Opinion
Round 20 had two games in which one team scored four goals. Despite that, there were only 19 goals in total.
Only two teams kept a clean sheet and there were no draws.
In five out of six matches, where a team claimed three points, the winning team had less possession than their opponents.
There were plenty of good performers that were narrowed down to the 11 who made the cut.
Formation: 4-4-2
Goalkeeper: Cameron Cook (Perth Glory)
Cook put in an outstanding performance, keeping Perth in the game with some world-class saves. He displayed some leadership qualities as his saves were team lifters; he led by example, as Glory were forced to play with the ten men from the second minute onwards.
Three saves he made were from shots inside the box and two were diving.
Right-back: Johnny Koutroumbis (Perth Glory)
Koutroumbis put in a good shift as he curtailed plenty of attacks from the Western Sydney Wanderers. Initially, Perth played with a back three, but were forced to go to a back four when Jordan Elsey was sent off. Koutroumbis was forced to change his focus and play as a right back, which he did in an impressive fashion.
Centre-back: Mark Beevers (Perth Glory)
Beevers showed that he is an adaptable defender when they changed from three central defenders to two central defenders. He made a lot of blocks and clearances and helped the Perth Glory keep a clean sheet. He summed the game up as “the best win of the season for me”.
Centre-back: Tomoki Imai (Western United)
Imai was possibly the best player on the field, apart from Connor Pain. He won many of his duels and intercepted the ball. He helped limit the clear-cut chances Melbourne Victory had.
Left-back: Jordan Bos (Melbourne City)
Bos had 37 passes in the final third and passed the ball on 90 occasions with a passing accuracy of 88.9 percent. He didn’t stop working and looking to create goal-scoring opportunities.
Right-midfield: Christian Theoharous (Central Coast Mariners)
Theoharous finished the game with two assists, worked hard and proved that he warrants being a professional footballer. It’s fantastic he wasn’t lost to the system.
All four goals that Central Coast scored during his 65 minutes on the field.
Centre-midfield: Aiden O’Neill (Melbourne City)
O’Neill scored Melbourne City’s two goals. His first goal was sensational, a shot from well outside the box in the 22nd minute, before sealing the winning goal in the 88th minute with a clinical header.
He is reportedly getting interest from overseas for a reason.
Centre-midfield: Maximilien Ballard (Central Coast Mariners)
Ballard put in a fantastic display has he helped the Mariners control the tempo of the game and the balance of play. He passed the ball accurately, won the penalty that gave the Mariners an unassailable three-goal lead over Macarthur FC in the 63rd minute, and was also good defensively as he made five tackles and won 11 duels.
Left-midfield: Craig Goodwin (Adelaide United)
Goodwin scored the opening goal of the game in the 12th minute, which set the tone. He also provided an assist to make the score 2-0 in the 14th minute, and a second in the 44th minute, which Luka Jovanovic scored.
In simple terms, he makes everyone else better.
Forward: Marco Tulio (Central Coast Mariners)
Tulio played to the standard that’s expected of him after being quiet for a few games. He put the ball on a plate for Jason Cummings, which gave Central Coast a 2-1 lead in the 47th minute. He also scored a goal of his own as he made a marauding run forward, which made the score 3-1 in the 51st minute.
Forward: Nestory Irankunda (Adelaide United)
Irankunda was brought on at halftime, given 45 minutes plus stoppage to showcase his talent and he delivered in spades.
He worked hard with and without the ball, chasing back with vigour as if he had a point to prove. He was rewarded for his hard work with what proved to be the winning goal of the game with a cracking finish in the 65th minute.
How far he goes is up to him.
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