Opinion
There’s always something worth talking about when it comes to this league, so let’s get into it.
Here are your A-League Round 16 talking points.
After somewhat rectifying their dreadful start to the campaign, champions Western United are in the midst of another poor run of results, with the latest an unacceptable loss to Adelaide United on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. When you’re up 2-0 at home, there’s really no excuse for not closing out the game, let alone snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by conceding three unanswered goals in the space of just 18 minutes.
This latest collapse is a real concern. With only 10 rounds to go the finals aren’t quite yet out of reach for John Aloisi’s side, but it is worrying how little this team resembles the one that lifted the toilet seat just nine months ago. If I had to guess the make-up of the ladder come season’s end, on current form, I wouldn’t include Western. There are at least six teams playing better and more cohesive football currently, despite being weaker on paper than the champions.
Aloisi only has limited time to right the ship before United’s title defence ends in a bottom-half finish. In their next two fixtures a trip to Sky Stadium to face Wellington looms, before they return ‘home’ to AAMI Park against a likely desperate Newcastle Jets outfit. Anything less than six points, and the gap between them and the finals places may just become insurmountable.
John Aloisi (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The league’s second youngest side can perhaps take some solace from their neighbours Melbourne Victory, whose season is just going from bad to worse. Anchored to the bottom of the ladder, the four-time champions’ latest defeat came at the hands of Newcastle on Sunday afternoon in the Hunter. There really is nowhere to go but up for Tony Popovic’s men.
Despite the high standard of play in 2022-23, it feels like interest in the league is at, or at least near an all-time low. That’s been reflected in poor metrics such as TV viewers and crowds, with sub-5000 or even sub-3000 attendances now becoming perfectly accepted.
No one really batted an eye at the paltry 2603 fans Western United managed to draw to AAMI Park.
While it was far from a showcase of champagne football, Saturday night’s Sydney Derby in Parramatta definitely delivered as a spectacle. From the encouraging showing of fans from both sides of the divide, to the agony and ecstasy of a disallowed Tom Beadling equaliser, to a petty and entertaining square-up between old mates Steve Corica and Marko Rudan, there was plenty of drama throughout the 90 minutes.
A crowd of more than 26,000 will give Western Sydney’s – and the league’s – average attendance a nice bump, and hopefully a few of the more casual observers will be motivated to head long to their side’s next home game.
It sets up a tantalising climax to the league’s most spiteful rivalry on March 18 back at the shiny Allianz Stadium. With the season ledger sitting at 1-1, something tells me the fire is going to be turned up to 11 as both sides, both managers and both sets of fans will be desperate to get another one over their rivals.
Last week I wrote about how Patrick Yazbek joined other promising young players like Garang Kuol and Connor Metcalfe in earning European moves in recent times. In terms of players still plying their trade in the A-League, there’s currently no more exciting prospect than Melbourne City left-back Jordan Bos, who could well also be off to Europe before we know it.
The 20-year-old has turned plenty of heads so far this season, and got City off to the perfect start on Saturday evening in the west with this delicious piece of skill.
Earning plaudits from far and wide for both his offensive and defensive abilities, Socceroos fans will be hoping the up-and-coming star is the answer to the national team’s long-term dearth of international-quality left-backs. You’d have to think Bos is on Graham Arnold’s radar, if not for the upcoming window then at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Let’s just enjoy this kid for however long he has left in the A-League, but as mentioned I’m not sure it’ll be too long if he keeps up this standard of play.
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