Rarely does the city of Melbourne present a united front come derby day, but following the latest instalment of the rivalry on Saturday night, both City and Victory coaches were in absolute agreement on the game’s standout moment: A-League debutant Tim Cahill’s goal was something to behold.
The Socceroos star belatedly took his bow in a City shirt at Etihad Stadium having sat out his new club’s season opener last weekend and took just 27 minutes to open his account with a wonderful, long-range strike to put City one up.
The execution was inch-perfect; the idea to even attempt such an audacious shot from distance indicative of the huge talent he brings to the A-League – and his own deep-seated belief in that talent.
After the game City coach John van ‘t Schip and his counterpart at Victory, Kevin Muscat, were on the same page about the effort from fully 35 metres that swerved into the top corner past the despairing dive of Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas.
“Everything came in a great moment together,” Van ‘t Schip said. “He showed that he’s a great player. He’s mentally very strong. He’s given the players around the club so much good feeling and vibe.
“On top of that, he made a great goal so he couldn’t wish for a better start.”
Hey Australia, @Tim_Cahill has arrived. #MelbDerby #ALeague pic.twitter.com/XkKGGySHsb
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) October 15, 2016
Muscat, despite his disappointment at his side’s heavy defeat, was compelled to acknowledge not just Cahill’s strike but also the striker’s all-round impact on the game from the outset.
“Timmy sets the tone really early ... then we conceded that goal. It’s a wonder-strike, no doubt,” Muscat said. “I don’t think it would have mattered where [Thomas] stood. It’s landed in the top corner at about 90 kilometres an hour.”
In another remarkable matchday for the A-League, more than 43,000 fans were at Etihad to witness the early contender for goal of the season, following on from the opening weekend’s record crowd for the Sydney derby, which attracted over 61,000 supporters.
Police said they were largely happy with the behaviour of such a big crowd, with just four arrests made and 13 evictions from the stadium. Of those arrested, one was for igniting a flare during the game.
The flare was ripped following Luke Brattan’s second-half goal for City and, despite being greeted by boos from the majority of the crowd, the incident runs the risk of putting Victory back in hot water with Football Federation Australia, which imposed a suspended three-point deduction on the club after poor supporter behaviour last season.
Western Sydney Wanderers were under the same threat when their fans lit a flare during last weekend’s Sydney derby. The club has since had its probation period extended by FFA to the end of the current season.
FFA will receive reports from the match on Monday morning before taking a decision on whether to take the matter further.
