So Happy Together

When I received a phone call during the week offering me a chance to #OwnTheExperience I couldn’t believe my luck.  Melbourne Heart wanting to reward me for being a foundation member writing the occasional passionate blog about the club.  Six of us hand selected by the club from various sources.

We started with a brief tour of AAMI Park, Australia’s finest football venue.  We met in one of the many corporate boxes where we were briefed on our days activities, we would be pitch side for the duration of the must win clash and even learnt a thing or two about AAMI Park.  Did you know that all home teams have lost their debut match at AAMI Park, me either.  During our quick tour around the stadium, and walk up the player race, something most fans only dream of, it may not have the history or mystique of the Anfield tunnel but just to make that walk was pretty special.

Next on the list was an opportunity to discuss the excellent community program run by General Manager (Community) Sue Crow.  Today’s theme was Indigenous round and she explained that some lucky children from Mildura United made the six hour bus trip to Melbourne to get the opportunity to play a mini soccer match at half time.  Sue stated that the club try to reward those less fortunate and it’s a credit to all those involved.  Only a few weeks ago we saw some ‘Street Soccer’ players many participants were sellers of ‘The Big Issue.

Tonight we would see a “Welcome to Country’ ceremony performed by Auntie Joy on behalf of the Wundjeri people.  This was the third time in as many season Heart had been involved in the indigenous program and it’s something they wish to continue.  The players were welcomed on the pitch by didgeridoo and David Williams had specially designed boots for the occasion.

This is when phase two of the #OwnTheExperience kicked it, the first performance of new club song ‘So happy together’ I admit I was sceptical when I heard this song was chosen but all that scepticism lifted when I heard the Yarraside and the rest of the crowd in full voice.  From the bench the song was incredible, from the first moment ‘So happy together’ wasn’t a song any more, it was an anthem.

Time for kick off and my seats were the best I have ever experienced at an event.  I was sitting just metres behind Adelaide coach John Kosmina, watching my Melbourne Heart play; somebody pinch me.  We made a dream start to the match when Josip Tadic found the back of the net just after five minutes.  This put the rapturous crowd on cloud nine and for the first 20 minutes of the match the noise from the crowd were the loudest it had been all season; largely thanks to the great #OneMelburnian campaign and the club initiative of opening the active area to a larger audience.

Our touchline seating gave the opportunity to see how quick and physical the league actually is.  Quick foot skills, fluent passing and crunching tackles give a different perspective when you take it all in from ground level.  When Matt Thompson layed one of his many tackles right in front of us I could feel it from my seat just a few metres away.

Half time was here and we were allowed onto the pitch to watch 10 lucky foundation members play a five a side match.  The match was a kick and giggle affair but it allowed the selected foundation members the opportunity to run around on the pitch in front of their mates and for a lucky few even score a goal.

The second half commenced and the nerves started to kick in, we needed to maintain our shape, and take the points.  Enter Richard Garcia, after a standout first half Richie was rewarded by excellent team play and found the back of the net to put the Heart up 2-0.  Over the later stages of the match Andrew Redmayne proved some doubters wrong with some quality saves and great command of the box.  Jeremy Walker was solid once again, and what he lacked in pace against Aaron Ramsey he made up in determination.  Since the departure of Michael Marrone, Walker has found his feet at A-League level and was even backing himself to instruct experienced Socceroos player Richie Garcia.

There was one scare through the Heart camp when Fred once again limped off accompanied by our trainer, Aloisi later confirmed it was a quad injury not the hamstring injury that has been troubling him all season.  At the 83 minute mark a hush came over the crowd as many of us remembered the events of last week in Sydney.  Could we play 90 minutes this weekend? We needed to, our season depended on it.

When the referee blew the final whistle and we rose as one, Melbourne Heart won the clash 2-0 but more importantly played the full 90 minutes.  The players as happy as they were relieved, the fans ecstatic and the 7000 plus crowd went home happy.

I must say getting the opportunity to sit behind John Kosmina was fantastic, the man has football and passion flowing through his veins and his contribution to Australian football is immense.  Although the seats should come with a MA15+ warning it was a great insight to see the coach of his calibre in action.

Our final treat for the night was being ushered to the after match press conference where we got to experience what the likes of Michael Lynch and David Davutovic do on a weekly basis. As a fan this was an incredible experience, and for a bloke who writes football blogs a fantastic insight.  There was no breakdown of match tactics or tough questions thrown at the respective coaches, but to see the happenings of the press conference was fascinating.  We even received an acknowledgement from John Aloisi at the end of his interview; that was the final cherry on top of the #OwnTheExperience night.

This was an incredible one off opportunity provided by the people at Melbourne Heart.  The #OwnTheExperiece gave me an incredible insight of what goes on behind the scenes, on the pitch and after the final whistle.  Sadly the club didn’t reveal all, the identity of ‘Ticker’ is still a well kept club secret.

I can’t thank the club enough for the incredible opportunity this was and the lengths they go to with their fan engagement program.  The next time I walk into AAMI Park to see the Heart boys play, it may not be from the amazing viewpoint as I had this week, but I’ll be there happy to cheer on my club Melbourne Heart ‘From the Stands’.

Friday Night Lights

This Friday night is a red letter day for the Melbourne Heart, a chance for all members and supporters to show that not only are we a well supported club in Melbourne, but we are deserving of a place in the ALeague finals in around 10 weeks time.

To say crowds have been disappointing this season would be an understatement.  Even after a spirited Melbourne derby performance we could only draw 6,303 to a match featuring the reigning champions Brisbane Roar on a perfect Sunday afternoon.  Albeit it was school holidays and I’m sure some of our fans were enjoying the beach while Fred was scoring a second half goal to send us 3-0 up.  The following 30 minutes wasn’t as pretty to watch but what impressed me most was the performance of those ‘From the Stands’.  Brisbane managed to score 2 late goals and had plenty of time to find an equaliser.  That afternoon the crowd rose as one and managed to become the 11^th man (Williams was earlier sent off) that we so needed.

I admit this blog would have been far easier to write after the 80^th minute of last week’s match against Sydney (when our players decided to stop playing).  It would have read something like this; three wins on the trot and currently sitting in 5^th spot come out to watch the red hot Melbourne Heart take on 2^nd place Adelaide Untied.  Sadly we conceded two late goals, lost 2-1 to the badly out of form Sydney FC and sit outside the top six.

This Friday night represents our last Friday night game for the season and I believe a strong opportunity to build our ever expanding fan base.  The launch of the #OneMelburnain campaign and the clubs ‘Own the experience’ are key factors in realising financial stability on and off the pitch but these measures can only take a club so far.

The #OneMelburnian campaign is a fan based initiative that encourages existing members to seek out friends and family to attend at least one Heart game with the idea of becoming a member after attending the match.  The goal is for the club to reach 9,000 members.

Next season Friday night matches will be shown in lounge rooms throughout the country thanks to free to air broadcaster SBS and we must show the league and those in charge we do want Friday night football in Melbourne.  This will not only provide great exposure and sponsorship opportunities for the club but give Melbourians a chance to experience Friday night football in the summer months.  Our Aussie rules counterparts thrive on Friday night football, it’s about time we followed their lead.  This is a golden opportunity for the club and we must show we are deserving of such a prime time kick off.

Performance and consistency on the pitch is the one key ingredient the Melbourne Heart has been lacking ever since the inception of the club in 2010.  Sport is a results based industry and sadly Melbourne Heart has failed to deliver in this category.  One only has to look at the leagues newest franchise Western Sydney Wanderers and their debut season, Tony Popovic has performed miracles with that group and the team are receiving unprecedented support.

One does wonder though when the FFA pull the plug on their funding will the club have to resort to things like ice baths in wheelie bins like some other clubs in the league.

The 2012/13 season is shaping up as another wasted season unless we see improvements on the pitch.  We seem to linger around 5-8 on the table, and are losing ground on the top challengers in the league.  On our day we have the ability to be World beaters, but seem to lack the mental strength to string consistent results together.  As an outsider looking is it’s a frustrating results merry go round that we watch.  I’m as impressed with our home form as I am with our inability to win out of Melbourne.  Its 13 months since we have won ‘away’ and this is an issue that needs to be addressed quickly.  Is it our mental fragility, team travel plans or just sheer coincidence?  If this issue isn’t addressed we won’t be winning any titles in our near future.

Our derby form has been suburb this year, and you would have a great case to say we have outplayed Victory twice this year.  Why can’t John Aloisi and the players get themselves up for other games when they perform so valiantly in Melbourne Derbies?

Our squad selections haven’t been helped by injury, or the ridiculous size of the league’s playing squads.  These argument could be used by all 10 ALeague clubs, but it is hardly ideal conditions for a rookie coach to be working under.  The different situations relating to Vinnie Grella and Steven Gray are frustrating and puzzling to say the least.  Vinnie Grella seems to be more injured than Australian cricketing all rounder Shane Watson, and the value of his signature now has to be seriously questioned.  The signing of Steven Gray was a puzzling choice when made, using an visa spot for cover of Colosimo and Gerhardt central defensive position just doesn’t seem right when you are restricted to such a small squad as we are in the league.  Was this decision purely financial or did we believe he was a much needed commodity to win a title? We will probably never know.

The goalkeeper selection has been puzzling for the last four weeks, yes it worked for the first week or two but to have you most experienced and best keeper Clint Bolton sitting on the pine (or plastic Bunnings furniture) is staggering.  To his credit Andrew Redmeyne put his hand up for the error last week in Sydney but you have ask why was he out there in the first place?  Is there a tiff between Aloisi and Bolton or are we giving Redmayne some playing time in an effort to contract his services for next season when Bolton retires.  Whatever the situation Aloisi should have put his hand up for this blunder.

Once again we are in the position of selling our best young talent to help save our bottom line.  This is sadly a reality for most clubs in our league; one only has to look at Central Coast and their shining star Tommy Rogic.  Members have to realise that talent like Michael Marrone and Aziz Behich can only last so long at Heart before they move to wealthier or better standard leagues.  I’m more than happy to see our young talent leave to pursue greener pastures, but my worry is what if we don’t have one or two talented youngsters to sell off to balance the books next season, what happens to the club then.

You may or may not agree with some of the points I have made, but one thing is certain; we need bigger crowds and a bigger supporter base to succeed in this ever improving league.  Heart fans grab your friends, family, neighbours whoever and get along to this Fridays crucial clash against Adelaide United.  Together we can achieve great things, OneMelburnian at a time.

Trials and Tribulations on the Central Coast

The transfer window has created some major buzz by ALeague standards, some players are using this opportunity to change clubs within the league, but what has created most controversy is the decision of Central Coast who could send three of their players on trial during the transfer window duration.

All key players for Graham Arnold and his coaching staff, but the Mariners are a great team and I think the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.  Sure the Mariners are still reeling from there fade outs of the last two seasons, and I can understand fans feeling apprehension towards the proposed moves.

Australia rightly or wrongly follow the American way when it comes to crowning our sporting champions, we must have a playoff/grand final to determine the winner of every competition played on Australian soil.  Forget rewarding the most consistent team for a stellar performance over 27 weeks, let’s reward a team for a 90 minute performance.

This has cost the Mariners Championship supremacy last season, but the new finals system allows Graham Arnold to send some of his best players on a 10 day trial to explore European options.  The finals system rewards the two top teams evenly, both rewarding them with a double chance.  Home ground advantage is given to the Premiers, but the Mariners can play on any ground in the league under the tactically astute Arnold.

Currently 7 points clear from third, with the ability to increase that to 10 points after a win over Melbourne Victory in Tasmania over the weekend.  Such a lead allows the club to send players on trial with the peace of mind that it shouldn’t affect the clubs superior position on the table.  Yes the club deserve this lead, but what good is a 10 point lead with our current finals situation.

Maty Ryan is in the final year of his contract and has expressed he wants to play overseas in the near future to increase his football knowledge and continue his rapid rise in the keeping ranks for the Socceroos.  Ryan has also publically stated he want to win a Championship at the Mariners, but unfortunately for Mariners fans his current contract will force the clubs hand in gaining the best transfer fee for the bright young star.  The bottom line has to take priority at Gosford, and the Central Coast may see a new man between the sticks before the month is out.

Tommy Rogic is a different situation.  I see his trial more a teaser of things to come, and won’t be surprised if we see him back in the ALeague after his trial.  The Mariners have put their faith in the ability of this youngster and want to be financially rewarded for this star on the rise.  The trial at Celtic could create some buzz around Europe, but I don’t see the pockets of Celtic being big enough for the Mariners liking.

Bernie Ibini’s trial is from left field, Ibini has hardly been a standout this year in the league but his talent alone has probably won him a trial.  If he stays he may help the Mariners during the season, but if he leaves his role at the Mariners will be filled quickly.

Sadly our league is a feeder league, and losing young talent is a reality faced by all our 10 clubs.  Fans need to embrace this and seek comfort in the fact the league is growing and bigger clubs are circling out league for our emerging talent.

Graham Arnold and his team should be proud that their production line keeps churning out quality young Australian talent.

Points or Play?

Scorching hot days in Melbourne and an influx of International tourists can only mean one thing.  The tennis world is about to settle in our great city once more.

With so many tournaments and options open to the world’s best players some face a dilemma that has the potential to setup their 2013.  Match practice or ranking points, risk being knocked out of the first round in Brisbane, Sydney or Hobart or guarantee yourself some much needed matches at a venue that is not only setup perfectly for acclimatisation yet set in one of Australia’s most recognisable and iconic sporting venues Kooyong.

Ranking points are precious, especially early in the tournament.  A great January can lay the foundation for a very successful year ahead.  If you are currently ranked just outside the seedings the Australian tennis summer is a very important destination.  Gone are the days where you can catch a few of the bigger names off guard this early in the season with superior fitness.

It’s a double edged sword though, earn points early in the season and you will be under pressure this time next year to defend those points earned.  A quarter final in Sydney not only guarantees some solid points, but a great lead up to the Australian Open.

So what’s the appeal of the Kooyong Classic to those elite eight who decide that Kooyong is the path for them?  Some may give up defending their points for last year, but they gain valuable match practice in the unforgiving Melbourne summer heat.  The tournament directors have secured two big guns in Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro.  Both players have the potential to go long into the second week of the Australian Open and Kooyong is the perfect hit out.

Berdych and Del Potro will look to take advantage of the absence of Spaniard Rafa Nadal and will to a potential semi final birth.  Local favourite Lleyton Hewitt is in the twilight of his career and a surprise run of form could see him win one final title on Australian soil.  Marcos Baghdatis will be again the crowd favourite and his matches will be keenly attended by locals.

Another upside of playing Kooyong is that in 2014 you won’t have any points to defend, if the 2013 calendar turns pear shaped you know you have the opportunity to get the 2014 season on the right foot.  The tennis calendar is a long gruelling eleven months of the year and with the talent deeper than ever before, only a fool would be silly enough to see any chance slip by you.

Whatever the decision of the player (or their entourage) both options present great opportunities to all involved to be best prepared for the first grand slam of 2013.

Is Football coming home, or having a slumber party every Friday night?

 

Yesterday the Football Federation of Australia announced a $160 million deal over four years that will not only help stabilise the financial future of the game, but will give millions of Australians who don’t have pay television the opportunity to see how far our national competition has progressed over the last few years.

Before there was Bozza, Slater and Adam Peacock we received our football fix from two guys on the least watch channel in the land SBS the vault of knowledge that is Les Murray and his passionate offsider the late Johnny Warren.  For many years I watched these two cover Football from all over the World thru my poor quality Country reception.  Like so many people of my generation this was my only window of opportunity to see ‘The World Game’.

While I think the new television offer is great, and may appeal to the masses I don’t think it has gone far enough.  We look at our two major sports in this Country and see the AFL and NRL having a money fight ala Monty Burns and Waylon Smithers of Simpsons fame.  The disparity between the other two codes is significant and a stark reminder of how far we still have to go in this Country.  It will be interesting to see the new deal Cricket Australia are able to negotiate whether it’s comparative to our new football deal, given both are fighting for summer supremacy.

The Friday night concept is something that I like most about this deal.  When the A League deal starts it will be late 2013 and live sport has become more of a right in our times, not a luxury that is was back in the good old days of Murray/Warren.  We will see a spike in viewer numbers, but it won’t be as high as expected.  Even in our multicultural society we live, football (or SOKKAR) is still a dirty word in some households.

The Socceroos games will be well received by the older generations of viewers, but given the importance of our next few qualifiers I can a majority of mates with Foxtel or the local pub being a better source of action in an effort to watch these games live.  The highlights package will give the league a huge boost, giving those the opportunity to watch the best of the action on a weekly show, and might even encourage those who haven’t yet to get to an actual live game of football.

Overall the deal is a stepping stone towards the future of the league, and has secured those in power more time to grow our great game.  Talks of FA Cup style competition and promotion and relegation can now be discussed but are still many years away.

Outgoing chief Ben Buckley has managed to stabilise the future of the league, but it’s more like flying to Mount Everest to visit the summit.  The baton has been passed to David Gallop now to maintain this momentum and continue our climb to Everest.

Does Harry have a Heart?

Yesterday, like so many who support the red side of town I walked away from another very ordinary performance and asking myself where improvement would come from? was the Melbourne Derby a one off performance?

We failed to penetrate the defence, we barely registered a shot on target and we have become more predictable than a Howard Webb penalty decision at Old Trafford.  Predominately we are a counter attacking team, but at every turn yesterday we slowed the ball up, looked for options in the middle and presented it on a silver platter to the best young domestic keeper going around Matt Ryan.  We are lacking a star quality, whether it’s a form or injury problem at the moment Fred doesn’t look like solving any problems this season.

Over the next week we are going to see a possible answer to our problems splashed all over the Herald Sun and Age publications, sadly these photo’s will be in the gossip/celebrity sections not the sports section like so many of us in Australia would prefer.

Earlier this year a poll voted Harry Kewell as our best Socceroos player of all time, whether you agree with this is an irrelevant point to me.  Harry is (or was) a quality player with the ability to change a game.  Late last season Harry started to show what he was capable of almost after a very slow start to Victory’s campaign after arriving with much fanfare.  Kewell is what Melbourne Heart are lacking, a star quality with attacking flair which has been notably absent in the Heart’s last three performances.

The new signing of Vince Grella is a very welcome addition to the Heart, but hardly a game changer.  Grella and Richie Garcia will ‘Boss’ the midfield and present chances to other Heart players but will rarely take any themselves.

YES, Harry is probably asking an unrealistic amount for his service, YES Harry hasn’t done a proper preseason; YES his family are still overseas; the original reason he left Victory, and YES we would be accused of taking yet another Victory player to build our squad.  If you are looking at these points you would say there is no chance of Harry pulling on a Heart shirt, but Harry has to realise if he has any burning desire to make the 23 man squad to Brazil (If we get there) he must sign for a club sooner rather than later.

Harry Kewell won’t play in the A-League this season, and may never pull a pair of football boots on again in a competitive match but he would be a great fit for the struggling Melbourne Heart.  The fact that we are even talking about him suiting up again while he’s on a promotion tour choosing Politix over sport is a combination of the media speculation/sheer fantasy but paramount to the type of player Kewell has been over the years.

Good luck on the punt Harry over the spring and thanks for your services to the Socceroos over the years, sadly I don’t think we won’t see you gracing our pitches again.

Week 4 A-League predictions

A very tough week for tipsters in the round ball this weekend. If I were a smart man I would save my money for the horses this week, or keep it in my pocket; but I’m not so here’s my tips.

Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory

This game has draw written all over it, but I do like the Victory anytime they are paying $3 or more. Last week they looked sharper than they have all season under Ange and a win should give them a confidence boost. Newcastle got the points in the F3 Derby but was helped along by referee Ben Williams and some bizarre decisions. Victory 2-1

Adelaide United v Wellington Phoenix

At least the good folk of Adelaide have some football action to take their minds off the disastrous Kurt Tippett situation. Adelaide is still top of the league and will want to atone for last week’s poor performance. Wellington on the other hand has always struggled away from home and will want to improve on that this season. Expect Adelaide to hit the front in what should be a very tight match, but a determined Wellington will hit back and grab an equaliser. DRAW 1-1

Brisbane Roar v Western Sydney Wanderers

The only game of the week I can predict with any confidence. If this were a match race the Roar would be at Black Caviar odds, but its football so you get a very generous $1.30 in some markets. Let’s call it what it is, the best team going around vs. a team that have not scored in 270 minutes of football. Brisbane should win comfortably and Berisha should have a field day Brisbane 3-0

Melbourne Heart v Central Coast Mariners

On paper this is the dullest game of the round, with Graham Arnold threatening to kill off any attack the Heart are willing to make during the match. The Mariners are not the most exciting team to watch, and on last week’s performance neither are the Heart. The battle of the keepers will provide an interesting battle but that’s about it in a game that will barely make the six o’clock news highlights. The Mariners have won 4 out of 6 encounters between the two teams and they are my value of the week. Mariners 1-0

Sydney FC v Perth Glory

Finally Bling FC managed a win, albeit against new club and new rival Western Sydney. The team are managing to gel together nicely but still rely far too heavily on the 37 year old legs of Del Piero. Perth will come to town lead by the determined Jacob Burns and will scrap and harass Sydney for the full 90 minutes and it should be an absorbing match to watch. A very tough result to call, but Perth looks toothless without Shane Smeltz so it’s Sydney for the last game of the week. Sydney 2-1

 

Our SUBstandard bench situation

Crowds are up, fans are buzzing and we are finally getting the kind of attention we deserve.  Football fans around the country should be enjoying this time and the positive light the ALeague is experiencing and should experience for the foreseeable future.

The coverage has been outstanding from all at Fox Sports, and I’m really enjoying the new Shootout show during Sunday night primetime.  ABC grandstand are doing a fantastic job with their always professional radio broadcast, and their other shows are providing great insight.  Blogs, podcasts and twitter feeds have been full of praise for the competition (well, maybe not Ben Williams) and from the outside it looks like the league is finally nearing a place so many of us expected it to be when it first started.

My one main concern still is the fact that teams are only allowed four players on the bench.  Given one of those spots is a keeper this only allows coaches to have three outfield players.  Over the weekend during the five games 26 out of a possible 30 substitutions (87%) were made, indicating the importance of the role the substitute plays during matches.

At present most teams go with the theory of one defender, one midfielder and one attacker on the bench due to restrictions the league have placed on clubs.  Tactically I find this too restrictive those in charge, and normally forces player shuffles and results in players playing out of position for the last portion of the match.  Yes it could lead to a more unpredictable result for the neutral, but as passionate fans we want to see players from our club play in roles they were initially recruited for, not playing in makeshift roles due to injury or circumstance.

It is my understanding that the shortened player bench is requested by some clubs due to the extra financial burden an extra player(s) would put on the club, requiring extra flights/hotel rooms etc for those increased numbers.  To me this is farcical, we are a professional league and we are now attracting some great crowds, both from a television audience, and through the gate.  I want to see the best contest possible and in order to do this an increased bench is required.

I know that you can’t change rules midseason or midweek (unless you are that other sporting code in the country) but this should be very high on the ALeague agenda for season 2013/14.  Increasing the bench by one or two spots will see an increase in skill level for the game thus making it yet more attractive to everyone involved.

At the moment coaches are too restricted by this outdated concept.  Yesterday was a perfect example of this, Melbourne Heart players were looking out on their feet, and down 1-0 to Perth Glory.  Coach John Aloisi only had a central defender to bring on to the pitch so he opted to leave him on the bench and play the final 10 minutes with fatigue struggling players due to a limited bench.

We are playing some marquee players upwards of $2 million per season, and we can’t afford to fly an 18 year old kid to matches for an increased bench, I think not; It’s time to roll with the times ALeague and increase the standard of play through and increased bench.

P.S Don’t even get me started about those plastic Bunnings chairs we use, can’t wait to see Del Piero get subbed and sit in a $10 garden chair.

Heart breaking for fans

Although only a round two fixture playing against a half strength Wellington Phoenix squad should have proved an easy task for almost the same XI that defeated the much fancied Victory the week before.  In football, just like life there are very few certainties and we cannot take anything for granted; maybe we should have told a few of the players that.

I am, and always will be a loyal fan of the Melbourne Heart, but what I witnessed Sunday is something I don’t want to see from my club for a very long time.  Honestly that was one of the worst performances from the Heart I have witnessed, and it didn’t portray what the club stands for.  We are a club that will always be in the shadows of our older rival Melbourne Victory and we need to attract new fans, and keep our old fans through sheer hard work and attractive football; Sunday we did neither.

I like many others made the walk from Flinders street station, to Melbourne’s home of football AAMI Park, there was a special buzz in the air, a crowd in excess of 10,000 and optimism levels for those in red and white were off the scale.  This was going to be a great day, we would score a few goals, probably sub Fred around the hour mark to allay any injury concerns and walk away with the three points.  Someone just forgot to tell a plucky young Wellington Phoenix our plan, or some of our players.

We opened the game very slow and happy to pass the ball around at the back, to me it looked like we were trying to conserve some energy from the first minute, given the conditions, and some of the players match fitness.  This was mistake number one, we were playing against a much younger squad who were trying to impress a stand in manager whilst the better half (Ifill & Huysegems aside) were playing World Cup qualifiers in a tropical location.

Phoenix had the best two opening chances, and if it wasn’t for some individual brilliance by Aziz Behich and a quality finish from Matt Thompson it could have been 0-0 after 25 minutes.  When the first goal went in there was an easy that came over the crowd that we could settle in and enjoy the match.  But over the next 20 minutes my frustrations contninaully grew as we missed chance after chance to kill off the game.  Fred seemed content to walk the ball into the net, whilst others missed easy chances.  We just didn’t appear switched on or too fazed from missing these chances, we just sat back and expected the three points to come to us.

The early penalty in the second half was the correct call, and although it was sheer stupidity from Simon Colosimo to intentionally handball on the goal line.  I am of the thinking it was pure defensive instinct and can let it slide.  Worst case scenario if there was no handball the goal would have stood and we still had 43 minutes to score against a relatively inexperienced XI who had never played a match together.

New coach John Aloisi made the defensive move straight away of attacker for defender, but it was a little too defensive for my liking.  Why didn’t we push Matt Thompson back into defence (a role familiar to him) and keep attacking the young Phoenix team.  Instead we were at a numerical disadvantage and level on the scoreboard.  Fred and Dugandzic frustrated me all day, to them it was like an easy hit out and both didn’t appear up for the challenge of a plucky team, both went through the motions and missed key opportinuites at important stages of the match.

The loss of David Williams proved a big one before the start of the game.  This severely limited out attacking options from the bench and Aloisi seemed reluctant to risk young striker Jason Hoffman near the end of the match.  If you’re attacking the game wouldn’t you use this type of player?  Don’t get me wrong Aloisi is a far better manager that I will ever and I fully trust his appointment, but why sit a player on a four player bench when you don’t have faith in the guy.

I walked away from AAMI Park a very despondent supporter, not only frustrated at the way we played the game on Sunday but the fact we have failed again in front of a decent crowd at potentially new audience.  Derbies aside we haven’t played good football when we have decent crowds.  My fear is that through all the good work of the marketing campaign, recruitment and derby wins we will still be playing to an average crowd of 7500 at the end of the season.

We have a tough run over the next fortnight (Perth away, Mariners home) and will be lucky to secure maximum points from either encounter.  Yes, it is only round 2, but Sunday we dropped two points and I hope that isn’t crucial come April.

My punting guide to Opening Weekend

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart
Friday 19:30 AEST
Traditionally derbies are very hard to bet on, the rule of thumb is to back the draw and be done with it.  Not this week I’m afraid for Heart fans.  Victory have recruited well over the long off season, whilst Heart have lost many young stars to overseas clubs.  I see even money as great value for Victory, particularly as Heart are without midfielder Jonatan Germano through injury.  If you fancy a flutter first goal scorer Archie Thompson may prove some value as he has found the back of the net in his last Socceroos appearance.

Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Saturday 16:30 AEST
It has been touted as one of the biggest sporting signings in Australian history, so where else would Alessandro Del Piero be making his debut than windy Wellington.  The game is even being beamed into Italian homes, such is the mans pulling power.  Somewhat about the match itself, Wellington have recruited well in the off season picking up Jeremy Brockie for the loss of Chris Greenacre, but have lost some experience  in the midfield thru the retirement of Tim Brown.  Sydney will take time to learn to adapt under new coach Ian Crook and I see the draw as the most likely outcome for this match.  Punters don’t be sucked into the Del Piero novelty markets, even the great man himself doesn’t know what to expect of himself on Saturday.

Western Sydney Wanderers v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday 19:45 AEST
To those of an AFL background this Western Sydney team won’t be a walkover like its namesake in that code.  I expect them to be very competitive and surprise a number of teams throughout the year.  Having said that let’s not forget you have a team that has started from scratch playing against a team that finished top of the table last season.  Graham Arnold will have his men primed for the season opener and ready to give the Wanderers a frosty welcome into the competition.  If this was any other code you would expect very short odds so take the juicy 1.80 odds available in some markets.

Newcastle v Adelaide
Sunday 15:00 AEST
Possibly the hardest game of the round to tip the result of.  Newcastle have recruited former England international Emile Heskey over the past week, but one doubts his match fitness levels as he has only been in the country for a week.  A cameo appearance off the bench could be the most one could ask for at this early stage in the season.  As for Adelaide they fly back from their Asian cup quarter final in Uzbekistan Thursday morning Australia time, hardly the ideal perpetration.  Given this, and being the first round of the season I am leaning towards Newcastle to get the three points on offer.

Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar
Sunday 17:00 AEST
the game myself, and thousands of football fans have been looking forward to all winter.  We all remember the controversial circumstances of how last years grand final finished in, now it’s Perth’s chance to gain some revenge.  Brisbane are without championship manager Ange Postecoglu and will take time to adjust to a new way of playing, whilst Perth have bolstered their defence with through the signing of former Gold Coast defender Michael Thwaite.  Both teams are at similar odds, a d normally I would be backing the draw, but given home ground advantage and the revenge factor I think Perth will get the narrow victory.