Melbourne Victory vs Brisbane Roar: Victory win 2-1

Match result:

Victory took three valuable points tonight after a strange game against the Roar where they simultaneously looked comfortable and uncomfortable all night.

Two first-half goals from Kiwi Kosta Barbarouses put Victory noses in front before Eric Bautheac – in probably his best game in Australia – stole some consolation in the 50th minute from some terrible defending.

That Bautheac goal set up a nervy last 40 minutes where both sides made excellent chances they couldn’t quite take.

The first half was a more “traditional” Victory walk in the park, with Keisuke Honda and James Troisi having lots of time on the ball between the lines to unlock the nimble Barbarouses time and time again.

It was first Troisi who poked a quick ball over the top for Barbarouses to run on and finish, and Honda followed suit with a superb ground ball for Barbarouses to seize and deceive Brisbane goalkeeper White at his near post.

After a few moments of VAR uncertainly, the goal was confirmed and Victory were 2-0 ahead and cruising after also missing a golden chance for a third when Josh Hope scuffed his shot from a Barbarouses cut back.

But in the second half, Brisbane kept possession better and Eric Bautheac played like a man with something to prove and, unlike his teammates, at Victory’s level.

His goal, an instinctive chip after Kristensen’s interception from a shocking roll from Acton to Baena, triggered a response from the Victory but also gave the Roar a sniff as Victory got forward en masse.

And despite a catalogue of Victory near misses for their third – notably a slip from Barbarouses when he was through on goal, and Kenny Athiu hitting the upright late-on after a lovely flick – Roar looked like they had second goal in them for most of that second half.

And they very nearly got it if not for Niedermeier adjusting to the flight of a cross in to Wenzel-Halls whose header was destined for the net before Niedermeier got his body in the way.

And then very late on Henrique, seemingly playing on the legs of a man twice his age, spoilt Lopez’ amazing throughball by getting nothing onto his shot.

This surely was the most one-sided “equal” game observed for quite some time. Victory had slightly more of the ball (55 per cent), and made 14 chances to nine, but only six on target to the Roar’s four.

Brisbane found a lot of joy all night with quick balls in, and forced eight (verus five) corners out of Victory’s at-times nervy back four.

Victory’s class rose to the surface often in this game, but that also served to highlight the gaps in quality in squad members not called Troisi, Honda or Barbarouses.

Acton is clearly a level (or two) below Thomas, and Josh Hope had a poor game in a support role for Troisi and Honda in midfield.

So while Victory got the points, there may be more concerns taken out of this result by Victory fans and brass than points of enthusiasm.

Man of the match was James Troisi. Possibly harsh on Barbarouses – who got both of Victory’s goals – but it was Troisi who set Barbarouses up time and time again, and was at the heart of a high proportion of Victory’s thrusts into their forward third.

Credit also to Eric Bautheac who not only kept Brisbane in this game single-handedly, but also kept them threatening until the last whistle.

Final score
Melbourne Victory 2
Brisbane Roar 1

Match preview:

Melbourne Victory needs a confidence boost after a disappointing week in Round 22 of the A-League when they take on Brisbane Roar at Marvel Stadium at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.

Victory has lost twice in the last seven days, starting with a ‘home’ game in Geelong where they dropped points to a resurgent Newcastle Jets.

The 2-0 loss highlighted both their attacking potency, with Keisuke Honda testing Glenn Moss in goal a number of times, but also their defensive frailties – coughing up 2 goals and 22 shots.

Then on Tuesday in Hiroshima they gave up another two goals to Sanfrecce in the AFC Champions League group match.

They lost that game 2-1 despite having 63 per cent possession and inviting their opponents to hit them on the break.

While Victory had their moments in Japan, their confidence on the ball and their ability to create chances against elite opposition will have taken a hit.

Most troubling of all, however, is they have now given Sydney FC a four-point break in second place. In the league they have only had one win in their last five, and they desperately need to jump-start their season before the finals come around in seven weeks.

Enter Brisbane Roar. Roar have given up the second most goals this season in the league (50, only fewer than the Mariners), and were atrocious at times at the back in their last tie against the Wanderers a 4-1 loss.

The season can’t end soon enough for the Roar. They are a mix of inexperienced and raw talent and aging veterans – and both cohorts looked like they were playing on empty in their last fixture.

The only notable exception is Dylan Wenzel-Halls, who has come from nowhere to assume Adam Taggart’s forward role with ease.

His seventh-minute opener against the Wanderers was a goal of the highest class. The curl from outside the box into the opposite corner was the sort of forward play that excites home fans, neutrals and excitable Socceroo ultras.

Many were shocked that Wenzel-Halls wasn’t included in Graham Arnold’s squad for the U23 AFC Cup qualifying tournament in Phnom Penh at the end of the month.

If his recent form continues, Arnie might have to consider parachuting him into his senior team reckonings.

But excitement for Roar fans begins and ends with Wenzel-Halls. Their squad needs a radical overhaul, and fans are most likely witnessing the end of stalwarts Matt McKay and Henrique, and likely their under-performing imports Alex Lopez, Eric Bauteac and Tobias Mikkelsen.

If the club can recruit a big name – like Robbie Fowler – into the manager role for next season, they’ll be hoping to leverage their networks to recruit a better quality collection of internationals, as well as rejuvenate their younger players.

Those AFC Qualifiers have cost Victory Centre back Thomas Deng for this game – in a move that rankled Kevin Muscat.

James Donachie also misses this week with a suspension, leaving a hole for Victory in the centre of defence.

Luckily Georg Niedermeier returns to fill part of that gap, as well as striker Ola Toivonen and veteran midfielder Carl Valeri to stabilise their midfield and forward lines.

The Roar add Thomas Kristensen and former Victory man Stefan Nigro but would need Leo Messi and Ronaldo to be included to have a prayer in this game.

Prediction
Victory need this win and should get it. They must be mindful on the break, but Victory should canter to a season-correcting 3 points at Marvel Stadium. In fact, it could be a landslide.

Melbourne Victory 4 – Brisbane Roar 0