Then there were four. Melbourne Victory, Auckland FC, Western United and Melbourne City.
The New Zealand team – the premiers, and the three Victorian sides have all reached the semi-finals of the 2024-25 A-League Men’s competition.
Auckland, in their first season, look likely to reach the grand final. They finished 10 points clear of their opponent Victory with three more wins than them and did not lose either of their meetings in the regular season, including a 2-0 win at AAMI less than a month ago.
But it’s Melbourne Victory and finals.
No other side has played more finals matches (18) or semi-finals even with eight.
And star player Daniel Arzani has claimed they are “the best team in the A-League by a country mile”.
He is bristling at their underdog status as they look to upset reigning premiers Auckland.
Arzani was at his creative best in last Saturday’s 2-1 elimination final, the Socceroos winger the architect of the two goals that ended Western Sydney Wanderers’ finals campaign.
Victory will face Auckland over a two-legged semi-final, hosting the Kiwi outfit at AAMI Park on Saturday May 17 at 7.35pm AEST before the return fixture at GoMedia Stadium seven days later.
“I never felt like we were an underdog and I think on our day, we’re the best team in the A-League by a country mile,” Arzani told AAP.
“I’ve said that many times and for us, it’s just always how we turn up going into the final series.
“It’s all about that confidence, that ego, and I think we showed that, we showed that we can be the best team.”
Part of the reason Arzani was able to torment the Wanderers’ defence was the freedom he was given by Victory boss Arthur Diles.
Arzani assisted the opening goal for Kasey Bos from the right flank and was the catalyst for Zinedine Machach’s winner with a surging run down the left.
The 26-year-old claimed Victory’s fluidity in a frontline which boasts Machach, Socceroos teammate Nishan Velupillay and Greek striker Nikos Vergos has the right tools to get past an Auckland side who’ve lost just three games in the regular season.
But Auckland’s defensive solidity can stop this arsenal.
Victory were not able to score in their previous two meetings with the Knights, who have two of the best full backs in the league in Francis De Vries and Hiroki Sakai.
But before this match, we have Western United v Melbourne City on Friday at 7.45pm.
It’s a fascinating match-up because it’s been a season where Western smashed their own record for most goals, but interestingly enough, they did not score against City once in their two meetings.
City have also conceded the fewest goals of any side this season (26), so can Western find an avenue to goal?
Star striker Noah Botic may be the key, as he looms as the man capable of leading John Aloisi’s charges to a fairytale.
Socceroos hopeful Botic, who appears destined to move overseas at season’s end, scored a wonderful hat-trick to deliver Western a stirring 3-2 elimination final win over Adelaide United last Friday.
United have lost twice to City this season but are adamant they can turn the tide.
“Yes, they have had the number on us,” Aloisi said.
“But that doesn’t mean anything when you come to finals.”
Botic added: “We’ve got heaps of confidence going into that game, especially off the back of three wins here, and obviously against good teams as well.
“So it doesn’t scare us, who we come up against.”
City beat United 1-0 and 2-0 in those clashes earlier in the season, keeping Botic goalless, but coach Aurelio Vidmar insisted those results meant nothing across the two-game semi-final.
“Their mobility now around the park is excellent and they’ve got multiple goalscorers, so we certainly have to be on our toes to stop that,” Vidmar said.
“But we also believe that we’ve got some really, really good momentum.
“The spirit in our group has been extremely high. We’ve got players in most areas of the park that can hurt the opposition.
“Our efforts throughout the year have been collective. So if it’s not collective, then obviously we’re going to have some difficult times and suffer.”
With AAP
