A-League Round 11 talking points
Victory earn important three points on the road
It’s a cliché, but Melbourne Victory’s win over Perth on Saturday evening is the kind of game champion teams win. It takes character to leave WA with all three points after going down 1-0 in the first half, then being pegged back to 2-2 late on. It was an eventful evening at HBF Park, with youngsters Eli Adams and Kaelan Majekodunmi both netting their first A-League goal. Daniel Arzani had a moment to forget early on, providing the ‘assist’ for Adam Taggart’s long-range rocket but he redeemed himself by setting up Zinedine Machach’s well-taken goal. Alen Stajcic would be frustrated – that’s a game, on their home patch, that Glory really needed to take something from. Ben Folami would break home fans’ hearts with a nifty effort deep into second-half injury time to send his side top of the table.
Tulio leaves departing gift for Mariners faithful
Central Coast closed out the game with some resolute defending. Tulio’s departure is another blow to the Gosford side’s push for back-to-back titles. The Mariners have recovered from an awful start to the season, putting together seven games undefeated to sit inside the top six. Mark Jackson is starting to put his stamp on the side, and they are beginning to resemble the team that claimed only the club’s second toilet seat last June. In Farrell’s case, a good offer could come in for him before the month is out.
Western United set stadium target
Western United’s much-hyped new stadium is set to be ready for A-League football by the commencement of 2026-27 – or about 34 months from today. The club are moving into a new training facility before the end of the season, which will make scheduling much simpler for the next few seasons. From reports, this will be an impressive base that will host both A-League Men and Women matches. It will be home and provide the club with some much-needed stability. Let’s just hope this new target is not a lie, because the league has seen more than enough of that from this ownership group.
Quick hits
-Nice to see some good sportsmanship from Macarthur duo Valere Germain and Tomislav Uskok, consoling Philip Cancar after he conceded a crucial late penalty, allowing the home side to sneak a point at Campbelltown Stadium.
– Still in Sydney’s southwest, not many have been as harsh on the Bulls as myself, but it’s pleasing to see their crowds slowly heading north. If they can work towards a 7000 or 8000 average attendance long-term, the perception of Macarthur will definitely improve.
– With Lawrence Thomas on national duty and Jack Gibson suffering an injury pre-game, the Wanderers had to go outside the box for their reserve keeper on Saturday. 20-year-old defender Anthony Pantazopoulos was sensationally the Wanderers’ emergency keeper today.