Final thoughts
It’s the joy of sixth for Melbourne City. They earned it, too. John van’t Schip’s men looked far more deadly up front, and impregnable at the back, against a Roar side that lacked inspiration if not effort. Will they take their foot off the gas now? Probably, but who cares when they’ve done the hard work. Can they go far in the finals? The jury’s still out on that one. They’ll be facing teams with much more guile than Brisbane, but they showed enough tonight to suggest they can trouble any of the other five finalists.
So where did it all go wrong for Roar? It was always going to be a tough ask for the defending champions to repeat their heroics of last season, especially after losing some key players, but it’s still a hugely disappointing campaign. Technically, they’re still in with a shout of qualifying for the finals – but it’s form as much as the points gap that suggests they won’t make it.
On the plus side, they probably just need a few tweaks rather than a full-scale overhaul to be back in contention next season. They looked a beaten side in the first ten minutes, but as they grew in confidence there were a few of the old flashes – just not enough.
Full-time: Melbourne City 1-0 Brisbane Roar
And that’s it. Roar’s title defence ends with a whimper. OK, technically they’re still in it, but this was a rather large nail in an almost sealed coffin.
90+1 mins: And it’s cleared easily by the City defence. Story of the game. Roar send the balls in, City deal with them comfortably.
90+1 mins: Last chance to salvage a draw? Corner to Brisbane.
Updated
89 mins: Going through the motions now. There’s still an air of desperation to Brisbane’s play but City don’t look stretched in the slightest. In fact the home side look more threatening than their opponents when they break on the counter-attack.
87 mins: Three minutes left of Roar’s season. Still baffled why Thissjen hasn’t made any more changes. Roar have pushed, probed and passed it around, but for all their huff and puff, they’re on the verge of a season-ending defeat.
85 mins: Answers on a postcard...
Updated
83 mins: A poor back pass almost puts Williams clean through, but Young races off his line to block the danger at the expense of a corner. It’s eventually floated back into the box and Young holds on to it well.
81 mins: As good as Brisbane’s intent and pressure has been this half, City’s defence has been resolute throughout. Even when Roar have broken through, Velaphi has been solid. It’s starting to get the whiff of inevitability about it.
Updated
79 mins: Cracking shot from Clut from 25 yards, but Velaphi is equal to it. Tick, tock, tick, tock...
78 mins: City on the counter-attack but the final shot from Germano is too tame and Young smothers it. It’s the risk Brisbane are going to have to take if they’re going to get something from this game.
Updated
75 mins: Wasted free-kick from Brattan. The ball sails harmlessly over the danger zone and out for a throw. Brisbane surely have to make a change soon.
Updated
74 mins: Ooo! Lovely through-ball but Koren just can’t get on the end of it and Young clears up. That would have been game over.
Updated
72 mins: Where’s the inspiration going to come from for Roar? Petratos has been full of intent but has delivered very little. There have been a few promising attacks but nothing that would have really scared City. Time is running out for Brisbane. City have one foot in the finals, and their fans behind Velaphi’s goal know it.
Updated
69 mins: Bit of a lull for the last 10 minutes. Not that City will mind. Roar are pressing well, but they’ll need to start throwing even more men forward soon. It’s essentially a cup game for them, and at the minute they’re going out of the competition.
Updated
65 mins: Roar still having the lion’s share of possession but City have got bodies at the back to block anything they throw at them. It’s a risky move though, inviting pressure from a desperate team.
Updated
62 mins: Up the other end and it’s Brisbane on the attack. Some good defending from Clisby blocks the eventual shot, but it’s come at a cost - Clisby is down and looks in trouble. City have used all their subs too. This is interesting. He eventually gets back on his feet and tries to run it off - more through necessity than anything else.
Updated
60 mins: Ooooo! Just as I accuse them of trying to stifle the match, Germano almost makes it 2-0 - firing a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area as Brisbane’s defence struggled to get back.
Updated
58 mins: Some of the fire has gone from the game, possibly a deliberate move by City. They seem content to try and smother the life out of any passing football. Any why not? It’s not pretty for the likes of you and me but it’s proving effective. Roar are having plenty of possession but so far they’ve struggled to create many chances, let alone clear-cut ones.
55 mins: Kennedy comes off for Murdocca. The striker doesn’t look happy about it. Must admit I’m slightly bemused too. That’s all of their subs used.
Updated
54 mins: Another 40 minutes for Roar to save their season. They’re going about it the right way but City’s defence has been solid.
52 mins: It’s been a reverse of the start of the first-half so far. Roar well on top and sniffing for a goal. The only difference is City don’t look as haphazard at the back.
49 mins: Fantastic save from Velaphi to stop a Petratos cross. He had to get enough of a fist on it to get it away from Clut, who was running in at the back post. City must be sweating a little.
Updated
48 mins: Brisbane doing the early running. City’s defence up to the challenge so far but Roar seem to be continuing their momentum.
Updated
Second half: Melbourne City 1-0 Brisbane Roar
Peeeeeeep! And we’re back. Can Roar pick up where they left off, or has van’t Schip’s half-time talk got City firing again? Fifty-fifty in the opening exchanges.
Half-time: Melbourne City 1-0 Brisbane Roar
45+2 mins: And that’s it for the first-half. Roar looked hopeless for the opening 10 minutes but finished the half as the stronger team. Still big question marks over their defence. I suspect they’ll need at least two to get a result from this.
44 mins: Hmmm. Stefanutto scuffs what should have been a simple clearance and it lands at Kennedy’s feet in the middle of the area. The big striker is clearly as shocked as the rest of us and fluffs his shot. A let-off for the Roar defence. Not really the beautiful game.
Updated
43 mins: Petratos whips one across the face of goal - it’s too far from the net to call it a shot; too far away from the on-rushing Borrello to call it a cross. City will be happy to hear the half-time whistle.
Updated
41 mins: A poor final ball breaks up another promising Roar attack. It’s much, much better from the visitors but they still haven’t looked like scoring.
40 mins: If Roar are going to get something from this game (and keep their season alive in the process) they need to make the most of this little spell of pressure. It’s hardly been a siege but they’ve definitely edged the last five minutes.
39 mins: Oooo! Good save from Velaphi at his near post after a curling effort from Borrello. Roar sensing their chance.
Updated
37 mins: Unorthodox header from Velaphi to break up a Brisbane attack before it can reach his area. Looked risky, but he did it well. It’s still better from Roar though. They’re slowly moving deeper into City’s half.
35 mins: Ooo! Clut with a crucial knick to divert the ball before Koren can pick out the top corner.
Updated
34 mins: Brisbane probing forward but struggling to get in behind the City defence. The City back four look a picture of calm compared to Roar’s.
33 mins: Now Novillo’s getting treatment on the sidelines. Looks like he’s hurt his nose. Nothing too serious.
31 mins: Even though it’s been an even game for the last 10 minutes, there are still a few telltale signs that all’s not well in the Roar defence. Even simple balls forward seem to spark a communication problem between the centre-halves.
29mins: Looks like Brown has kicked his last ball of the game. He’s hobbling around the sidelines. Sure enough, the ball goes out and on comes Novillo.
28 mins: Solorzano blasts one over the bar from the edge of the box. He was under pressure from Jaliens, but that was good build-up play from Brisbane.
Updated
26 mins: Bit of a break in play as Brown goes down. It’s an even game now, although you suspect City are happy just to bide their time and wait for an opening. Brisbane are still battling but they’ve not really created anything. All the best chances have fallen for City.
Updated
23 mins: The game has slowed down a notch so what better time to look at the replays of Germano’s celebration. Some sort of fish-based weirdness. Maybe he’s “angling” for a move to the “Mariners”.
I suspect that stat would have been even more one-sided up until five minutes ago.
19 mins: Brisbane have gone up a notch; although they would have struggled to go down one. Much more even now but City seem happy to soak up the pressure. Roar chasing the game.
Updated
17 mins: Brisbane with their first corner. It’s taken short and whipped in, but Clisby clears it easily.
15 mins: Brisbane are playing it around in defence but at least the third pass isn’t going straight to a white shirt any more. Compared to how they started the game, it’s a step up.
Updated
14 mins: A rare sortie forward from Brisbane. Bit better. It didn’t actually come to anything, in fact it fizzled out on the left wing, but at least the intent was there.
Updated
12 mins: It’s still all City. Brisbane need to lift their heads, and their game.
Updated
9 mins: The corner comes in and Brisbane clear it. None of their players rush out of the box though and it comes back to Brown on the edge of the box. His fairly tame effort is straight at Young.
Updated
7 mins: Every time Brisbane get the ball, they either lose it quickly or get harried off it. City surge forward again and Stefanutto does well to block a cross. Corner.
5 mins: Poor from Roar. That early flap from Young was an early portent. City have their heads up now, Brisbane struggling to get a foot on it.
GOAL! Melbourne City 1-0 Brisbane Roar
4 mins: It’s in! Germano with a simple finish after Young palms away a header into his path. Just the start Roar didn’t want.
Updated
3 mins: Odd decision from Young to punch away a relatively simple ball into the box under no pressure. Doesn’t bode well for the visitors’ nerves.
2 mins: Cautious start from both teams. A hopeful ball towards Borrello is overhit and City get possession back.
Kick-off
Peeeep! And we’re off at a buoyant AAMI Park. The home crowd here seem optimistic... and with good cause.
Updated
Reports suggest Polenz has been pulled from the team. Looks like North is coming in instead. Not a bad replacement, but hardly a promising start.
Things just aren’t going Roar’s way - and we haven’t even kicked off yet. It looks like Polenz has pulled a muscle in the warm-up. He’s trying to walk it off but it doesn’t look great.
Updated
The bad news keeps coming for Frans Thijssen. After watching his side slump to three defeats in a row, he was cited midweek for a post-match outburst following the controversial loss to Wellington Phoenix (a game that ended early due to an intense downpour). It’s true what they say Frans: it never rains but it pours. Here’s a reminder of what he said.
Updated
A look at the line-ups. Both sides hit by the international break.
Pre-amble
“It’s now or never,” crooned the King of Rock ’n’ Roll back in the ’60s, and prescient Presley could well have been singing about the current kings of the A-League, who have to win this one if they want a serious shot at keeping their crown.
It’s a quirk of the finals system that the battle for sixth spot is often more exciting than the fight at the top. Not this year. With five points separating them, if sixth-placed City beat seventh-placed Roar, the race for a place in the finals is as good as run. However, if the defending champions bag the three points, they’ll be two points behind with a game in hand. It’s a proverbial six-pointer, as someone on Fox Sports is bound to say.
The odds are against Brisbane. They’re missing key players due to international commitments and are heading into the game on the back of three successive defeats, including Wednesday’s 4-1 home hammering at the hands of struggling Western Sydney. In other words, they aren’t just staring down the barrel, they’ve flicked the safety catch off and painted a bullseye on their foreheads.
For City, even a draw would be a decent result, especially considering their lengthy injury list. With the Roar still raw from Wednesday, however, this is City’s big chance to stop looking over their shoulder and focus on the road to the finals.
It’s arguably the most important clash of the round with both teams fighting for the sixth and final spot in the finals. Victory for Melbourne City would all but seal their place in the top six; a win for Brisbane Roar would make it “game on” for the last few fixtures of the regular season. Richard Gadsby will be here in a few minutes to take you through the action, until then here’s what Paul Connolly makes of the round 23 clash.
After Brisbane Roar’s midweek loss to the Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne City’s finals chances are in their own (shaking, sweaty?) hands. Beat the Roar on Saturday night and they’ll go eight points clear in sixth ahead of their weekend opponents with just four games (five for Brisbane) to play. City have already beaten Brisbane twice this season but that’s not where their advantage ends. Brisbane’s game on Saturday night will be their fifth in just 13 days, confirmation of which can be seen in the claw-like hands of the Roar’s overworked masseuses. Worse, the Roar team that will front AAMI Park will be a shadow of the real thing, like a movie set street frontage that looks real enough until you see the bare bones behind it. Through a combination of injury and international duty Brisbane will play without Matt McKay, Luke DeVere, Corey Brown, James Donachie (all international duty) and the injured duo, Henrique and Thomas Broich. City will make do without midfield workhorse Aaron Mooy and, yes, Connor Chapman, Ben Garuccio, Rob Wielaert, Damien Duff and Jacob Melling, but with David Williams and Josh Kennedy returning City look considerably better off. City have a way of confounding expectations (not always in a good way), and you could never pick them with any confidence, but it’s theirs to lose. Or win, depending on your philosophical approach to life.
