Can Glory ignore the elephant in the room?
Just as Perth Glory have returned to the top of the ladder after stringing together two fighting, if somewhat scrappy, wins to arrest a long and worrying winless streak, the salary cap saga that’s been hanging over their heads like a swollen storm cloud drops a little lower.
Having responded to the FFA’s allegations of serious salary cap breaches Glory now await a response and possible punishment knowing that the deduction of premiership points is a possibility —and it could be a big enough deduction to render their impressive season redundant.
If the decision doesn’t come in the next few hours that’s some elephant for the Glory coaching staff and players (including central figure Andy Keogh) to ignore, especially ahead of big game against the league’s best road team, Sydney FC, who are still smarting after being fleeced by Adelaide on the weekend.
But what else can the Glory players do? After a season in which most everyone has expected them to fall away at any moment they are still equal first (albeit having played one more game that co-leaders Victory) with just three games remaining, and the Premier’s Plate is still up for grabs. Glory must find the resolve to keep their eyes off the pachyderm and on the prize.
Wellington’s Rocky moment
Wellington’s two knockout 3-0 home losses in their past two games hardly offer good preparation for finals football and, along with the confirmation that striker Joel Griffiths has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, they’ve put a big dent in Wellington’s chances of claiming their first Premier’s Plate.
Perhaps as a consequence of such frustrations Vince Lia and Alex Rodriguez squared off at a drizzly training session this week forcing captain Andrew Durante to insinuate himself between them like a wet dog. Nothing to see here, assured Ernie Merrick, and it would be rude to doubt him because he’s been a level-headed, straight-shooter all year.
Indeed, Merrick added, only half-jokingly you suspect, that such signs of agitation are encouraging as it shows that the spirit in the camp is high and that Wellington are willing to shed their “nice guy” persona in order to cope better in the finals.
It reminds me, as do many things in life, of a Rocky film, with Wellington playing the eponymous hero around the time he races Apollo Creed on the beach, both men in sprayed-on singlets and long athletic socks, a scene of such bromantic, homoerotic majesty it rivals the volleyball scene in Top Gun.
The point of the beach sprint, you’ll recall, is to help Rocky rediscover the eye of the tiger, because nothing prepares you better for a world title fight against a brutal punching machine than a run along the beach with a friend.
Wellington’s opponent on Sunday, Melbourne City, are no Clubber Lang, of course, but they are so far resisting their natural inclination to fall away when the heat is applied, and they are still in the driving seat for sixth so have much to play for. Wellington will need to be at their best to win. Dare I say, they’ll need the eye of the tiger.
Tiki-taka is one way, not the way
It came as some irony that the league’s best possession-based football team, one that prefers to walk the ball into the net, stole the points off Sydney last week with a Awer Mabil goal borne of a long ball.
With some sour grapes Adelaide were chided about that, as they were about their high yellow card count (7-0 against the Blues) which led Graham Arnold to the conclusion that United were deliberately slowing Sydney’s game with cynical fouls.
Josep Gombau didn’t exactly deny it, either, saying “At this stage of the season it is more important to get points than how we play”. He’s right, too. On the same note the manner of that Mabil goal shows that while it may be good to have a stylistic default it’s better still to be able to adapt to the game at hand and take whatever road leads to goals, Route One or otherwise.
Even Barcelona have moved away from pure tiki-taka and they are arguably more enjoyable to watch for it. It will be interesting to see Adelaide’s tactics against Brisbane at home where the onus will be on them to set the tone. That said, Brisbane’s A-League lives rely on them winning so their necessary search for goals may play into Adelaide’s hands.
Finkler’s nose for goal
Given the quality of goals he’s scored over the years — and he’s scored three in his past two games — it’s a wonder Melbourne Victory’s Gui Finkler doesn’t have a crack more often than he does.
Instead, as his 15 goals in 62 games shows, he’s been more content to play the manservant; the knowing Jeeves putting gifts on silver trays for the Woosters of his team to enjoy.
As such he’s the league’s leader in assists, with 10, followed by Thomas Broich and Aaron Mooy on eight. (Curiously, of the top 11 ‘assisters’ in the league, Mooy is the only Australian, which says something about how we look elsewhere for our playmakers, which in itself could say something about how we coach youngsters).
But the more Finkler chances his arm, by which I mean his leg, the better for Victory; not only for the goals it may bring but the indecision it will put on defenders who will be increasingly unsure whether to come in on him and risk opening space behind, or stand off and risk him shooting.
Kevin Muscat has been delighted with Finkler’s boost in form and it’s certainly been timely. More of the same should see Victory see off Newcastle at home with room to spare. The Jets have been known to give Victory the willies in the past but with a major prize in Victory’s sights they should romp it in.
Bulut the blue sky
The Western Sydney Wanderers’ A-League season has been an unmitigated disaster but, along with the club’s contradictory Champions League form, the mid-season arrival from Europe of striker Kerem Bulut has provided some consolation.
A midweek scorer against FC Seoul in the Champions League, Bulut, in just six A-League games, has scored five goals to propel himself to the top of the Wanderers’ goal-scoring chart ahead of Tomi Juric, who has just three goals from 13 games.
That stat, and Juric’s open goal miss against Melbourne City last week, provides a snapshot of the Wanderers’ season to date. But the Sydney-born Bulut — who scored nine goals in 11 matches for the Australian Under-19 team in the 2010 U19 Asian Cup — has finally provided the Wanderers with a consistent goal threat and his conversion- and work-rate will have raised one, if not both, of Ange Postecoglou’s eyebrows.
The Wanderers represents a redemption story for Bulut who, as a 19-year-old, was charged with gang-related offences. And while that colourful history may actually appeal to some of the Wanderers’ nuttier supporters, he is so far showing that if he can continue to keep the past behind him while continuing to find the net his future looks bright.
Fixtures
Friday:
Melbourne Victory vs Newcastle Jets, AAMI Park, Melbourne, 7.40pm
Perth Glory v Sydney FC, nib Stadium, Perth, 9.45pm
Saturday:
Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar, Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, 5pm
Central Coast Mariners, vs Western Sydney Wanderers, Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, 7.30pm
Sunday:
Melbourne City vs Wellington Phoenix, AAMI Park, Melbourne, 5pm
