The Melbourne derby highlighted the problems of both teams. In Heart’s case it’s an inability to take enough of the many chances their passing game creates; in Victory’s case an inability to create any chances worth talking about.
Heart made plenty of chances but the combination of Ante Covic’s heroics in the Victory goal and the poor finishing of Germano, Williams, Maycon and former Victory prospect Mate Dugandzic, left them kicking themselves. Victory would have had no room to complain if they had lost by 3 or 4.
Victory had an entirely different issue to deal with. As good as their attacking options are, there appears to be a near total lack of understanding between them, and the result was a lacklustre performance in which Harry Kewell began to look frustrated at his team-mates failure to make runs, or read his own movements. The last thing we need is a disenchanted Kewell going through the motions.
This weekend Victory travel to New Zealand to take on the Phoenix who having survived a tumultuous off season have made a reasonable start to the season. The long trip across the Tasman is often fruitless, so Victory’s poor start to the season could well continue.
Heart have their third game in Melbourne, hosting Sydney FC who appear to have found form with a quality come from behind win last week at Adelaide. Like Victory, they will struggle to get their first win of the season.
Elsewhere in the A-League Brisbane Roar swept Gold Coast aside despite a performance which Ange Postecoglou described as ‘disappointing’. So far this season Roar have played 3, won 3, scored 6, conceded 0. That’s 31 games undefeated. By the time you read this they should have disposed with Adelaide to make it 32. It looks like the A-League may have its first truly dominant side!
Central Coast attempt to end their poor start to the season when they host Perth Glory. Glory are having their best ever A-League start – 3 wins from 3 games – and whilst they aren’t doing it with the style of Roar, they are at least presenting an early season challenge for the champions.
The final fixture of the round sees Newcastle heading up to the Gold Coast. The Jets have had a surprisingly good start to the season, in part a result of a friendly fixture list that has seen them taking on less fancied sides – this should continue on the Gold Coast under new/old manager Gary van Egmond, back at the club after a two year exile at the AIS.
