1. Passing fancies
It’s yet to be seen whether Adelaide’s FFA Cup final against Perth on Tuesday night will entice Josep Gombau to rest a few of his star performers, or at least reduce their playing time when the Reds face Brisbane at home on Friday night. One suspects Gombau will play his strongest team on Friday and worry about Perth after that, for to do otherwise could jeopardise the lethal synchronicity Adelaide have created. Lethal-ish, at least. Against Western Sydney last week, Adelaide beat the Wanderers so badly that children’s eyes had to be covered —786 passes to 210, 80% possession to 20%, and 26 shots to 1. Yet the final score was just 2-0 and if Gomabu has any worries aside from grass stains on his trousers it may as well be Adelaide’s struggles in converting possession, field position and chances into goals.
As it happens, Brisbane’s goal tally is even worse, and theirs —unlike Adelaide’s— is undermined by a porous defence. Roar lead the league in passes-per-match (with 545, while Adelaide, with 443, are third behind the Mariners) and are a fraction of a percent behind leaders Adelaide when it comes to average time in possession (58.49% to 58.43%). Yet their 10 goals (and 13 conceded) indicate that most of their passing is an expression of their lack of ideas and incision; and that despite Henrique’s form, the Besart Berisha-shaped hole in their front line is not even close to being filled. Amid rumours that Matt Smith is looking for a way out, nothing we’ve seen so far suggests Brisbane can upset Carrusca, Cirio, Mabil and co. on Friday night.
2. The Jets’ fight for relevance
When you’re winless after nine matches (despite leading in five of them), when you face a traditionally fruitless road trip to the league leaders, and when your coach has just been given the full support of your club’s management (which suggests he should sleep with one eye open), what can you do but look for the positives, even if it means you have to beat a dense thicket with a stick to find them? So it was Jets midfielder Jacob Pepper interpreted tension on the training paddock this week —you know, the anthropological dance of push and shove between teammates— as “a good sign”. It showed, he said, that passion, that a “winning spirit”, still resides with the Jets despite their travails. But is passion enough? Can it possibly suffice on Friday when, without the injured Marcos Flores and Billy Celeski, the Jets travel to Perth where they haven’t won since the inaugural A-League season? Such a difficult assignment is compounded by the fact Perth continue to earn their league leadership, underlining their resolve by beating the hitherto unbeaten Sydney away last round despite the hurdle of going behind to a penalty that should never have been. Perth are enjoying this winning business, and they hardy seem ready to give it up for Newcastle, passionate or not.
3. Another day in the sun for the Phoenix
When you’ve been brought up on the withered teats of the Football Kingz and the New Zealand Knights, and when you’ve suffered through a couple of summers that have felt like harsh winters, it may be difficult to enjoy a ramble in the sun when you expect a trapdoor around every corner. But such is life for Wellington Phoenix supporters. Fifth on the table, eight goals in their past two games (and 18 in all this season), and playing with an attacking philosophy that grabs the attention, the Phoenix are offering hope that they can maintain their finals push and do more than make up the numbers if they get there. At 1-0 down against the Jets last week, and spurning good chance after good chance, there must have been a few Phoenix supporters mumbling “here we go” with resignation but Nathan Burns’ eighth goal of the season brought Wellington level before two more were added in quick succession. As Ernie Merrick said afterwards, “When we score one, we’ve driven into them the mentality of ‘go for another, go for another,’ don’t ever sit back on one or two goals.” Now the Phoenix are at home to Phil Moss’s 8th-placed Central Coast Mariners, a team still searching for their second win of the season after last week’s dispiriting “home” loss to Melbourne Victory, a match in which they had more possession and more shots but lost with room to spare. Five goals all season points to their Achilles heel; empty seats around them point to other problems. A draw may be the best the Mariners can expect.
4. Are Sydney slipping?
In a remarkably short time Graham Arnold has transformed Sydney FC from gumbies into a championship threat. Yet season-ending injuries to key figures Corey Gameiro and Ali Abbas, as well as last week’s late capitulation to Perth, has pushed Arnold and his team into some potentially slippery terrain. Just one loss all season, yes, but Sydney have now won just one of their past five matches, and that against strugglers Melbourne City who do half the job for you. The above sequence has included tough draws against Adelaide, Victory and the Wanderers, but for a team with title pretensions Sydney are due a win —and one over Kevin Muscat’s flying Melbourne Victory would be worth a lot more than three points. To that end, Sydney will be pleased to have Mark Janko and Sasa Ognenovski back from injuries and, in Seb Ryall’s case, suspension. Their presence will test Victory’s fluid attack —one boosted by the return of Gui Finkler— which leads the league in goals scored (21), while giving Sydney an extra prong in attack. There’s much at stake. Victory could open up an eight-point gap over their big city rivals with a win and put the Sky Blues on the seat of their pants for the first time this season.
5. A fez to remember?
The Western Sydney Wanderers’ pushmi-pullyu season continues this weekend when, as representatives of Asia, they take on six-time North American champions Cruz Azul this Saturday in Rabat (Morocco) as part of the World Club Championship. Considering the Wanderers haven’t won so much as an RSL meat tray since beating Al-Hilal at home on October 25 to put them on the road to claiming the Asian Champions League title it’s hard to see them winning the dubious prize of progressing to face Real Madrid in the semifinals, but league form does not always play out in cup competitions, and that’s the beauty of them.
Of course it’s not just the Wanderers’ poor domestic form that could hold them back but the players’ continuing disgruntlement over their club’s intention to pay them just 10% of prize money —which, should they lose against Cruz Azul, will work out at about $2500 per player. That may be a king’s ransom compared to what you earn as a Guardian sportswriter but it pales against the 50% share of prize money the players got for their sterling efforts in the Asian Champions League under a union-brokered collective bargaining agreement. It would be a travesty if this, rather than the efforts of Cruz Azul, was the undoing of the Wanderers.
Fixtures
Friday
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar, Cooper Stadium, Adelaide, 740pm
Perth Glory v Newcastle Jets, nib Stadium, 945pm (AEST)
Saturday
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners, Eden Park, Auckland, 3pm
Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC, Etihad Stadium, 730pm
