With the APL hell-bent on transforming the A-Leagues from legitimate football competitions into a night on the town for the city Sydney, perhaps it’s fitting the finals will kick off with a Sydney derby.
Marco Tilio played a grand total of 10 minutes in total for Sydney FC during their 2019-20 championship-winning campaign, with the diminutive attacker struggling to crack a starting side containing the likes of Milos Ninkovic and Kosta Barbarouses.
And when Western Sydney keeper Lawrence Thomas pulled off a spectacular save to deny Melbourne City striker Andrew Nabbout from the penalty spot with 12 minutes remaining on Friday night, it looked like the Wanderers would hang on to third spot with the scores locked at 2-2.
That was until the Wanderers left the outstanding Tilio in acres of space in stoppage time, allowing him to arrow a strike across Thomas and into the bottom corner for his second goal of the night.
You could almost hear APL chief Danny Townsend’s cries of relief from inside your living room, as Tilio’s goal dropped the Wanderers down to fourth on the ladder and confirmed they’ll host Sydney FC in Saturday night’s elimination final at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.
Kusini Yengi of the Wanderers (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Let’s call a spade a spade here: along with treating fans with contempt for the majority of the season, the APL couldn’t care less about the integrity of their competitions either.
If they did, they wouldn’t have ‘rewarded’ Western United for defeating Sydney FC in their earlier A-League Women’s semi-final by forcing them to face the premiers at a CommBank Stadium packed with Sky Blues fans – a game Sydney FC ultimately won 4-0.
The APL was quick to salute the record attendance for the women’s decider, but were less forthcoming about the fact they gave away thousands of free tickets to the game.
And the bad optics and lingering fan outrage around the APL’s decision to sell Grand Final hosting rights to Sydney are a headache entirely of their own making.
Like George Costanza negotiating a pilot deal with NBC for less money, just about every decision the APL has made since taking charge has diminished the A-Leagues.
Even so, there’s no denying next weekend’s two elimination finals are a match made in administrative heaven.
Adelaide United were out to make a statement in their winner-takes-all second-placed showdown with the Central Coast Mariners on Friday – and make a statement they did.
It’s just not the one Carl Veart wanted to make.
The Reds’ coach was out-thought and out-fought by a Mariners side that beat the Reds at their own game, as Central Coast’s high press pinned Adelaide back in their own defensive half and ultimately saw Nick Montgomery’s side come away with a stunning 4-0 win.
The Mariners have been the most underrated side in the competition all season and they flexed their championship credentials with a genuinely impressive performance – helped in no small part by a star turn from Brazilian playmaker Marco Tulio.
Central Coast will now face the winner of Adelaide’s elimination final with Wellington Phoenix – and they’ll fancy their chances of knocking over either side in their two-legged semi-final.
(Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
Sydney FC, meanwhile, laboured to a 2-0 victory over the Newcastle Jets in a result that was marred by a hamstring injury to star winger Joe Lolley and a late red card to substitute Jaiden Kucharski.
Kucharski was a bit unlucky to receive his marching orders for two yellow cards collected from a couple of innocuous challenges, but Lolley’s potential absence is a much bigger issue for the Sky Blues.
So too is the likes of Marko Rudan, Brandon Borrello and Milos Ninkovic absolutely spoiling for a fight on home turf.
Sydney FC supporter group The Cove have confirmed they’ll be boycotting the game – and the APL would do well to sit down with Destination NSW and explain the empty seats – but there’s no doubt this is the fixture the APL desperately needed.
Whether the A-Leagues can survive another season of the Australian Professional League’s leadership is another story.
Waz
Roar Rookie
The football community does!!
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Yes, it was Grem, but the little unhappy poor fella needed some good sound advice from us two knowledgable and stable elders. :laughing:
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Gold, absolute gold. That's call a spade a spade
Grem
Roar Rookie
Chris, I agree in full.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Was it me who told you to bite your tongue and ignore trolls. I think I need to send the same message to myself!
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
But the Average Aussie doesn't know what the NSD is
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
The NSD Broadcast will be just like the Australia Cup Broadcast a afterthought bundled in with the National Team Rights
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
NSD will be winter The only City of Brisbane LGA Club that has a shot at NSD is United Olympic lack the facilities and there are no alternatives for them nearby City last I heard had financial issues prior to COVID
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Roar are also wanting to play 3 mens games at Ballymore next season but are awaiting approval from APL
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Nope. I’m having WAY too much fun! Here’s a tip for the slow learners amongst us - if you don’t like my comments, don’t read them. Just as I’m allowed to comment (again for the slow learners - that’s actually the entire point of this website), you’re free to not read my comments. Amazing this needs to be pointed out to you though - maybe you described yourself with that last comment of yours? Have a great day… :laughing:
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Grem that looks like a great game. It's played across the world apparently. I am assuming our little fella is now off sulking in his little humble abode crying his eyes out. :rugby: (I know that's a rugby ball but we don't seem to have an AFL emoji here) :football: ..... :stoked:
chris1
Roar Rookie
Can you just stop. You really are annoying and not very bright.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Agree. It’s a stonewalling tactics, getting the clubs to be a barrier to meaningful fan engagement with the APL. It’s also a divide and conquer approach that tries to ensure that the various supporter groups don’t come together as a united group with a single voice talking to the APL.
338
Roar Rookie
:football:
338
Roar Rookie
https://www.espn.com.au/football/australian-a-league-men/story/4939388/a-league-reiterates-commitment-to-fan-representation-groups-as-boycotts-threaten-finals-series This is also relevant. Love how Danny is SO genuine about putting it on the clubs to set up a framework through which fans, who are annoyed at decisions made by the APL, have to travel through. The Roar sent an email about a week or so ago calling for nominations for a fan based stakeholder group – nothing about feeding into APL process from what I recall. Reckon Danny might be making it all up on the run now the festival of football is upon him and he’s looked in the bag of tricks and there’s nothing in it but a hole. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Nero fiddled while it burnt to the ground. Reckon we’ve got Nero. Anyone know where I can get a Festival of Football, Sydney 2023 T Shirt? KeepUp don’t seem to have them for sale. :silly: Someone please write a new article so we can stop scrolling through 200 comments to keep this discussion going!!!
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Unlike your one-eyed obsession I actually follow many sports. Maybe don’t make anymore unsubstantiated wild assertions in future? Will help you look less petty and foolish. You really do need lots of assistance don’t you! As always, I remain ever willing to help you out with all your struggles… :laughing:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Little sport…. https://iqasport.org/ Quidditch is a bigger sport than the one you follow!
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Thanks. The ESPN FC website https://www.espn.com.au/football/australian-a-league-men/story/4938745/a-league-scrambling-to-find-all-stars-opponents-after-bayern-munich-withdraw and Townsend confirming to "ESPN that Bayern Munich have withdrawn from a proposed tour of Australia," But no such statement on the APL's own website KEEPUP? I searched 'Townsend' and Bayern Munich' and zip, nothing regarding the withdrawal - that I could find. So bad news doesn't make it onto their website :shocked:
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
“thanks for your help” Your words… :laughing: :laughing: Again, I’m delighted to help you and your little sport!
Grem
Roar Rookie
I would never think anything you wrote or said would have any material benefit. I’m not that silly. You have a much higher opinion of you than I do. Your post simply allowed my post to fall into a higher spot. Thanks