An avalanche of goals but still some clean sheets to end the season: The A-League players who were the difference in Round 26
Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
The Harry Kewell to the A-League circus seems like it may have come to an end. Agent Bernie Mandic recently revealed that Kewell had come to terms with both Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory, however he was unable to come to agreement with either.
It is rumoured that part of the deal was for the FFA to pay an increase to Harry based on crowds at his new side’s away fixtures.
This must beg the question though: is the A-league going to be in a better long-term position for Kewell never gracing it with his presence?
During the six seasons of the A-League, the FFA have propped up over half of the sides involved, including the recently-condemned North Queensland Fury.
Clubs should not be looking to the FFA to help them secure the services of a player, as often the FFA is doing more than enough to keep the league running.
Like anywhere else in the world of football, it needs to come down to who a club can afford to purchase, even if this means that the Victory and Sky Blues are the only two clubs with a chance of securing a player such as Harry.
March’s grand final between the Central Coast and Brisbane was one of the top two matches ever in Australian domestic football, yet, it wasn’t because of the names on the pitch.
The biggest benefit of the A-League is that it challenges the normal footballing constraints such as money and big crowds.
As a result, clubs have to work harder for their success, which often breeds a variety of football of which more fans can enjoy.
Hopefully, the FFA are able to keep it this way by ensuring that no players or clubs receive preferential treatment.
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Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
The real concern comes down to football's growing trend of big corporations taking up slices of the world game at the expense of smaller teams.
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
The loser of the Sydney Derby will be under immense pressure entering the final three matches of the season.
Anthony Caceres is a player with immense talent and has a fantastic work rate, broke the deadlock against the Mariners in the 74th minute.