Phew! We made it.
A season that began far later than usual has finally reached its arrowhead, with six teams still in the race to raise the A-League Men championship trophy aloft.
An argument could be made for each and every side remaining in the hunt for the famous toilet seat, yet the powerhouses of Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City surely have the best claims on a title that will undoubtedly be lined with resilience and fortitude, no matter who eventually celebrates on May 28.
This weekend, the third-placed Western United take on the sixth-placed Wellington Phoenix on Saturday night, before the Reds and the Mariners do battle on Sunday afternoon. Both stand to be compelling and tough-to-predict affairs.
Good luck with your tips as we head into the final throes of a season that will never be forgotten, and be sure to enter your selections in the sheet below to have a say as the now-top-of-the-pops voice of the crowd.
Here is the way the panel sees all the elimination action unfolding.
Mike Tuckerman
United, Adelaide
A solitary point from the final three games of the season saw Western United blow any chance they had of winning the premiership and their punishment for that loss of form is an elimination final against a tricky Wellington Phoenix.
Add to that the fact that Wellington recently smashed John Aloisi’s side in Ballarat and this game is difficult to predict.
The hosts are missing the inspirational Alessandro Diamanti for the rest of the season, but they still have plenty of match-winners – including veteran goalkeeper Jamie Young.
I can’t look past the home team, although they might not get it done inside 90 minutes.
The two most in-form teams in the finals go head to head, with Adelaide United and the Central Coast Mariners both going into this elimination final on the back of five straight victories.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Carl Veart has transformed the Reds into one of the most quietly effective sides in the A-League Men and he won’t necessarily fear the visit of Nick Montgomery’s unpredictable Mariners.
The visitors have scored goals for fun in recent weeks, but they’re never the best of travellers and they went down 2-1 the last time they met the Reds in Adelaide.
I think home-town advantage will play a role here, so I can’t tip against the Reds.
Simon Hill
Wellington, Adelaide
Stuart Thomas
Wellington, Central Coast
It took me 26 weeks, but I finally clawed back the lead of Texi Smith, a man known to be closely connected with the powerhouse that is soon to be Newcastle United, after their owner goes bonkers in the summer transfer window.
He was a sitting duck, but now I need to finish him off.
Foolishly, he has hitched his wagon on a Western United side that is floundering and conceding far more often than they did early in the season.
Wellington deserve everything they get and a top-four position could well be fitting for the most resilient team in the league.
There was no shame in the loss to City mid-week and with the returns of Reno Piscopo and Nicholas Pennington to the starting line-up, expect to see the best of a team that we have all come to admire. Oliver Sail to star and the Phoenix to advance.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
I called the Central Coast as title contenders as they climbed from 11th on the ladder at the midway point of the season and I am proud to say that I was 100 per cent correct, based on what I had seen in Nick Montgomery’s men across the opening weeks.
Now, the Mariners are just a game away from a shot at one of the big two and after tipping them far more often than not, I shan’t be jumping ship at this stage.
Mind you, Adelaide United have also been very kind to me this season and I really would prefer to see both these teams in the final four.
However, the Mariners’ weapons in the final third should be too much for the Reds, despite what stands to be a ripping turn-out in Adelaide.
Texi Smith
United, Adelaide
The end of the season was perfectly played out in A-League Men fashion on Monday, as City limped to the premiership with a slender win against the Phoenix in front of a healthy Victory following.
Now that we’ve got rid of the chaff, it’s time for the good stuff.
Western United threw their premiership in the bin last week. Had they beaten Newcastle and done better when handling Nikolai Topor-Stanley’s early departure in Adelaide, they would be sitting proudly on top of the A-League Men, they would have qualified for Asia and they would have really marked their territory, wherever that may be.
Contrast that to the Phoenix, who ran the eventual premiers Melbourne City close on Monday after dominating against the Western Sydney Wanderers earlier in the week, and it’s easy to see who the form team is.
But with Connor Pain and Dylan Wenzel-Halls fizzing around the park, it will be the Melburnians who take the game to their nomadic visitors and a telling first half hour will decide the game.
Walter Sandoval will cancel out Aleksandar Prijovic’s opener, but the home team will power ahead, leading 3-1 at the break.
Ben Waine and Ben Old will both go close in the second half and a late goal by David Ball will make it nervy, but Western United will ultimately triumph, returning to form after a dicey two weeks.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The Mariners are everyone’s darlings this season: the fairy-tale story, the small-town team rising to the top after years in the doldrums.
They’ve played some excellent stuff too and are unbeaten in six, while Adelaide United are the hosts, themselves with five wins on the spin.
This is a clash of two teams in form, both expecting to go all the way.
Bernardo Oliveira will be the difference today. Craig Goodwin will make the most of the space created, while Oliveira will turn the defence inside out down the right.
Central Coast will score. Beni N’Kololo will smash a shot inside the post, but a Goodwin free kick and a Javi Lopez pile driver will have Adelaide in the box seat.
A dramatic final 15 minutes will be heart-stopping for the home fans as the Mariners lay siege, but Joe Gauci will wipe away memories of his red card earlier in the season with a string of blinding saves.
| Elimination finals | Mike | Simon | Stuart | Texi | The Crowd |
| WUN vs WEL | WUN | WEL | WEL | WUN | ? |
| ADL vs CCM | ADL | ADL | CCM | ADL | ? |
| Previous total | 65 | 65 | 70 | 71 | 71 |
| Last week | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| New total | 68 | 67 | 75 | 73 | 76 |
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Morning Gents, Mike, thanks for the positive message. It really is a drink of water after being in the desert. Anyone who's looke at the games so far in this finals series, who are in possession any football knowledge would find it hard to deny that the football is good. It's not just good, it's fantastic. The control, the speed, maintenance of possession, the fact that anyone can cause an upset and most importantly, the shots and goals. Our footballers are on an upward curve. Throw in a considerably more stable season next season, and hopefully the first iteration the 2nd Div and hopefully football is shifting up into 3rd gear. I was watching Adelaide and City last night and if that was not evidence the crowds are coming back nothing was. Said it before, and I'll say it again, grab a Eurosnob drag them to a game and do your best to convert them. It's up to those with belief in our game to grow the game. Thanks again Mike for the ray of positivity. Keep the faith!1
Buster graham
Guest
Yeah victory only fifteen games unbeaten, clearly not up to it ????????♂️
Oscar Socrates
Guest
Mariners have been robbed by abysmal refereeing decisions this season. Sunday will provide justice. Teams like Adelaide that got to where they are with several dubious refereeing decisions will be found out. Victory - not up to it. City got there in a way similar to Adelaide. Cannot win!
Garry
Roar Rookie
I posted a link which may get thru the mods..FIFA hasnt announced ticket sales yet..Im thinking of going to my home town Dunedin for games!
Grem
Roar Rookie
And football supporters learn such basic things each day! It's amazing what many of us don't know.
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
Both finals matches this week are FTA and presumably the whole finals series is.
Grem
Roar Rookie
As a member of The Football Family I'm assuming I will receive an email.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
just had another idea too, buy Women's WC tickets, get a discount/free ticket to the A-League. This kind of stuff get's people through the gates, and when they do, the doubters will be pleasantly surprised in my opinion
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
too right it would be and tell me if you disagree young fella, but I reckon it's going to be a fascinating off season this year what with player and Gaffer movements etc. And next year we have a WC to look forward to. Dont know how to get tickets do you?
Full Time NSD
Guest
https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/football-australia-unveils-first-ever-domestic-club-licensing-regulations-australian Licensing getting an overhaul. Transfer fees being introduced. FA seem to be delivering very well.
Grem
Roar Rookie
That would be an interesting promotion.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Ok, so it's finals time. This has been a bugger of season. Perth and Wellington have been absolutely treated in an appalling manner, teams have had little rest between games etc. With that in mind, a Wellington team that can go through all of that, and finish in the top four, yeah they are going to come out punching. They have an absolute battle-hardened manager who is more cunning than a fox, and I reckon that United are going to have their hands full. Come on you Nix!! Reds v Mariners, this is going to be awesome. Stu, forgive me in that I have respect for the achievements of the Mariners, but Cooooommmmmeeeee on you Reeeeeeds! Hindmarsh will be pumping, those Reds lads never play as well as they do on their home pitch, and they've got a quality thing going. The goals from Javi Lopez and Kitto last weekend were first class. Mariners are going to be battling but it's going to be a cracker whichever way you look at it. As I said the other day, this is football Nirvana, revel in it, promote it and FA should be offering one free ticket to an A-League game if you can convert a Eurosnob. Keep the Faith Lads.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Wellington to dominate WU but scrape over the line 2-1. CCM to dick Adelaide 3-1 for the match of the round, however i expect a lot of thuggery from Adelaide.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
my job is in youth developement, if i didnt know the ins and outs of the next generation then i'd be pretty terrible at my job. – this also means knowing a lot about a club like Sydney that I dislike, but it doesn’t stop me from being professional i've burnt a lot of bridges (and still do) but luckily i still have a lot of people within the game that trust me enough to provide information across all aspects of the sport as for pelligra group, theres not too much specific in relation to adelaide in general I can say atm (let alone the ins and outs of the squad at this point in time) but i have already given an indication of who is likely to leave and only the 1 likely arrival so far in van der saag. ross (peligra) has been at AU HQ a couple times this week, it will surprise people to know how much time he actually spends in adelaide. hes just added the womens basketball team to his growing portfolio of south australian sporting sides (adelaide united, adelaide 36ers, adelaide giants and now the adelaide lighting) i've joked with the poster Franko oh here previously about pelligra group making an 'adelaide sporting organisation group" under the 1 banner (think the city financial group, but on an extremely small scale, in south australia) Ross has always been very strategic with his purchases - i dont want to insinuate my own personal belief of what hes trying to do either lol
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
My predictions for the Park the Bus derby, Western United will end up dominating possesion against their wills and be lured into the Wellington Phoenix half and lose this one nil to a goal on the counter. The povo derby , this really should be fought in Rundle mall who can get more cash in their beggar bowls with a sob story on cardboard. I think Adelaide will win through some dodgy var decisions.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I'm not p!$$!ng in your pocket, but I can't believe how much you know about our footballers. I read your comment about Caceras previously and he deserves to play overseas, but he will be a real loss if he goes. I'm hoping Sydney can somehow wrangle a deal for him. And I understand what you've written about the Pelligrini group and finances and Adelaide being a development club (as the A League needs to be) but again I want to see Adelaide retain their best and add to it. Many of our players who go overseas to develop just don't.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
for waht its worth, kurcharski im not entirely sold on; of being of the standard of an a league player. hes a year behind where he should be and thats because last season was a write off for him with that awful injury i know van weerern regards him as one of the best attackers to come through sydney and he has been in outstanding form already this npl season and his form warrants being classed as one of the best NPL level players nationally atm he wasnt a prolific goal scorer during his junior days, but being prolific in juniors doesnt necessarily mean you will be a good professional player hes not exactly a young kid anymore either, he'll be 20 by the start of next season and even though sydney will have plenty of positions available - i dont believe they'll look from within, to resolve there front third conondrum as for glory i think it was well known that wood and colavoski were going there, negotiations have stalled with amini and buhagiar atm though i already mentioned sotirio had signed for newcastle and i knew they had enquired about mcgarry (didnt know he was confirmed signed though) theyre still negotiating for dukuly from adelaide and terry antonis from the wanderers
Nick Symonds
Guest
Given how crazy the world has been this week, I predict unpredictability and strangeness.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I’ll watch both games, but before they start you would expect the Mariners v Adelaide game to be more entertaining. 1. Because of the football they play and 2. The crowd noise and passion. Western v Wellington may also be brilliant, but it has to be a smaller crowd and it may be quite dour as well. And a good point about kick off time – I guess 9.45pm.
Grem
Roar Rookie
You've written about their centrebacks before - hopefully he's one of the good ones. They've also signed a young striker - Jayden Kurcharski. Apparently he's been quite successful in the NPL. Hopefully they get time and hopefully they adapt and develop. Participating always beats viewing and you can always watch the replay. You'll find out about Wood signing for Perth, Penha might not be at Newcastle, etc. I'd love to be participating myself, but I've caught the Covid bug, so I have more time to make a nuisance of myself!