Five Things – Round 10
Sydney end up black and blue, Roar find their mojo and Perth stay on the road to Glory – this is 5 things we learned from Round 10
Monday justice is too late
Big Blues always throw up a barrage of talking points and the 3-3 classic on Saturday night was no exception. Graham Arnold is never backward in coming forward, admitting his team were “beaten up” physically by Melbourne. One incident stood out above the rest – Mark Milligan’s elbow on Terry Antonis, leaving the Sydney midfielder needing multiple stiches and blurred vision. Referee Peter Green claimed to not see the contact, meaning Milligan will have a case to answer with the Match Review Panel. This opens up an old wound, quite literally. With the game stopped and television replays running immediately after the elbow, the FFA need to seriously examine how officials can rule on reckless actions as soon as possible. It will be of no consolation to Sydney for Milligan to miss matches in the coming weeks. This applies across the board, and should be implemented with full time referees.
Brisbane not a busted flush
You would be pressed to find many Roar supporters expecting anything other than the worst on Friday night. Adelaide away has quickly become a fixture to dread, but Brisbane somehow pulled it off. Henrique’s wonderful strike on the edge of the box typified a performance of discipline and determination. Sympathy and sentiment played no part, with departing skipper Matt Smith only getting an injury-time substitute appearance. McKay, Lustica and Brattan orchestrated the midfield perfectly, picking and choosing their moments. This 1-0 win should put Carrusca’s value for the Reds into perspective, his absence was telling.
Glory can handle expectation
Those waiting for the Glory bubble to burst shouldn’t hold their breath. Clinical is the word that exemplifies Perth these days, they are a resolute group of professionals who are finding new ways to win football games. They’re right about what they say about Kenny Lowe, his relaxed larrikin public persona is nothing more than a façade. His team is drilled as well as anyone in this competition. Newcastle were held at arms length on Friday night, and a score of 2-0 flattered the visitors. Thankfully Scott Jamieson escaped from Kew Jaliens awful challenge unscathed. Unlike Peter Green, Jaliens was rightfully given his marching orders. That tackle shows where the Jets are at the moment – frustrated and clueless.
Auckland Phoenix has currency
A crowd of 11,000 is nothing to sing and dance about, but the spectacle improved immeasurably from the Cake Tin at Wellington. The Phoenix’s 1-1 draw with the Mariners at Auckland on Saturday was a thoroughly entertaining game of football, with the Mariners somehow grabbing a point from Matt Simon’s goal against the run of play. Playing in a real football ground made a difference on television, with an enthusiastic crowd close to the action, void of a wash of empty yellow seats. With rumours about a second Brisbane franchise this week, it puts existing clubs like Wellington under the microscope. If they’re more popular on the road, then maybe a new home in New Zealand is the solution.
Wanderers pull out of quagmire with dignity intact
The Wanderers players have ever right to feel hard done by. Even when the protracted pay dispute was settled before kick off against Cruz Azul, the playing conditions in Morocco was nothing short of comical. Lets put this into perspective for one moment. FIFA, one of the wealthiest organisations on the planet, are holding a club tournament so David can take on Goliath for their 15 minutes. David is clearly exploited in this case, as torrential rain bucketed down in North Africa we saw scenes of men using broken mattress pieces to soak up what water they could. Players could have been seriously injured, a state of play Real Madrid would have refused outright. This group of players at Western Sydney has been taken for a ride at every turn this season. They’ll have every right to want to see the back of it.
@blake_1986
Google+