Maybe the A-League Men got what it deserved when what should have been a marquee Sunday fixture ended with Western Sydney and Wellington playing out a scoreless draw.
Alex Paulsen wasn’t going to let the blistering Parramatta sunshine bother him.
Preferred in goal by new Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano to former Newcastle custodian Jack Duncan, the 21-year-old pulled off a string of impressive saves to frustrate the Wanderers in front of a small crowd at CommBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
His first save of the day was undoubtedly his best, as the Phoenix academy graduate flung himself to his left to spectacularly tip a Nicolas Milanovic effort bound for the top corner over the crossbar.
Paulsen showed it was no fluke as he clawed away a Marcus Antonsson header soon after, and when he kept out a long-range Jack Clisby strike shortly after the break – this time not quite as convincingly – you just felt like it wasn’t going to be Western Sydney’s day.
Not to be outdone by the youngster between the posts, veteran Lawrence Thomas pulled off a superb save of his own just before half-time when his lightning-fast reflexes saw him push Zawada’s header around the post from a pinpoint Kosta Barbarouses cross.
The Wanderers still had chances to win it at the death, but Clisby headed across goal and substitute Lachlan Brook screwed a snapshot wide to round out a frustrating afternoon for the home side.
Those were the good parts.
The bad part was another 3pm kick-off played in the hottest part of the day, with hardly any fans in the stands and presumably just as few watching on TV.
It’s hard to imagine who actually benefits from these early-afternoon kick-offs.
The pace of the game is always slow because temperatures are too warm, many fans are left sweltering in stadiums that offer zero protection from the sun, and no one is watching on TV.
A modest gallery in Parramatta (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)
Just over 3000 fans turned out for Macarthur’s 1-1 draw with Brisbane Roar at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday – played at the exact same time the Roar’s women’s team was busy defeating Sydney FC 1-0 – and the lack of online activity across social media for what was the opening round of the season should be a genuine cause for concern.
Of course, all this comes on the back of the Australian Professional Leagues’ decision to sell A-League Grand Final hosting rights to Sydney – a move the governing body belatedly announced it had reversed in the days leading up to the new campaign.
Danny Townsend is gone too – supposedly off to Saudi Arabia – and few will lament the end of an era marked by the APL’s high-handed arrogance and inexplicable inability to read the room.
Townsend’s successor is ultimately likely to be Nick Garcia – another APL administrator with close ties to the City Football Group – while new independent A-Leagues chair Stephen Conroy is a self-confessed Melbourne City fan.
The A-Leagues continue to take their cues from the City Football Group – with little to show for it.
At least Perth Glory’s ownership woes have finally been resolved, even if new coach Alen Stajcic will be desperately disappointed to have watched his side concede a 92nd-minute equaliser in their 2-2 draw with the Newcastle Jets.
I spoke with the former Matildas coach in the build-up to the new campaign and he remains one of the A-League’s most impressive thinkers.
(Photo by Hagen Hopkins – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Stajcic knows full well he needs his Glory side to play an entertaining brand of football to bring supporters back to HBF Park, and he came within minutes of registering a first win in his first competitive game in charge.
Instead, it was Apostolos Stamatelopoulos who made the most of an error of judgement by new Perth keeper Oli Sail, as the Jets striker headed home a free-kick after Sail raced off his goal-line and got nowhere near the ball.
Glory’s new ownership group is at least one less headache for the APL to contend with.
But following an opening weekend in which fans stayed away in droves, the game’s administrators surely need to reconsider kick-off times that no one seems willing to attend.
chris1
Roar Rookie
"Australian soccer's place in the world". What does that even mean?
Grem
Roar Rookie
The Socceroos were 11th best at the last World Cup and are presently ranked 27 out of over 220 teams. That’s in the top 10% of the world. The Matildas were 4th at the last World Cup and are ranked 10th in the world. These teams are made up of present and former A Leagues players. We are a football NATION and you can choose to ignore that while watching your 2 state game..
JoshW
Roar Rookie
Yes. I grew up 2 streets over from Josh Addo-Carr. My PE teacher at school was Steve Georgalis. Any other questions Brett?
Foot and Ball
Roar Rookie
Keep it up Apl and when you fold, I will be laughing my head off. This is a wonderful journey.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
The difference is I’m perfectly aware of Rugby League’s place in the world, you are delusional about Australian soccer’s place in the world.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Peace out Chris!
chris1
Roar Rookie
The more 2 states comes on here to tell us how big rugba league is and how small sokkah is the more you know sokkah sticks in his craw and not in a good way. The sooner he just sticks to his beloved 2 states game and stops coming on here with his pointless posts, the happier he will be.
Punter
Roar Rookie
I'm under no illusion that Football enjoys the same level of support as NRL or AFL in this country. You get zealots in every sporting tab. I can assure you I never visit the league tab & tell everybody that Rugby league at international level is anonymous & even if I did, be surprised that many would challenge me on that. You come in firing shots on the A-league & Football on a football tab & you are surprised you get rebuked. I can assure you, though football is definitely behind NRL, AFL & cricket in popularity in this country. However, I am pretty sure football (NOT A-LEAGUE) is bigger than Rugby League in Melbourne, Perth & Adelaide & that Football (again not A-League) is bigger than AFL in Brisbane & Sydney.
chris1
Roar Rookie
And 'ol Nick replies straight after Ed to say "Hey Ed is not me! I stopped commenting a month ago!" I mean...what are the odds! lol
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
ok :thumbup:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Celtic - Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy, Marco Tilio, etc - all former A Leagues players. Socceroos and Matildas - former or present A Leagues players. And please don’t include your little 2 states game (with a minuscule talent pool) alongside sports that actually have talent pools. From around 80 000 participants that play the game, it really can’t be very good. If the Kangaroos were tested like the Wallabies we’d see how weak they were as well. Lucky for you the international comp you yearn for is not there. Accept it as a fact and you’ll be happier 2 states.
Grem
Roar Rookie
And notice how Grand Panjandrum, GP, Nick, Ed Flanders has now gone.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Seeing as though 2 States pulls facts out of his behind. I’d say international rugby league is 25th tier!
Grem
Roar Rookie
NRL - 2 states follow it. Stop this national talk. Rugby league is neither national or international. Surely, even you can realise that.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I’ve said repeatedly that I’m under no illusion about the state of international rugby league, and I don’t care, I’m proud of it. And if you love the A League, that’s great too. I have no problem with that. Just don’t tell me that soccer enjoys the same level of support in this country that the NRL or AFL enjoy.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
I knew somebody would bite and prove me right... :laughing:
Punter
Roar Rookie
Come on admit it, Rugby League at International level is a 20th tier sport. I can admit that the A-League pales in comparison with the NRL & the AFL in this country. I wish that the crowds for the A-League was bigger & the TV audience was bigger, but I can't control others I just enjoy the A-League & was happy to be in the crowd with 15K on the weekend in Sydney. This is where you AFL & NRL don't understand, we have the A-League, but we also have international leagues we follow & National teams to follow in the World Cup, at the Olympics & the Asian cups. We have so much more, football is not 3rd tier in this country, players like Ronaldo, Messi & our own Sam Kerr, would be just as well-known as any AFL or NRL players in Australia.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I never said that. I’m actually a soccer fan, I’m a mad Celtic & Arsenal fan, I just have no time for the A League or for delusional Australian soccer fans. I was one of those many people who watched the Matildas, because they are Aussies and I support Aussie national teams, but you couldn’t drag me to an A League game, and clearly most people who watched the Matildas or Socceroos are the same as me. If I was wrong, the A League would get big crowds and the big networks would be falling over themselves to throw money at it, but they aren’t. Which proves that the Australian soccer market is pretty limited. There’s nothing wrong with that, mist sports in this country are small niche sports, soccer is one of them. The AFL, NRL & International Cricket dwarf everything else in this country. Accept it as fact and you’ll be happier.
Nick21
Roar Pro
What was the crowd at the Wanders game? I saw one article say 10,000 which was clearly inflated
Grem
Roar Rookie
No you got yourself you d ope. You admit you’re just a troll like Maddi on the league site. You really are a cretin.