Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar: A-League live scores

Is MacDonald come back soon?

Lionheart - When the Dutch coach wrote our National Curriculum in 2006/7 he stressed that up to an early age all teams should play 4-3-3, Everyone in Australia automatically thought that was the system pioneered by the Dutch in their 1970's dominance of European football but in fact the system was actually "invented" by the Brazilians back in the late 1950's and had it's roots based on the physical ability of one player, their outside left Mario Zagallo who, as soon as the team lost possession(attacking), took himself back into the middle of the field to try and win back the ball (defending). That was in the 1958 World Cup where Brazil still favoured their 4-2-4 (with Zagallo listed as a left winger) but by the 1962 World Cup the same Zagallo was listed as a left sided mid-fielder. He was to go on to become the Brazil national coach. In answer to your question the Roar's first team ,since Fowlers time, have been experimenting with a back 3 system ,now widely popular in Europe, and in his signings alone from overseas he gave a clue with two of todays centre backs, signed by Robbie, still playing. You tell me all the teams at Roar play the same system and that I find hard to believe for the "back 3 system" calls for a multitude of changes in personnel in the rest of the team with a much greater emphasis on fitness, strength and endurance, things that are not always found in young developing players. Take for instance the wing back position. Requirements, speed, strength, endurance, and system knowledge. They are expected to position themselves out wide, just in front of the back 3, giving the centre backs two alternatives for a short pass. They are then expected to carry the ball forward and link up with the other midfielders thus bringing pressure to bear on a much wider area of the field, then when having kept possession they are expected to cross a ball to a target ,or to attack the goal themselves. all this for 90 minutes. I put it you this is the area where the Roar are finding it difficult, thus resulting in fewer goals being engineered. Personally I think Fowler had his own ideas as to how he would build a successful "back 3 system". With Roar having a very successful defensive record last season he may well have been on his way to success, but we'll never know. Cheers jb.

Coach Moon said Scott Neville could be back next game.

Have lost 2 Scotts, MacDonald and Neville but Scott Neville is coming back. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7176577/roar-coach-buoyed-by-his-battling-team/

What is the Roar way JB? Remember when we lost a coach for not playing the Roar way? Actually, two. We lost a W League coach for, ostensibly, the same reason. Our academy teams all play the same style and formation as the A League team, at least that is the club philosophy. So reading your comment here, and many prior, I do agree that we're a bit mixed up of late.

jack - It always makes me smile somewhat when the "numbers game" raises it's head in a team discussion. I haven't missed a game this season and to my eyes Roar have been trying to perfect a back 3 system, and, if I say so, not too successfully, not because of the back 3 being used but because of the 5 men supposedly supplying the midfield play, which, as you well know, means defensive AND attacking play. In this department they have failed miserably with changes to the personnel being made almost weekly, with no real success. The game in the first half today was no different ,both wingbacks ,the flank midfielders, struggled with their roles, Brown going forward OK but having no one up front to whom he could supply crosses. On the other side Jack Hingert struggled with his role giving one the impression that he wasn't too sure what his role was and yet ,during that abysmal first half, Jack did create the two best chances his team had at scoring The lad Akbari also struggles with the back 3 tactic, he is not strong in the tackle and tends to get caught in possession in midfield, always a dangerous place to lose control. So Jack you mention Roar lining up in a 3-5-2 formation. to my eyes they have been lining up in that formation for weeks now the only difference being Scotty McDonald tends to lie off the centre-back so probably 3-5-1-1 is a better description. You go on to say the Roar's 3 midfielders got overrun by their opponents but your formation originally cites 5 midfielders.!!! You mention a change at half time to a 4-2-3-1 formation but I reckon the man who thought the most of that change was the aforementioned Jack Hingert who slipped back into his more familiar right back role and his play changed accordingly. In other words the simpler the formation the easier the game becomes. As you say Champness brought wing play into the action and the lad Danzaki certainly adds something in midfield that was missing in the first half. To my eyes suddenly Roar were getting close to the 4-3-3 formation that most of the young players Moon is using are more familiar with. Next week will tell. Cheers jb.

Cheika & Kearns....fair enough there Andy! :stoked:

Cheika, Phil Kearns after every loss blamed someone else and the conspiracy theories would make the anti-vaxers and flat earthers proud

I don't think the walllabies blame anyone but themselves do they?

almost as good as the wallaby victim blaming complex hey??

A great blog. Much appreciated.

What a comprehensive match report.

I think it was contentious either way. How do you say it was deliberate? The problem is with the dubious interpretation of the offside rule: likely accidental contact with the hands/arms (like this one) often get called handball. You would be furious if the Phoenix lost on that same incident.

You read them all the time so they must be rubbish I guess. You realise if both teams were consistently disadvantaged by rubbish calls then you would also hear this all the time, right? Anyway, useless argument. Anyone who watched this saw it should have been a penalty.

I read these type of comments on Stuff all the time. Same thing every time the Warriors lose in the NRL.