After another busy weekend there was movement at the top of the league, Adelaide United’s season is hanging by a thread and Western Sydney are reeling after disappointing back-to-back home defeats.
Here are your A-League talking points.
Original Rivalry loss leaves Reds on life support as Vuck bounce back
If the situation in the City of Churches was grim last week, it is looking even worse now after a 2-1 defeat in the Original Rivalry at a sauna-like Coopers Stadium. Carl Veart’s team selection was the subject of attention once more, as teenage sensation Nestory Irankunda started on the pine for the Reds.
It’s remarkable just how far Adelaide have fallen, slipping right down to 11th on the A-League ladder only above strugglers Western United. A season that was trending well despite the loss of talisman Craig Goodwin is now in tatters, with hopes of a finals berth pretty much ended on Saturday.
For Melbourne Victory, however, the latest instalment of the Original Rivalry made for a good opportunity to get back to winning ways. The travelling supporters were boisterous in their corner throughout the 90 minutes, helping to create good atmosphere despite the sweltering weather resulting in swathes of empty red seats.
Can Rudan right the ship after another poor home defeat?
On the back of a demoralising defeat at home in the Sydney Derby, and up against John Aloisi’s cellar dwellers on Friday evening, Marko Rudan was looking for a reaction from his players. Instead, all the former centre-half oversaw was another insipid display as Western United continued their recent purple patch, leaving CommBank Stadium with all three points.
Rudan’s infamous unhinged press conference following the dramatic 4-3 loss to Macarthur last month was always going to lead the side down one of two paths: either galvanising the group, or becoming such a circus that it would contribute to a complete loss of form. Clearly, Western Sydney are now ambling down the latter route as their chances of a first-ever A-League championship shrink by the week.
With a new three-year contract extension set to begin at the start of next season, Rudan’s job is under no immediate threat. However, things can change pretty quickly in football and should WSW miss the finals his employment could come under heavy scrutiny.
Wanderers will be racking up some travel with visits to Melbourne City and Perth Glory coming up in the next seven days before a much shorter bus ride to Campbelltown Stadium following the international break. Managing a win and a draw in the next three games would be par. Anything less could spell trouble for their top-six hopes.
Western Sydney Wanderers coach Marko Rudan gestures from the sideline. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
City’s first win in five games knocks Nix off perch
It seemed inevitable that first-year manager Giancarlo Italiano’s Wellington side would hit turbulence at some stage of the season, and now is better time for it than right at the pointy end of the season. A much-needed three points for Melbourne City at AAMI Park meant just a third defeat in 21 outings for the Nix thanks to Samuel Souprayen’s second-half strike.
It’ll be interesting to see how Wellington respond from here. The premiership is still very much within reach as the Mariners currently boast just one more victory (remember that weird quirk in the rules for this season), with both clubs on 40 points as we enter the final two months of 2023-24.
In Sydney’s southwest Central Coast continued their formidable form, a 3-0 win over the Bulls their fourth straight triumph. Josh Nisbet got his name on the scoresheet again and pulled the strings expertly as he has done all season. With each dominant performance he puts in, overseas scouts are surely more and more keen on the pint-sized midfielder who the Mariners are going to struggle to hang onto.
Quick hits
-Sydney FC centre-back Jake Girdwood-Reich, who’s in the midst of a breakout season at Allianz Stadium, was sent off for this challenge on Sunday afternoon. Did Adam Kersey make the right call?
-Credit to Wanderers CEO Scott Hudson, as well as his Brisbane counterpart Kaz Patafta, for their strongly-worded statements regarding recent trouble in the stands. Nick Garcia – or whoever is penning the waffling nonsense he puts his name to – is doing nothing to enhance the APL’s reputation among fans, however. Everyone’s sick of all the open letters, time for some real engagement between the league, fans, and police.
-Interesting to see one of the best football apps on the market, FotMob, give the A-League a nice shoutout on X. And it’s well deserved, with some fantastic football being played in 2023-24.
-Anyone on the eastern seaboard staying up to tune into a Perth home game has been duly rewarded this season. Seems there is always some late drama coming at HBF Park.
-The Golden Boot race is going to be exciting with around a quarter of the season to go. Can Adam Taggart get it done leading the line for the plucky Glory?
Leon
Roar Rookie
Great assessment Waz It was tough to see Courtney-Perkins wearing sky blue. MOTM for sure. And with the talk about Kai Trewin, its galling to see Roar players enticed away to clubs with more spending power. With the talk of a clean out, I think it is essential that Roar make an announcement on RZ's status. I am assuming RZ will continue irrespective of whether Roar make finals but the longer it goes on, the greater the uncertainty. With players playing for contracts, it does not help. Didn't Marco say to expect an announcement a few weeks back? Roar will lose Rojas, and Jelacic is a loanee. Trewin appears to be going. It will be hard to keep Waddingham. They are under amongst Roar's better performers. Neville is contracted beyond this season, but under a serious injury cloud. Zac need to get contract extensions locked in for Burke-Gilroy and Henry Hore, and Macklin Freke at the very least. And bust a gut to keep Waddingham and Trewin. It's essential for Roar to keep the core of the team as a base.
Leon
Roar Rookie
Hi Waz Thinking back to the O'Shea send of in January, and the Sydney send off on Sunday, it is at least consistent there. If anything, O'Shea's was more innocuous. Neither appeared a clear and obvious error by the ref. I am thinking the judiciary see both as a single week's suspension rather than two or three. I have heard talk of refs being miked up at some stage. It's expensive to implement and something tells me the debates about interpretation and consistency will persist regardless. The Davila one on Sunday appeared far worse. I am expecting more controversy at the Roar v MacArthur game at the weekend. It is a rematch of the Davila grabbing his opponent by the throat game. Davila is a good player and gets a lot of heavy attention from opposition. Unfortunately, he seems to see the red mist. I understand why he does what he does, but retaliation should be more strictly policed. In my book, he is a lucky boy flying under the radar. My recollection of Macarthur in Brisbane in January is the frequency with which Davila's team mates gathered round the ref in an intimidating manner seemingly to pressurize the ref when Roar committed fouls. Maybe the coach has instilled a bit of a siege mentality. It is something we do not want to see. Macarthur are playing well and there is no need for the theatrics. The foul count was very even on the day. I don't think Macarthur were hard done by. It is not as if Roar don't have a talented player of their own who cops a lot of fouls. I am hoping for a game played in better spirit next time. And hopefully Davila keeps his cool and we see his talents, not his peccadillos.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
WP they have 40 points not 40 goals.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
The leading CCM has GF = 38. The second place WP has GF = 40. The 3rd place MV has GF = 34. Brisbane Roar's GF is 36. However, its GA is 45, biggest among the 12 teams.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Beadling has been astonishing not only does he not defend on all 4 goals he then criticises his teammates. Rudan is this a ploy to get sacked, and a 3 year plus payout.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
McBreen & Hill and the two refs trump Brosquey any day, and O'Donovan who I don't think said too much, maybe he did.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Racial based chants come from a dark ignorant corner of the human condition. ‘They are not like me, they are inferior’. An attitude as old as Methuselah :shocked:
Grem
Roar Rookie
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/courthouse-hotel-brawl-video-country-rugby-league-teams-allegedly-involved-in-wild-pub-fight/news-story/6ec0fe9bda8c6b0133025fed926641f9?amp I bet all the television stations will be reporting on this!
Garry
Roar Rookie
7pm atm
338
Roar Rookie
I was really surprised it was red. Stepped on his foot rather than hit the leg? Anyway done now and he’s out for a week. O Donovan was on the post game panel too, it wasn’t only Brosque making the case.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Ah... There is a match between Melbourne City and WSW. tomorrow night at 6:00 pm AEST.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Good to see the Perth Glory board and CEO also supporting fans/supporters and wanting to speak to the security people in WA, who have been accused of being heavy handed.
Grem
Roar Rookie
He must have a good CV and interview well. That works well in my career!
At work
Roar Rookie
:happy: I know right? They obviously just looked at his wiki profile of results and ignored everything else
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Tom's work off the ball is phenomenal. There's a whole lot more to his game than goals. The more I see the more I like him, and hard to ignore after the Australia Cup. Markovski's day will come.
Kitwally
Roar Rookie
Yet another cracking weekend of football dished up by the A-Leagues! Great goals, skillful football, comebacks, controversy, top of the table losing, bottom of the table winning, golden boot contenders continuing their race, and the list goes on. You have to think that eventually word will get out about the simple fact of the top quality football on the pitch and the crowds will follow?
Midfielder
Roar Guru
lol and true.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Agree to disagree, but that’s OK.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
sure. I see him as very biased, looking at the game through blue glasses. He tries, I acknowledge that, but usually fails when it comes to the crunch.
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
Central will win ???? the final and the nix will win the league.