A-League Round Thirteen Talking Points
Seasons greetings and Happy New Year from everyone here at TBG! Round 13 was the last round of A-League action for 2011 and what a round it was!
Heart attack in Sydney
Melbourne Heart have out done themselves, even after a string of impressive results the Heart shocked many with an unprecedented 4-0 win, Sydney's biggest defeat on home soil.
The performance defined a "smash and grab" victory, having a game plan of protecting a lead, then hitting the opposition on the counter.
They are now firming as title contenders, JVS compiling a list whose depth isn't only for the sake of fresh legs, but gives the team the tactical license to change depending on the opposition, which has been the scret to their recent success.
Sydney on the other hand, have to pick themselves up after yet another disappointing home performance, and try to eradicate their extremely poor start to games.
Adelaide on a roll?
Adelaide defeated Wellington 2-0 over the weekend in a convincing display that has so far eluded the Reds this season.
It appears the return of John Kosmina has put a spring in the Red's step with 4 points from the last two games and 4 goals helping to move Adelaide off the bottom of the table.
Only one point away from a finals spot Adelaide would be aiming to play in March and need to develop these early positive signs into a more decisive run of form.
However it isn't going to get easy for the Reds who begin a horror run facing Heart, Brisbane, Melbourne Victory and Central Coast in succession.
It could go either way for the Reds, they could could build on recent positive form and make a legitimate play for a finals spot or they could crumble in the coming weeks as pressure builds and the novelty of a new coach wears off.
Coasts are closer then expected
It was meant to be the Mariners game.
Coming up against the last place Gold Coast many felt the result was never in doubt and the Mariners would cruse to a comfortable victory, however that was not to be the case.
In a tight and sometimes frustrating game the 'battle of the coasts' ended in a scoreless draw in front of a healthy New Year's Eve crowd of nearly 15,000.
It was a telling night for the A-League and despite the poor performance exemplified a unique characteristic that help define the young league.
Despite the vast distance between the two clubs on the table the game was a tightly fought contest and showed just how tight the A-League is.
It seems as though it is getting tougher every week to tip games and blowouts are rare and unexpected unlike many other leagues around the world.
Every week throws in a few surprises and keeps the league interesting and unpredictable, add in finals football and it's anyone's game.
Victory for the Roar
The final match of 2011 started with a bang!
How could it not? With the Roar coming off thier 5th loss in a row (and their largest ever losing streak) and the Victory in desperate need of some points following yet another blown lead (in the Melbourne Derby no less) both teams were desperate for a win to end a less then festive, festive season.
Harry Kewell fired his first goal for the Victory from open play and gave the Vics a welcome early lead sending the hundreds of away fans crazy!
However it was all down hill from there for Victory.
But with a new formation the Roar hit back hard in front of an other big A-League crowd of close to 15,000 and in quick succession with goals on either side of the break and a third only moments later.
The Roar put in over 20 shots in the 90 minutes and put the Victory under an unprecedented amount of pressure that was reminiscent of the previous clash between the clubs back in week five.
The Roar appear to have answered some of their critics but the Victory on the other hand will be feeling the pressure and must solve the all of the seemingly endless list of problems at the club in the new year.
Do you have any thoughts about the A-League? Tell us what you think on Facebook, Twitter or on the comments section of the Blog. Also if you have any suggestions for talking points feel free to tell us!
From all of us at TBG, all the best for the New Year!
Heart attack in Sydney
The performance defined a "smash and grab" victory, having a game plan of protecting a lead, then hitting the opposition on the counter.
They are now firming as title contenders, JVS compiling a list whose depth isn't only for the sake of fresh legs, but gives the team the tactical license to change depending on the opposition, which has been the scret to their recent success.
Sydney on the other hand, have to pick themselves up after yet another disappointing home performance, and try to eradicate their extremely poor start to games.
Adelaide on a roll?
Adelaide defeated Wellington 2-0 over the weekend in a convincing display that has so far eluded the Reds this season.
It appears the return of John Kosmina has put a spring in the Red's step with 4 points from the last two games and 4 goals helping to move Adelaide off the bottom of the table.
Only one point away from a finals spot Adelaide would be aiming to play in March and need to develop these early positive signs into a more decisive run of form.
However it isn't going to get easy for the Reds who begin a horror run facing Heart, Brisbane, Melbourne Victory and Central Coast in succession.
It could go either way for the Reds, they could could build on recent positive form and make a legitimate play for a finals spot or they could crumble in the coming weeks as pressure builds and the novelty of a new coach wears off.
Coasts are closer then expected
It was meant to be the Mariners game.
In a tight and sometimes frustrating game the 'battle of the coasts' ended in a scoreless draw in front of a healthy New Year's Eve crowd of nearly 15,000.
It was a telling night for the A-League and despite the poor performance exemplified a unique characteristic that help define the young league.
Despite the vast distance between the two clubs on the table the game was a tightly fought contest and showed just how tight the A-League is.
It seems as though it is getting tougher every week to tip games and blowouts are rare and unexpected unlike many other leagues around the world.
Every week throws in a few surprises and keeps the league interesting and unpredictable, add in finals football and it's anyone's game.
Victory for the Roar
The final match of 2011 started with a bang!
How could it not? With the Roar coming off thier 5th loss in a row (and their largest ever losing streak) and the Victory in desperate need of some points following yet another blown lead (in the Melbourne Derby no less) both teams were desperate for a win to end a less then festive, festive season.
Harry Kewell fired his first goal for the Victory from open play and gave the Vics a welcome early lead sending the hundreds of away fans crazy!
However it was all down hill from there for Victory.
But with a new formation the Roar hit back hard in front of an other big A-League crowd of close to 15,000 and in quick succession with goals on either side of the break and a third only moments later.
The Roar put in over 20 shots in the 90 minutes and put the Victory under an unprecedented amount of pressure that was reminiscent of the previous clash between the clubs back in week five.
The Roar appear to have answered some of their critics but the Victory on the other hand will be feeling the pressure and must solve the all of the seemingly endless list of problems at the club in the new year.
Do you have any thoughts about the A-League? Tell us what you think on Facebook, Twitter or on the comments section of the Blog. Also if you have any suggestions for talking points feel free to tell us!
From all of us at TBG, all the best for the New Year!
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