By the Palm Trees – FFA Cup Semi-Final #2 – #ADLvCCM

The football is coming thick and fast with no sign of abating and that makes it an interesting time to be a fan of the Central Coast Mariners. I have conflicting feelings about the next few weeks as we head to the second of five games in fifteen days. Our side hasn’t yet shown its best yet but at the same time there is nothing better than getting to see the team you love play so often. Now would be the perfect time to shake off our recent poor form, and the possibility of competing in the first ever FFA Cup Final should be more than motivation for our troops to finally emerge from the doldrums.

The inaugural FFA Cup has been a fantastic tournament so far, bringing football fans from the widest of backgrounds together and talking about our game. It doesn’t matter what type of football fan you are, there has been something in it to appeal to you. The big against the small, the powerhouse against the underdog, the old against the new; the Australian version of the cup concept has it all. Of course I’d like nothing more than to see our club etch their name into FFA Cup history first up, as we did in the first Pre-Season Cup, but this time it’s going to be a massive ask.

Through the round of thirty-two, sixteen and the Quarter Finals the Central Coast Mariners have been the ‘big boys’ in each of their matches, having had the benefit of playing teams from the lower tiers of football – South Coast Wolves, Olympic FC and Palm Beach Sharks. During this period, despite at times being tested, they have always played as firm favourites although their task has been made more challenging having not played a home game in the tournament. For the first time, this week our boys will be rank outsiders pitted against an A-League team in great form. Adelaide’s Josep Gombau, a coach rightfully being handed all the plaudits in the game will be pitted against Phil Moss, a coach who is starting to look under pressure.

Adelaide United has hard earned their place in the Cup Semi-Final accounting for A-League opposition every step of the way. Wellington, Brisbane and Sydney have all been shown the exit door along ‘The Reds’ path and at the same time they have arguably been the form team of the A-League. They currently sit equal second on eleven points (fourth on goal difference), with Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC, just a point behind leaders Perth Glory, and deservedly so.

Mariner’s fans are getting more than restless after watching their team fall to their third consecutive loss against Perth Glory on Sunday and second consecutive loss at the former fortress Central Coast Stadium. For just the second time since October 2011 (78 matches) the Mariner’s find themselves outside the top six in the A-League and having been spoiled for success in most of the nine years so far, the fans (understandably) don’t like it at all. Selections have been the biggest talking point with some of our favourite players warming the bench or not even included in the match day squad last weekend. Josh Rose (bench), Nick Montgomery and Zac Anderson (not in squad) are the biggest talking points, with all sorts of rumour flying around about Phil Moss’s reasoning. With the hectic schedule squad rotation is understandable, but the Mariners need to find their scoring boots as poor results over the next two weeks could define their entire season. The only way to answer criticism is with performances on the pitch and thus here is the proposition the Mariners have right now – win this match against quality opposition and put themselves into the first FFA Cup final with rising confidence – or lose the match and find ourselves travelling to Melbourne City, followed quickly by Western Sydney, while the fans and media start talking about crisis even before we’re a third of the way through the season.

The best I can do is to be hopeful, as opposed to confident, about this game. Adelaide’s recent form is way too good to be ignored and at home they will be a more than daunting task to tackle. For the first time this season I can’t find a way to predict against a loss for our boys. Although I think we will be tough for ‘The Reds’ to breakdown, I’m sorry to say I’m predicting a narrow loss, probably in extra time – Adelaide to go through by an extra time goal or penalties.