Round 22 began with plenty of fireworks; Western Sydney Wanderers lost 3-2 at home against Adelaide United. There were comeback wins for Melbourne Victory against Wellington Phoenix and Perth Glory against Macarthur FC.
It was a Round full of goals, with 24 scored in six matches, no team kept a clean sheet and there were two score draws. In two out of four matches, where a team claimed three points the winning team had less possession than their opponents.
Here’s who made the cut in Round 22.
Formation: 3-5-2
Goalkeeper: Paul Izzo (Melbourne Victory)
Izzo kept Melbourne Victory’s finals hopes alive with two big saves in four minutes; the first was a save from Yan Sasse in the 52nd minute and the second was in the 56th minute from a shot by Steven Ugarkovic with the Phoenix leading 1-0.
Bruno Fornaroli scored the equaliser in the 58th minute and Melbourne Victory won 2-1. If it wasn’t for Izzo making a couple of quality saves in a pivotal time in the end the game would have been gone.
Centre-back: Damien Da Silva (Melbourne Victory)
Da Silva worked hard defensively and was rewarded up the other end of the field with a goal and an assist at integral parts of the game. He led by example and was a key part of Melbourne Victory claiming the three points.
Centre-back: Ben Warland (Adelaide United)
Warland scored two of Adelaide United’s three goals. There’s no doubt that he is a weapon from set pieces. The first came from a Zac Clough who put a pinpoint cross, which Warland headed into the back of the net. It was the opening goal of the game in the 37th minute. He was responsible for Adelaide United retaking the lead in the 49th minute from a Craig Goodwin corner.
(Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Centre-back: Mark Beevers (Perth Glory)
Beevers displayed a great work rate and is playing with belief and confidence, which is something that coach Ruben Zadkovich has instilled in the team. There’s no doubt that Beevers is a quality defender and showed his value to the team when he scored the winning goal with a headed goal scored in the 74th minute, with Jacob Dowse providing the assist from a set piece. He summed up the Perth Glory’s predicament; “We feel as though we should be higher on the ladder.”
Right-midfield: Trent Ostler (Perth Glory)
Ostler put in a good shift for the Perth Glory. When the chips were down, he performed admirably; he displayed character and grit and executed his skills well. He made many a marauding run forward down the right hand side for the Glory. He never gave in and was an inspiration to his teammates.
Centre-midfield: Joshua Nisbet (Central Coast Mariners)
Nisbet proved that he was sorely missed in the starting 11 for the last couple of games. He was involved in most of the game and he was a big reason why the Central Coast Mariners controlled the balance of play and the tempo of the game. He gave them a 2-0 lead in the 17th minute, which was good reward for effort from a player that’s arguably the hardest working player in the competition.
Centre-midfield: Max Burgess (Sydney FC)
Burgess worked tirelessly and proved that the hard work he has put it to be a permanent part of the Sky Blues starting 11 has paid off. He found pockets of space and was instrumental in his team claiming what may be a valuable point. He did everything in his power to help his team win the game and provided two assists.
Attacking-midfield: Yeni N’Gbakoto (Western Sydney Wanderers)
N’Gbakoto’s endeavour was there for all to see; he played for two players at times. He provided the assist for both Wanderers goals. He was deployed in a role that suited him as he played with freedom.
Left-midfield: Connor Pain (Western United)
Pain was arguably the best player on the field when Western United took on Sydney FC. The game finished 3-all. He passed the ball exquisitely and finished the game with a goal and an assist. There’s no doubt that he led from the front and the icing on the cake was that he was responsible in two of the three goals that Western United scored.
Forward: Robert Mak (Sydney FC)
Mak scored a brace; he was responsible for Sydney FC equalising twice in the game against Western United. His first goal came in the 22nd minute and his second goal came in the 89th minute! Along with scoring the two equalisers scored by the Sky Blues in the game. His general play was also up to a high standard and reaped the rewards in the final third.
Forward: Marco Tulio (Central Coast Mariners)
Tulio was another player in the team of the week that put in his optimum level. He opened the scoring in the 15th minute. The four goals scored by Central Coast Mariners were all scored with him on the field; he was substituted off in the 68th minute.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with Feyenoord for their head coach Arne Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.…
The past 18-24 months have been an enjoyable ride for Arsenal and their fan-base after almost a decade of turbulence. Mikel Arteta has been…
Manchester City have chalked up another big win in their hunt for an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title, with Phil Foden continuing his…
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Despite the short nature of his tenure as a professional manager, Arne Slot has established himself as arguably the most impressive manager outside of…
Everton won the Merseyside derby 2-0, with Toffees supporters taunting Liverpool after the game at their home ground Goodison Park.
