Return of the Scorpion King
Tomorrow night marks the return of the Scorpion King, but this time with a twist; Riley McGree will be representing the club he helped eliminate from the 2017/18 A-League finals series. You can’t get much more A-League that this.
The much-awaited clash between the great underachievers and overachievers of last season has come around much earlier than anticipated and in the form of an FFA Cup round of 16 clash, yes that’s right we still have a Cup competition whilst most of you follow an ageing champion athlete pursue his childhood sporting dream in front of a few inflatable sauce bottles.
Melbourne City has opened the gates for their loyal members and are charging the rest of us $15 to visit one of the best stadiums in Australia on a chilly midweek August night. The members initiative is not new to Melbourne City with members going free to a Wellington FFA Cup game previously. With no AFL for over a week some Melburnians will be hyperventilating at the prospect of facing a sport free weekend so a discount for all AFL members could’ve been considered by the club with short hands and long pockets. This idea would’ve been hard to explain over the phone to the powers that be at CFGHQ though.
A small crowd will be expected for the preseason clash that wets the appetite for success starved City fans who are yet to see a significant signing for the season ahead. For an FFA Cup clash you would consider this a healthy crowd but the number crunches will be watching with interest.
The game itself could give Newcastle fans a real indication of where their team is after their successful 2017/18 season. On and off the pitch the club should be looked at by all involved in the league with a successful mix of overseas ownership and community-based support. Newcastle will continually regret falling at the final hurdle last season, especially given I think they could struggle to maintain their status with other clubs building superior squads.
For me it will be an experience watching this Melbourne City team from afar without the emotional stress of seeing Osama Malik make basic possession appear difficult and always taking the far more complicated option. Melbourne City should win comfortably tomorrow night at their home of AAMI Park and advance to the final eight of a tournament that is still finding its way into the hearts of sporting fans across Australia. A win will be important for Melbourne City as they continue to search for silverware, especially when I don’t believe they will be in contention in the league with their current squad and current ethos of those that run the club from the other side of the world.
City fans will be wishing the club was run more like their opponents of tomorrow night and they those who wear the new City strip would show the determination of Jason Hoffman in it.
City should dominate in the sloppy preseason affair but both sets of fans will be still feeling the impact of the scorpion kick last time these teams met for very different reasons. The game should also be remembered for the service Osama Malik dished up to the opposition, I cannot remember service than good since I was on the bridal table last year and we had our own waiter.
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