CITY VIEWS | The Reality Derby
An away point to the fancied Sydney FC and a successful season launch has Melbourne City fans full of hope ahead of the first instalment of the Melbourne derby this season.
Whilst we are playing in Melbourne it’s definitely away game for John Van’t Schip and his men. The two grounds are only separated by 5 kilometres but the two Melbourne stadiums are worlds apart. We all know the quality of AAMI Park but playing a derby at Etihad is like giving a child the fanciest electronic toy for Christmas and forgetting the batteries. Etihad just doesn’t work for atmosphere and hopefully Melbourne City will never call this soulless mix of concrete and plastic chairs home. Victory has a great financial deal to play at the stadium but this is the derby that means the least to City fans.
It’s also a harsh dose of reality when you walk into the stadium with your City scarf, you instantly feel like an outsider and the weight of numbers is stacked to the dark blue side of town. The upcoming derby is more a ‘Reality Derby’ for City fans and is a reminder our club still has plenty of work to do before we can call ourselves an equal with one of the best run sporting clubs in Australia.
Saying this I wouldn’t say I have an extreme hatred for Victory or their fans but a healthy dislike for the team whilst respecting what they have achieved over their first decade. I know City can become the biggest club not only in Melbourne but in the league but this will take time, for now I will enjoy being in the minority with my City scarf supporting my boys in a stadium that does nothing for our game.
So what about the game itself? City enters the game full of confidence thanks to a colossal save from Dane Thomas Sorensen right at the death against Sydney. A George Blackwood goal would’ve sent City back to Melbourne disappointed and feeling aggrieved with the result, especially after the decent penalty shout Ben Williams waved away. Normally I would be up in arms about such a decision but when you watch the A-League the referee’s decisions cannot be relied upon and penalty shouts are more Russian roulette than common sense and we will get our rub of the green on different occasions during the season.
Victory came away from Adelaide in front of a less than expected crowd at Adelaide Oval with a scoreless draw and Leigh Broxham collecting two yellow cards and more importantly a suspension for the derby ahead. Victory much like City were far from full strength in round one but should regain some key players for the clash. On paper Victory should have a superior squad this weekend but City have a different sort of confidence this season and cannot be discounted.
Aaron Mooy would be expected to play the full 90 minutes this week whilst many others will be better for last week under their belt. Bruno Fornroli was surprisingly very good last week and will be happy with an A-League game under his belt. His strike partner Wade Dekker scored on debut and will be hungry for another to add to his tally. Robi Koren was impressive last week and could finally show City fans some glimpses of his capabilities that were severely lacking last season. Whilst we are far from full strength I expect us to run our rivals close for the entire 90 minutes and come away with another draw this season.
Saturday night’s game is the start of a momentous month for the club. After travelling to Etihad we make the much further trip to Perth for the historic FFA Cup semi final. Following this we play two crucial home games against Central Coast and Newcastle. The club has struggled to draw big crowds against these clubs in the past but both games will give the club a fair indication of where we are currently situated. Hopefully we regain some key players over the next few weeks, but one player who won’t be there will be Socceroo Ivan Franjic who has been listed as unavailable for the next 4-6 weeks thru injury.
No matter the result on Saturday night I think the result on Wednesday night against Perth is far more important. To reach our first final as a club would be a huge result for all involved at the club and a win against Perth will ensure the final is played in Victoria. Hopefully the FFA use common sense and play the final at AAMI Park if we are fortunate enough to make it.
Prediction Victory 1 City 1
BY THE NUMBERS
Vs. Melbourne Victory
Played 16 Won 5 Lost 7 Drawn 4
At Etihad Stadium
Played 8 Won 1 Lost 4 Drawn 3
Not So Fun Fact: The last three times we have played Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium we have lost by three goals on each occasion.
Google+