ROUND 17 OF THE A-LEAGUE MEN COMPETITION AT A GLANCE:
THEY SAID IT: “I think if you watch the game, you wouldn’t ask me that, if we were the unlucky side.” Victory coach Tony Popovic believes his charges should have won their 0-0 draw with Melbourne City and bristled at the suggestion they need to take more risks in attack.
MAN OF THE WEEK: Wellington Phoenix forward Kosta Barbarouses bagged a second brace from as many games with Macarthur FC this season to seal a 2-1 win. It came after the already depleted Phoenix, on the road, lost skipper Alex Rufer in the warm-up.
TALKING POINT: Western Sydney Wanderers coach Marko Rudan received a three-match ban – the longest ALM coaching suspension in eight years – for his blistering critique of the match officials. He was forced to watch his side’s 1-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners from the stands but will only miss one more game unless he re-offends.
STAT ATTACK: With a 2-0 defeat of fellow strugglers Newcastle, Western United snapped a seven-game winless run and kept their first clean sheet in an ALM game since April last year.
BEAT THAT: With former Glory coach Ruben Zadkovich returning to Perth on Saturday night, Stefan Colakovski had a golden chance to prove a point – and boy did he take it. Colakovski was frozen out by Zadkovich last season, but popped up to score the 78th-minute winner in Glory’s 3-2 victory over the Zadkovich-led Roar.
UNDER PRESSURE: Top six hopefuls Adelaide were condemned to their fourth-straight winless game by Sydney FC and finished the weekend in ninth spot. The 2-1 loss won’t be Carl Veart’s only worry. Midfielder Josh Cavallo will be awaiting scans after he hobbled off the field in the eighth minute with a quad strain.
UP NEXT: Hunting their first win since early January, Melbourne Victory host Western United on Tuesday in a match postponed from round 12. Tony Popovic’s side has the chance to make a statement against high-flying Central Coast later in the weekend. Ladder-leading Wellington Phoenix will put in-form Perth Glory to the test, while Melbourne City will be knocking on the door of the top six if they can beat Sydney FC on the road.
ROUND 17 OF THE A-LEAGUE WOMEN COMPETITION AT A GLANCE:
THEY SAID IT: “I had a really good feeling about the game … some weeks you have a good feeling and there was no real need for me to say too much to the players.” Melbourne Victory Jeff Hopkins was right to let his players do their thing, as they smashed Western Sydney 4-0 on Friday night.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sarina Bolden can’t stop scoring. The Newcastle striker boasts a brilliant 11 goals in 12 games after her hat-trick against Brisbane and her form has the Jets firmly in the frame for the finals.
KEY STAT: Five straight wins for Western United have carried them to the top of the table in a flash. They’re the first team this season to record a five-game winning streak.
BEAT THAT: Emily Gielnik’s stunning long-range strike in the Victory’s strong win was clearly the goal of the round. It’s the sort of form that could easily secure a return to the Matildas squad in the near future.
TALKING POINT: When will Canberra United and Sydney play their game abandoned on Saturday afternoon due to lightning strikes? Canberra are already scheduled for six games in March after next week’s international break.
UNDER PRESSURE: Brisbane have lost three consecutive games and conceded eight goals in that span. They simply couldn’t handle Bolden, and are long-odds to get back into the top six mix.
WHAT’S NEXT: Top-ranked Western United kick off the weekend hosting bottom side Canberra. Western Sydney’s derby clash with Sydney FC has genuine finals ramifications, while Melbourne City will again look to get things back on track when they head to face Brisbane. Melbourne Victory host Wellington, Central Coast tackle Adelaide and Newcastle take on the struggling Perth Glory.
Source: AAP
