Who Can Predict the Situs Domino99 A-League?
Who can predict the A-League? Just when it looked like the die
had been cast for the season, a few results have turned everything on its head.
Brisbane Roar still retain their seven point lead at the top of
the table, but they just cannot seem to beat their nemesis, the Newcastle Jets.
The Jets unlikely 1-0 win at Suncorp Stadium on the weekend reminded everyone
that, as good as they have been, Brisbane are beatable.
A seven-point lead with eight Domino99 games
remaining should be enough to see them claim the Premiership, but suddenly this
week's game against the rampaging Melbourne Heart (who would've thought we’d be
saying that a month ago!) takes on more importance.
It’s top vs bottom, yet Heart come into this game having won
four of their last five, including a 5-0 demolition of Wellington Phoenix in
Wellington on Sunday, and chock full of confidence. The arrival of John van't
Schip and the sale of the club to Manchester City has given the red and whites
new found belief and, as crazy as it sounds, they’re an outside chance for the
top six.
It's a long shot, but with eight games left to play they are
sitting seven points behind sixth placed Sydney FC who probably best epitomise
the inconsistent nature of the A-League this season.
The Sky Blues lost three of their first four games, then went on
to win five of their next six before slumping again to win only two of their
last nine. Yet in that horror run was arguably one of the best moments in the
club’s short history - the 5-0 demolition of fierce rivals Melbourne Victory.
In Melbourne, no less.
After enduring the week from hell Frank Farina's side did what
they had to do on Saturday and claimed all three points to put them back inside
the top six. Reports suggest Farina needs a top four finish to guarantee his
position for next season. And while they are only two points behind fourth, it
would be a brave man who would suggest Sydney will achieve that.
The three teams with the toughest run home are Australia's three
participants in the AFC Champions League - Western Sydney Wanderers, Central
Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory.
After Melbourne overcame Thai side Muangthong United on Saturday
night in Geelong to earn a place in the group stage, all three must now
navigate their way through the group stages while also trying to maintain their
Premiership and Championship hopes in the A-League.
Tony Popovic has been well aware of the looming congested
schedule and has been preparing accordingly, rotating his squad regularly in
the first four months of the season to ensure his players are fit and firing
for the rigours of competing in two competitions.
All three clubs will play 13 games in 53-55 days, which equates
to a game every four days. Add in the lengthy travel times to Japan, China and
South Korea and all three clubs will need to be meticulous in their planning to
ensure they can compete favourably in both competitions.
We’ve heard
about the tough travel for A-League clubs in the past. It was always a
pre-planned excuse for A-League teams who didn’t take the ACL as seriously as
they should have. And while there is no doubt it is a factor, it will not
change now or into the future. So rather than complain, clubs have to learn to
adapt and plan their season accordingly.
While Popovic was criticised in some quarters for his constant
tinkering, if the Wanderers can maintain their A-League title challenge and
perform well in the ACL he will be proven correct, and may well create the
template for other coaches to follow in the coming years.
The only A-League club to have any success in Asia is Adelaide
United, and after a less than positive start to the season, things seem to have
turned around for Josep Gombau's side.
Lambasted at the start of the season for his decision to
implement an entirely new philosophy and game style, and focusing on
performance over results, it has started to pay off for Adelaide who have
climbed to third on the table and are playing some of the best football in the
league, led by their Argentine play maker Marcelo Carrusca who has just
re-signed with the club for a further season, a massive boost to the club in
the run in to the finals.
While there have been some obvious little tweaks to his plan
from the start of the season, not much has changed at Adelaide other than the
players are executing the game plan better than they were at the start of the
season, which was always going to be the case as they grew more accustomed to
the style.
This was clear to see in their second goal on the weekend when,
as they have done all season, they opted to play out from the back through
Eugene Galekovic. And whilst it almost came unstuck (it would have earlier in
the season), the fact they were able to play their way out of trouble and in
the space of a matter of passes find their way down the other end of the field
to score the winning goal shows how far Adelaide has progressed.
With another eight matches to fine-tune their game plan in the
run home they are a side every team will want to avoid come finals time.
And this weekend they have a great chance to cement their spot
in the top three when they travel to Melbourne to take on their biggest rivals
at AAMI Park. Adelaide fans still talk about the day they broke their hoodoo
against Melbourne Victory with a 4-0 win at AAMI Park.
They would love nothing more than to repeat that feat this
weekend.
But with just under a third of the season remaining there are no
doubt a few more twists and turns left in this A-League season. Absolutely
nothing can be taken for granted.
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