Brisbane Roar FC
3
Match Complete
Adelaide United
5
| 94' |  | P. B. Diawara | ||
| I. Powell | | 88' | ||
| 85' |  | I. S. CortA(C)s | ||
| 75' | | P. B. Diawara | ||
| 71' | | C. Goodwin | ||
| J. Pepper | | 69' | ||
| A. Bautheac | | 61' | ||
| 51' | | G. Blackwood | ||
| N. D'Agostino | | 50' | ||
| 48' | | M. Jakobsen | ||
| D. Wenzel-Halls | | 35' | ||
| A. Bautheac | | 32' | ||
| 23' | | M. Boland | ||
| 4' | | N. Mileusnic | ||
| Z. Duncan | | 2' |
| 11 | Shots | 13 | ||
| 5 | On Target | 6 | ||
| 15 | Fouls | 9 | ||
| 2 | Corners | 6 | ||
| 0 | Offsides | 2 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 4 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
In the ultimate round of the A-League season Brisbane Roar host Adelaide United on ANZAC Day afternoon at Suncorp Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 2pm AEST.
Adelaide are playing for fourth position and a home final in this game, while the Roar are playing for pride, respect and the opportunity to impress.
It’s been a wretched season for Brisbane. Hopes were high on the eve of the season after a run of finals seasons under John Aloisi and the addition of striker Adam Taggart in a major transfer coup.
Now as the 2018-19 season comes to a close they sit in ninth spot, neither Aloisi nor Taggart is at the club, and there looks like a major squad clear-out in the offing.
Despite their trainwreck of a season, Brisbane was in the news for “positive” reasons during the week. Liverpool (and Leeds, and Manchester City, and North Queensland, and Perth) legend Robbie Fowler was confirmed as the new manager for next season (in the worst kept secret in Australian football).
One suspects he will feature heavily in the Fox production plans for this game, sitting in the stands, critically analysing the talent he has in the squad.
Despite the tough squad building work ahead of him Fowler does have some cause to be excited. Dylan Wenzel-Halls might remind him of a less lethal or central version of himself, and many of the new players interim manager Darren Davis has brought in show promise – Daniel Leck, Zach Duncan, Izaack Powell and Nick D’Agostino to name a few.
The one Brisbane player we will be watching for the last time is Matt McKay. McKay is a Roar legend, playing a key role in their great teams under Ange Postecoglou, as well as carving out a more-than-respectable 59-game career with the Socceroos.
Indeed McKay’s success in the national team broke down a number of barriers for A-League players to step into the Socceroos set up and be more than squad players or fodder for early stage Asian qualifiers.
In his final game, with Robbie Fowler likely watching on, the Roar will have extra motivation to end the 18-19 season on high.
It’s fair to say that Adelaide United has somewhat more to play for. Sitting in fourth, they know they will be (almost certainly) be facing Wellington in an elimination final – the outstanding question is where? Adelaide are a point clear of Wellington, so a win in Brisbane would sew up a home final. A loss or a draw gives Wellington the power to leapfrog into fourth with in a win in Perth.
They’re in excellent form too. A well-earned 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory last week forwarded their finals credentials, with the goal coming from real finals wildcard George Blackwood.
They also welcome back gadget man forward Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and, excitingly, import striker Baba Diawara from a long injury layoff.
Expect a 75th-minute substitution with Blackwood to get Diawara minutes in this game.
Prediction
Adelaide have too much to play for – and too much experience in their squad – to drop points here.
There will be a lot of emotions running through the Roar players, not least of all Matt McKay, but ultimately Brisbane is a poor team with next to no pace in their midfield.
If Adelaide dial up their press with Halloran, Mileusnic, Blackwood and Goodwin early on, Brisbane might find it impossible to play out of their half.
Adelaide typically aren’t a high-scoring team – but they could easily be today.
Brisbane Road 0 – Adelaide United 2
jbinnie
Guest
Lucas- any team that concedes 71 goals in a 27 match season has a problem. The problem at Roar is multiplied by the fact that everyone admits in goalkeeper Young they have one of the best custodians in the league.so one has to home in on the other "defenders" to seek the cause. To the best of my knowledge the club employed a man 3 years ago who was described often as a "defence coach" and one would have thought by now his work over those 3 years would have been starting to show, The young lad Leck you describe as "having a good game" knows absolutely nothing about how today's defences are structured and it shows in his positional play during a game. It was not only Goodwin who "roasted him" but Halloran,Kitto and Isais also picked out the lad's failings and pressed him mercilessy. Now why that is not surprising is that the kid has played most of his football as an attacking right winger and is only "helping out" as a full back, and the truth is that although the youngsters being used all show determination and courage,those talents are not enough in today's tactical football. There are fixed structures for defending and attacking and it is on these structures in today's game that team plans and game plans are based. Roar this season have shown very little comprehension of those structures hence the league position and the goals conceded. Cheers jb,
Mark
Guest
What I don't understand is why didn't the GK make a cup of tea, some cucumber sandwiches, put the rubbish out and then save the bloody thing Rather than sitting there looking like an idiot
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
inject youth into this Roar squad? If we get too many more youngsters we'll have to pay a nappy allowance. Perhaps you mean, develop the youth already at Roar.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
And if you win, a chance to win the Fornaroli-Kilkenny cup!
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Luckily, Roars have not won. Otherwise, it would give a delusion to Robbie Fowler. In Ange's time, Roars always caught up from behind. However, after JA had taken over, Roars have given away a so many leading matches. Today is the same. A solid conclusion is that JA did not do well in coaching defence. The whole defending line should be replaced. Despite Pepper has been doing well these years, he should move to his original position, midfield defender. If Robie Fowler can fix the defence, he succeeds.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Seems there are 13 out of contract.
TK
Guest
Exactly.
Nemesis
Guest
well, it's unlikely he'll be asked to turn around this squad. Now that the A-League season is over for Brisbane, 12 of the 23 players are out of contract. I'd be suprised if more than 1 or 2 are retained, so Fowler will start with his own squad next season.
John Allan
Guest
Fowler is known as "God". I don't think even God can turn around this rabble.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Of course. A chance to put one over our smaller sibling ;)
pete4
Guest
Concede another 5 at home just sums up Brisbane's season just cannot defend any sort of lead
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Enjoy the rest of your ANZAC days, and I'll see you for the finals next week!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
So that's it. The sun sets of Matt McKay's career and Brisbane's season. Adelaide will be at home next week to Wellington (barring a 3 point and 6 goal difference turnaround this week with City), and Brisbane bow out to go through all their contracts with a fine tooth comb. Even though Goodwin was outstanding in the second half Daniel Leck still had a good game, and Powell has a great future on the left for Brisbane. Lopez should be shipped off.... he really couldn't cover the ground any slower if he was crawling. Robbie will need to inject youth, pace and enthusiasm into this Roar squad that was built on pace-defying experience by Aloisi.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT Adelaide ensured a home final and 3 points today with a comfortable margin, but after many uncomfortable moments. They won it 5-3 in the end, but were twice behind in this game despite opening the scoring in the 4th minute. Mileusnic opened the scorebook after some non-existent Brisbane defending, but Wenzel-Halls drew Brisbane back into it after Matt McKay – in his final game - forced Izzo to parry, and D’Agostino took Brisbane into the half with the lead after nodding home a Fergie-time cross from Bautheac. Adelaide supporters may have been nervous at half time, but the team themselves started the second half confidently, and equalised within minutes after Goodwin turned it on down the left, beating a man and cutting back for Blackwood to tap home. From there it was really the Craig Goodwin show, as he got a further assist for Isaias and scored himself after some truly sublime skill. Excitingly for Reds fans, Baba Diawara also got on the scoresheet from close range after some more non-existent Roar defending. Predictably Adelaide had more of the ball (59%) and in the washup created more chances (13 to 11 with 6 on target to 5), but it wasn’t until the second half when Brisbane tired that the real Adelaide came out. To their credit Brisbane opened the game up in the second half and threatened Adelaide’s defence at times in a worrying sign for Marco Kurz. Indeed, many problems for Adelaide came from 18 year old Zach Duncan who more than impressed his new boss in the stand – Robbie Fowler – with a superb battling display in a midfield role just head of McKay and Lopez. His pressure acts on Isaias and Boland didn’t allow the Adelaide midfield to get going, and with the ball he grew into the game showing some deft footwork and passing range. It was his sublime throughball that set-up Brisbane’s 3rd goal, as he got D’Agostino through and one-on-one with Izzo to win a penalty. Although there were 8 goals in this game, and some brilliant ones at that – especially Goodwin’s and Isaias’ – Eric Bautheac’s penalty will probably be the goal shown most frequently both here and around the world for it’s “what the?” factor. A skidding Panenka that never left the ground and moved at a glacial pace that Izzo oh-so-nearly was able to get up and save after already diving to his right. How much of what ensued Bautheac intended is anyone’s guess, but it worked and at the time gave the lead back to Brisbane. It was a parting gesture from Bautheac who almost certainly won’t be with the Roar next year – a cheeky act of gallic confidence that barely came off, like a home-brand Eric Cantona. MAN OF THE MATCH was Zach Duncan. Craig Goodwin had a “next level” second half but a mediocre first, and Duncan worked hard and lead the press for the Roar in midfield, created the penalty and at just 18 showed this League a glimpse of its future.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Will you be going to the derby?
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Most likely Elimination Final: Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City Elimination Final: Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I guess he’ll be lost for words :)
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Elimination Final: Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City/Wellington Phoenix Elimination Final: Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix/Melbourne City Semi Final: Perth Glory vs Adelaide United/Wellington Phoenix/Melbourne City Semi Final: Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory/Adelaide United/Wellington Phoenix/Melbourne City Grand Final: Perth Glory/Adelaide United/Wellington Phoenix/Melbourne City vs Sydney FC/Melbourne Victory/Adelaide United/Wellington Phoenix/Melbourne City
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
There'll be a send-off here for Matt McKay... a fitting tribute to a Brisbane warhorse
Nick Symonds
Guest
I wonder what Robbie Fowler will have to say about that match?