worrying about it these days as I see it as a universal issue and not just A League by any stretch. Finding someone who can bang in goals on a regular basis or even hit the target more often than the corner flag or roof of the stadium is something akin to the holy grail in our sport and it is no wonder that clubs are willing to,sell,their collective souls to the devil to procure an individual with the right traits and it is no wonder that so many coaches and club owners are willing to gamble on the unknown. When TP was at Wanderers, I thought he got most things right but had no idea what a striker even looked like and he certainly never really found one and the club ploughed it’s way through some comical acquisitions. However, in the end I formed the opinion that it wasn’t that he didn’t recognise what was needed, it was having the right ticket in the lottery or being in the place at the right time. Fornaroli is a great example - Perth became his salvation as they were the right club at the right time although why MC ever let things get like that is beyond me. On the other hand our national coach does not appear to favour Mclaren even though he regularly finds the net….He won’t gamble on whether JM can make the jump from domestic to international. Strange subject really….The hunt for the successful number 9!
jbinnie
Guest
Waz - I don't think Warren Moon is the only guy suffering from the "no goals" epidemic. Anyone who watches the broad spectrum of A-League matches can't possibly have failed to notice the absence of good shooting techniques across the strikers who are being paid to score goals. So much so that when Oar (from midfield), or Brown from a forward run, plant two shots into nets it highlights the efforts of others who invariably send their shots soaring high over the bar, or skidding wide of the target. In my thinking there is far too much of that "weakness" in our younger players and it is up to coaching staffs to improve that failing. Cheers jb.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
It's too early to say that outright, but yeh, it's definitely a risk.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I'm beginning to think that whoever is Sports Director at P+ is lazy. Surely leaving a game on line isn't difficult. Highlights packages or mini-matches take some editing, but a replay?
HR
Roar Rookie
Exactly. At least on Fox/Kayo they could access an existing "sports fan" audience. The move to Paramount+ might have been of short-term benefit, but in the long term it limits the potential for growth.
HR
Roar Rookie
Free to air. You can't build a fanbase without an audience, and you can't build an audience without letting people see games. Every impediment you put in place reduces your potential audience, and even a modest fee is enough to discourage people from watching games and getting attached to a team. If they never see games in the first place how will they grow to love a team and the game?
chris
Guest
Yes some good points and criteria. I get annoyed at the lack of striking quality we have. The crossing as well. But then you see absolute world class goals from Oar and Noone and you think wow. Consistency is the key rather than ability. They can do it. Maybe they arent under as much pressure as say in Europe? If you don't perform 9 times out of 10 then see you later.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
I watch cricket - test matches and 50 overs a side one day games. I watch NRL sporadically - go to a couple of games a season and a dash of AFL if I'm home on a Saturday afternoon or nobody else is home on a Friday night! A good level I ain't the judge of in any other sport but in football I look at some of the basic skills and ball control. I am dismayed when I see the number of times a player cannot control the ball close to the sideline and the ball goes out. first touch is important - I hate seeing a foot to the ball and the ball then travels another 5 metres. Longer passing 30 metres or so - I'm forgiving sometimes but when the ball doesn't go near the target it is highly frustrating. My other criteria is far more subjective. I look at players to see who can read the game and can prepare for the next move! I know its easier when you sit in the grandstand with an elevated view but sometimes to me it is blindingly obvious where the ball will be heading and what needs to be done to counteract the threat and I see quite a few players without a clue as they cling to playing the formation and the lines they are taught. The best players mix what they have learned technically with what they have learned as individuals combined with the need to adapt, think and change quickly oh yes IMPROVISE, it isn't just the realm of the theatre that needs that as a skill! Does that make any sense?
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
Well said AdelaideAndy, couldn't agree with you more.
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
Just to add to that, the highlights are available on you tube, albeit in worse quality video, on the same night as the match, well before Paramount+. Not sure how that works!
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
I didn't see the end of the Glory game... because I was watching Brisbane Roar. Evidently more viewers on Paramount+ doesn't necessarily equate to column inches.
chris
Guest
Para you are spot on with your comment about being out of touch. Talk about being stuck in a time warp. Clueless.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
will the victory and wanderers be partaking in pride round ? :laughing:
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
look up the team that you follow officials youtube page and they should be on there :)
Derek
Guest
As usual no mention of the Perth Glory. It’s all about the eastern states clubs, especially Sydney and Melbourne. Paramount is rubbish, after they copped a huge barrage of criticism and asked for feedback and got it in bucket loads they said they would make upgrades that would allow subscribers to watch games from the start if they miss kick off time, and be able to pause, rewind fast forward etc….. None of it has happened. It’s rubbish. Well done Perth Glory, against all the odds, severely undermanned, pulled off a last minute draw against Central Coast.
David V
Guest
That pretty much sums up the A-League's main challenge in the football world - it gets "lost in the shuffle" of a huge amount of football that is accessible to fans at their fingertips.