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What are peoples thought on the new A-League?
Me personally I am really beginning to get into it. I play soccer to a fairly high level and like what they are trying to do. By provding a stepping stone to the pro comps os we can keep some of our youngsters here longer and get the older players back earlier. That will only benefit soccer in this country as a whole.
On the team front I find myself being really impressed by the QLD Roar (God I hate saying that being from NSW), their speed and style of play is really attractive soccer. Plus I used to play against a couple of their players! Sydney FC Remind to much of the Roosters, bugger 'em. I would have loved to support the Sydney side but they dont gel with me.
Not a fan of soccer but have watched a few games and difinitly show potential
PARANoIR
25-09-05, 08:59 PM
Yeah I really enjoy it. I've watched more games of the A-League this year than the amount of NSL games I watched in the last 5 years.
I quite like the ROAR also, they really impress me, even in their loss the other day, they were good. The atmosphere at suncorp was pretty good aswell, the crowd really gets into it, which I like.
They need to lure some big name Aussies out here though like Viduka (which is think is a realistic possibility), Kewell, Emerton, Schwartzer, Cahill etc..2 or 3 of these big name stars would do wonders for the A-League.
They need to lure some big name Aussies out here though like Viduka (which is think is a realistic possibility), Kewell, Emerton, Schwartzer, Cahill etc..2 or 3 of these big name stars would do wonders for the A-League.
Whilst that would be awesome I dont think there is the moneyin the league for thse types of players yet. Perhaps when they get older but right now the are still to valuable to the Euro clubs.
PARANoIR
25-09-05, 09:07 PM
Yeah I know, thats what I thought aswell, but I heard someone pose that question to one of the competitions big noters and they seem to think that a couple of those sort of players wouldn't break the budget.
I cant believe how professional the game has gotten here.
The advertising for the A-League is first class, the tv ad is something out of a Nike ad, the jerseys are first class, the team names are original, the stadiums are first class....it looks like the admin there have finally gotten it right.
I would never watch a NSL game as I found them boring, the presentation was nothing different than what you would see played down at your local park, but the effort the A-League has put in is fantastic.
Its a pity Johnny Warren isnt around to see it.
The Brisbane Roar despite thier youth are doing well.
They did self destruct last Friday night but at least their always attacking and moving the ball around which makes them exciting to watch.
The orange is a bit hard on the eyes but good enough for the Dutch national team then its good enough for us :)
Plus the maroon seems to go well with it as well.
All up great effort in making an established sport more public recognisable with its image change.
Titan In Newcastle
26-09-05, 09:21 PM
i think the a-league has had huge sucess here, its been great for australian soccer, god knows we needed it.
spread throughout the country abit be good to see a NT team in one of australias sporting codes tho,
as a novacastrian gotta love the newcastle jets they r really flying high
PARANoIR
26-09-05, 09:35 PM
I cant believe how professional the game has gotten here.
The advertising for the A-League is first class, the tv ad is something out of a Nike ad, the jerseys are first class, the team names are original, the stadiums are first class....it looks like the admin there have finally gotten it right.
I would never watch a NSL game as I found them boring, the presentation was nothing different than what you would see played down at your local park, but the effort the A-League has put in is fantastic.
Its a pity Johnny Warren isnt around to see it.
The Brisbane Roar despite thier youth are doing well.
They did self destruct last Friday night but at least their always attacking and moving the ball around which makes them exciting to watch.
The orange is a bit hard on the eyes but good enough for the Dutch national team then its good enough for us :)
Plus the maroon seems to go well with it as well.
All up great effort in making an established sport more public recognisable with its image change.
Yeah but the Roar did get beaten by 2 quality goals. Thats for sure.
how is The pom who they brought over goin so far. Dwight York is it
PARANoIR
27-09-05, 09:32 AM
Yeah hes been one of the stand-outs so far.
I support the concept and idea but cannot sit and watch a game as soccer is boring
Yeah hes been one of the stand-outs so far.
Not sure about stand out though he is playing at a few levels above his team mates. I think we will Syndey Fc really hit their straps when the team catches up.
A-Leugue Standings.
A-League
Scoreboard - Standings
A-League Standings - Round 5
Team W L D F A D P
1 Adelaide United 3 0 2 5 2 3 11
2 Central Coast Mariners 2 1 2 6 6 0 8
3 Newcastle Jets 2 2 1 7 4 3 7
4 Sydney FC 2 1 1 10 8 2 7
5 Perth Glory 2 2 1 6 6 0 7
6 Melbourne Victory 1 1 3 5 5 0 6
7 Queensland Roar 1 2 2 5 6 -1 5
8 New Zealand Knights 1 4 0 3 10 -7 3
pardon the formatting!
taken from http://64.239.13.57/score/soccer/al-standings.aspx
I though QLD were going Well?
I though QLD were going Well?
Only 1 win off second!!!!
Plenty of rounds to go!
It looked alot worse than that at first view
timyone
28-09-05, 08:34 PM
i hope the a league rips it up, im going for sydney fc, but i want all the teams to be good, so that games are good, i dont care who wins
go dwight?!
PARANoIR
28-09-05, 08:38 PM
Not sure about stand out though he is playing at a few levels above his team mates. I think we will Syndey Fc really hit their straps when the team catches up.
That's what I meant...
Sorry my bad..helps if I learn to read.
Titanium_BD1103
28-09-05, 11:38 PM
YAY for the A League... I agree with you all, very professional, very exciting and it has been one great ride so far.. Bring on the rest of the season...
As for me... GO SYDNEY FC... it is awesome to see them winning again and hopefully the team will gel, and it is extra sweet because they train 10mins away from my house..I can go to training days too.. :D :D
Where do they train??
Is the training intense or are they failry show ponyish?
Rd.6 Draw and tips....
Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory...
Could be another tight game here with the Victory desperate to start winning. The Mariners need there crowds to start picking up.
Melbourne 2-1
Newcastle Jets v QLD Roar.
My tip for game of the week.
A Jets team that can be really good or really bad up against a Roar team that had a little hiccup last week. The Roar are a dark horse this year and their speed should get them home 3-1.
Perth Glory v Sydney FC..
Deane v Yorke. Should be another cracker with Sydney starting to show some glimpses of what they can do. The Glory's crowds have been really dissapointing this year and with rumours of unrest in the club need to sort it out soon. A boost for Glory with Damien Mori returning to the side. Sydney 3-1
NZ Knights v Adelaide United
Last v First.
Whilst NZ have never been outclassed they seem to be running a few paces behind the rest. Can compete at this level but seem unsure of themselves.
Adelaide 3-0.
I know I have tipped some bigger scores than the league has produced but I feel the teams should start to find the back of the net. It hasnt really been for a lack of chances. I expect the attack to start prising the defences open as there are some talented strikers running around, Yorke and Mori just 2 of them.
Oh Yeah!!! First pick is good - margin and all. Now lets see if some of the more adventurous picks come good!
The Original Idiot
01-10-05, 03:26 PM
Queensland is going to kick major ass tonight.
Damn straight they are - see my tips!
Hyperion
02-10-05, 05:54 AM
Queensland is going to kick major ass tonight.
If the ball becomes problematical?
Titanium_BD1103
02-10-05, 09:51 AM
Where do they train??
Is the training intense or are they failry show ponyish?
Normally at Valentine Park in Sydney's North West, for those who know, near north of Blacktown at a suburb called Parklea. Both David Zdrillic and Pierre Littabaski live around the area.
I have only seen them once and I would say it is inbetween, they get the job done like defense, tackling drills, skills drills etc, but they have fun at the same time... no idea when the next open training session is though, too busy to worry about it at the moment... :D
round 7 tips.
QLD to defeat CC 2-1
Newie and perth to draw 1-1
Sydney to peg Adelaide 2-1
Melbourne to continue NZ poor form 2-0
5 mins into the game and it is 0-0 QLD v CC.
Steelers
07-10-05, 08:03 PM
Go Queensland :)
Queenslander
07-10-05, 08:05 PM
Go Queensland :)
True that, go Queensland in anything :D
Half time and CC up 1-0!!
Damnation.
Steelers
07-10-05, 08:51 PM
Half time and CC up 1-0!!
Damnation.
not good at all
Not good for my tips either
Mmmm - another low scorer.
1-1 all.
We need some attackers to stand up..
Steelers
07-10-05, 10:23 PM
Mmmm - another low scorer.
1-1 all.
We need some attackers to stand up..
Well it is going to be tough for QLD to turn it around and move up the ladder if they don't score goals.
Hindy_Magic
07-10-05, 10:25 PM
pfft a league aint all that great.
As expected teams have organised defencsive structures before attacking - it is now up to the managers to break down those defensive structures with intelligent attack rather thatn the long ball crap we are seeing at the moment.
Results
QLD 1 Central Coast 1 - I just missed out on this one!! (Q2 CC1)
Newcastle 1 Perth 5 - Who would have picked this at home?? Newie have looked OK (N1 P1)
Sydney 2 Adelaide 1 - Bingo I got this one right! (S2 A1)
Melbourne 2 NZ 0 - I got the result and 1 goal of the margin (M3 NZ0)
That leaves the ladder as;
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 7 4 2 1 8 5 3 14
2. Sydney FC 7 4 1 2 14 10 4 13
3. Melbourne Victory FC 7 3 3 1 10 6 4 12
4. Perth Glory FC 7 3 1 3 12 9 3 10
5. Queensland Roar FC 7 2 3 2 7 7 0 9
6. Central Coast Mariners FC 7 2 3 2 8 9 -1 9
7. Newcastle Jets FC 7 2 1 4 8 10 -2 7
8. New Zealand Knights FC 7 1 0 6 4 15 -11 3
I think the top 4 as you see it will remain that barring major injuries. The only team I can really see breaking in is the Central Coast. QLD is an outside chance but need to work out there attack. They dont really seem to be playing to a plan.
The Original Idiot
11-10-05, 04:03 PM
pfft a league aint all that great.
Why? Just cause it's soccer? To me it's a damn sight more interesting than men in white continuously hitting a ball with a stick.
Hindy_Magic
12-10-05, 06:23 PM
yeah soccer has more registered players in syndey then rugby league does it may be aussie soccer but it is still medioacre.
In-Cyde #1
12-10-05, 07:29 PM
If the soccer boy's ever get it right with their comp, and their start has been exceptional, look out other sport codes. The NRL needs to get into the schools backyard and keep the kids coming through... The AFL do it and so does Soccer & Rugby. :)
The Original Idiot
13-10-05, 07:44 PM
Alas, hindy_magic isn't a follower of the beautiful game. Oh well, his loss.
If the soccer boy's ever get it right with their comp, and their start has been exceptional, look out other sport codes. The NRL needs to get into the schools backyard and keep the kids coming through... The AFL do it and so does Soccer & Rugby. :)
Soccer and AFL does - Have to disagree with Rugby though. About the only schoools with solid rugby are Old boy network private schools.
The Original Idiot
14-10-05, 02:56 PM
Union, at that.
Sorry bout missing my predictions. Had a wedding to go to and the beer was free and flowing from 2 days before!!! Dont think I would have gone to well though after some of the results...
Here are the results...
Adelaide 2 Newcastle 4
Melbourne 5 Sydney 0
CC 4 Perth 0
NZ 0 QLD 2
Here is the table
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Melbourne Victory FC 8 4 3 1 15 6 9 15
2. Adelaide United FC 8 4 2 2 10 9 1 14
3. Sydney FC 8 4 1 3 14 15 -1 13
4. Central Coast Mariners FC 8 3 3 2 12 9 3 12
5. Queensland Roar FC 8 3 3 2 9 7 2 12
6. Newcastle Jets FC 8 3 1 4 12 12 0 10
7. Perth Glory FC 8 3 1 4 12 13 -1 10
8. New Zealand Knights FC 8 1 0 7 4 17 -13 3
Steelers
17-10-05, 04:41 PM
Sorry bout missing my predictions. Had a wedding to go to and the beer was free and flowing from 2 days before!!! Dont think I would have gone to well though after some of the results...
Here are the results...
Adelaide 2 Newcastle 4
Melbourne 5 Sydney 0
CC 4 Perth 0
NZ 0 QLD 2
Here is the table
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Melbourne Victory FC 8 4 3 1 15 6 9 15
2. Adelaide United FC 8 4 2 2 10 9 1 14
3. Sydney FC 8 4 1 3 14 15 -1 13
4. Central Coast Mariners FC 8 3 3 2 12 9 3 12
5. Queensland Roar FC 8 3 3 2 9 7 2 12
6. Newcastle Jets FC 8 3 1 4 12 12 0 10
7. Perth Glory FC 8 3 1 4 12 13 -1 10
8. New Zealand Knights FC 8 1 0 7 4 17 -13 3
QLD have a good chance to make top 3. Sydney copped a flogging!
Titanium_BD1103
17-10-05, 05:08 PM
It was in a poor game and they needed it... now they will go and thrash the Knights... The boys got too impatient yesterday and paid the price.. Sydney FC will return to glory
Here is my crystall ball for this round. Good to see some goals starting to flow and some upsetes happen.
Sydney v NZ Knights.
Poor Knights are really struggling with a bad performance last week. Sydney copped a hiding but there was a couple opf penalties and man down so I wouldnt read too much into it. Sydney 4-1.
Roar v Adelaide.
Adelaide has started to get the wobbles and I think will go down again here 2-1. Both coaches have been working overtime in creating headlines for this game and with 2 skillful south Americans on show could be a great game.
CC v Newcastle
The only real Derby game of the A-League. Willbe some feeling though I feel Newcastle at full stregnth will have too much power for the CC. 3-1
Perth v Melbourne.
Dont know what top make of this. Melbourne were great and Perth were terrible. Having said that my head says Melbourne by 3 but I am going Perth 2-1.
PARANoIR
21-10-05, 01:23 PM
I agree with all.
Sydney will trounce NZ, QLD will defo beat Adelaide...no biased there :p, CC I think will go down to Newcastle, but Im not saying that with any great confidence, and I think Perth will bounce back against Melbourne and pull off an upset of sorts.
The Original Idiot
21-10-05, 03:03 PM
Mike Valkanis will score again for the Reds!
Watched the Sydney vNZ game last night.
Sydney will not be anywhere near the top if they continue to play like the did. The started well, but their defence was leaky. If NZ could finish they would have had 3 or 4 goals. Having said that if Sydney could finish they probably would have had 8!!!! I couls see how Melbourne put 5 past em and I dont think things are as hopeless for NZ as they seem. They arent far of the pace and their late start has hindered them.
Steelers
22-10-05, 10:56 AM
Watched the Sydney vNZ game last night.
Sydney will not be anywhere near the top if they continue to play like the did. The started well, but their defence was leaky. If NZ could finish they would have had 3 or 4 goals. Having said that if Sydney could finish they probably would have had 8!!!! I couls see how Melbourne put 5 past em and I dont think things are as hopeless for NZ as they seem. They arent far of the pace and their late start has hindered them.
What was the score?
2-0 to Sydney. Far from impressive. Yorke is good but seems like he is trying to do something brilliant with every touch. The whole team gives that feel. Especially Corica
Titanium_BD1103
22-10-05, 11:27 AM
It wasn't our best performance... but we are back on track.... we are headed the right way now.. we just need to put it all together.
Great game from Jacob Timpano though.. he looked great in Defense and seems to have found his footing in the Sydney FC side now.. :)
From a-league.com
Results
SYDNEY FC 2 New Zealand Knights 0
Queensland Roar 1 ADELAIDE UNITED 2
NEWCASTLE JETS 1 Central Coast Mariners 0
PERTH GLORY 2 Melbourne Victory 1
Game Wraps
Sydney did enough in the first half to overcome a dogged but outclassed New Zealand Knights. An early goal by Sasho Petrovski was backed up by a second to David Carney before the interval, but the goal rush the crowd was expecting in the second half never materialised, with Sydney clearly focused on making sure it kept a clean sheet. Sydney though should have won by a more comfortable margin missing a number of guilt-edge chances.
After a week of verbal sprays from both coaches in the lead up to the match, Queensland and Adelaide looked headed for a tame draw, until Lucas Pantelis bobbed up and grabbed a late winner for Adelaide. Fernando Rech scored his first goal in an Adelaide shirt to give his side the lead, only for Roar substitute Royce Brownlie to even it up shortly after he came on midway through the second half.
A tough local derby match ended with Newcastle Jets recording a 1-0 win over Central Coast Mariners, with Franco Parisi netting the easiest goal of his career in the 88th minute. Parisi, a half time substitute, had the simple task of strolling into an empty net after Ante Milicic?s pass was palmed into his path by the unlucky Danny Vukovic.
Perth Glory?s rollercoaster season continued with an impressive win over league leaders Melbourne Victory. Perth overcame the unfortunate situation where starting striker Damian Mori was forced to sit out the game without taking to the field, with his replacement Brian Deane grabbing the first goal of the game and his first of the season. Archie Thompson capitalised on a terrible blunder by Glory captain Jamie Harnwell to level it up, before another defensive error provided Deane?s half time replacement Naum Sekulovski with a fortunate winner, with Eugene Galekovic?s attempted clearance cannoning into him and rebounding into the goal.
Highlights
Another good weekend for crowds, with the average of 12,175 per game, the second highest so far this season.
Weekend Goals Tally: 9
Card Count: 13 yellows ? 0 reds
Attendances/Average: 48,700/12,175
Whose on Top
Adelaide regains top spot after returning to the winners circle against Queensland on Saturday night. Such is the closeness of the competition that Melbourne started the round on top; Sydney grabbed top spot briefly on Friday night, before Adelaide returned to top spot and now leads Sydney by one point with Victory a further point back.
Goal of the Week
To be honest there is nothing that jumps out, but in terms of a good team goal Brian Deane?s long awaited first goal is worthy. The impressive Nick Ward?s cross found Adrian Caceres at the back post; he headed back across goal where Deane outjumped his marker to direct his header home.
Player of the Week
There wasn?t any real stand out performances amongst the winners this week, but two players stood out for their efforts in losing teams. Andre Gumprecht has had a stellar season for Central Coast and was again amongst the best players on the park, while Daniel Allsopp worked his socks off for Melbourne with little reward for his efforts.
One to Watch
Nick Ward got his first start for Perth Glory on the weekend and was one of their best in the impressive 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory. The Australian Under 20 international worked hard and linked well in attack and if given more time on the park could prove a real find for Steve McMahon.
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 9 5 2 2 12 10 2 17
2. Sydney FC 9 5 1 3 16 15 1 16
3. Melbourne Victory FC 9 4 3 2 16 8 8 15
4. Newcastle Jets FC 9 4 1 4 13 12 1 13
5. Perth Glory FC 9 4 1 4 14 14 0 13
6. Central Coast Mariners FC 9 3 3 3 12 10 2 12
7. Queensland Roar FC 9 3 3 3 10 9 1 12
8. New Zealand Knights FC 9 1 0 8 4 19 -15 3
3 out of 4 tips aint to bad, and my margins werent too far off. Be interesting to see how the various attacks go this week.
A-League rd10 results.
Melbourne Victory FC 0
Adelaide United FC 1 (C Veart 83?)
Friday 28 October, 8pm AEST (7.30pm CST)
Olympic Park, Melbourne
Crowd: 16201
Referee: Matthew Breeze
New Zealand Knights FC 1 (S Yeo 7?(pen))
Central Coast Mariners FC 3 (D Heffernan 5?, S Petrie 48?/72?(pen)
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
Saturday 29th October, 8pm NZT (5pm AEST)
Crowd: 2583
Referee: Neil Fox
Queensland Roar FC 0
Perth Glory FC 0
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday 29 October, 7.30pm AEST ( 5.30 pm WST)
Crowd: 13,685
Referee: Simon Przydacz
Sydney FC 1 (D Carney 73?)
Newcastle Jets FC 1 (A Milicic 77?)
Sunday 30 October, 5pm AEDT
Aussie Stadium, Sydney
Crowd: 9,132
Referee: Mark Shield
Poor weather is really affecting NZ crowds.
And the ladder,
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 10 6 2 2 13 10 3 20
2. Sydney FC 10 5 2 3 17 16 1 17
3. Melbourne Victory FC 10 4 3 3 16 9 7 15
4. Central Coast Mariners FC 10 4 3 3 15 11 4 15
5. Newcastle Jets FC 10 4 2 4 14 13 1 14
6. Perth Glory FC 10 4 2 4 14 14 0 14
7. Queensland Roar FC 10 3 4 3 10 9 1 13
8. New Zealand Knights FC 10 1 0 9 5 22 -17 3
Steelers
01-11-05, 07:20 PM
And the ladder,
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 10 6 2 2 13 10 3 20
2. Sydney FC 10 5 2 3 17 16 1 17
3. Melbourne Victory FC 10 4 3 3 16 9 7 15
4. Central Coast Mariners FC 10 4 3 3 15 11 4 15
5. Newcastle Jets FC 10 4 2 4 14 13 1 14
6. Perth Glory FC 10 4 2 4 14 14 0 14
7. Queensland Roar FC 10 3 4 3 10 9 1 13
8. New Zealand Knights FC 10 1 0 9 5 22 -17 3
QLD Definately deserve to be higher than they are. Those 4 draws haven't helped one bit.
The Original Idiot
02-11-05, 10:42 AM
The problem with Queensland is that they have no experienced guy up there helping the youngins along. Adelaide have Veart, Sydney have Zdrilic, Perth have Mori and so on. If Bleiberg had just shut up and got a marquee player instead of ranting and raving how they have no positive effect, the Roar would be a lot higher.
The Original Idiot
02-11-05, 10:44 AM
2-0 to Sydney. Far from impressive. Yorke is good but seems like he is trying to do something brilliant with every touch. The whole team gives that feel. Especially Corica
If they'd just use Alejandro Salazar...
Yep Salazar I though should have been used....
I think Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne will be the top 3, after that all the teams bar NZ are in the mix for 4th. I think a full strength Newcastle will take 4th spot. Though I am hoping the Roar can get there!
PArdon my slackness,
Milicic treble fires Jets
Friday, 4 November, 2005 - 8:03PM
Aaron Lawton, Sportal
Ante Milicic
Ante Milicic
The Newcastle Jets have secured a sensational 4-2 victory over the New Zealand Knights in their Hyundai A-League encounter at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.
It was Groundhog Day for both clubs, the scoreline reflecting shades of the 4-0 drubbing the Jets dished out to their opponents when the sides met last in round four.
The first half belonged to the visitors, the 3-0 display effectively shutting down the Knights' hopes of a turnaround in form.
The Knights had early chances but their inability to break the Jets' defensive line soon proved decisive, Jets striker Ante Milicic displaying brilliant skills inside the Knights' box in the sixth minute, a Danny Milosevic save narrowly keeping his shot out.
However, the Jets' frontman ensured more accuracy with his next shot on goal, a superb cross by midfielder Nick Carle in the 19th minute brushing past the Knights' defence and onto the boot of Milicic, who easily pushed it around the Knights' stranded 'keeper for a 1-0 lead.
Moments later the Jets were in again, this time it was Milicic passing across the goalmouth, the cross baffling Knights defender Danny Hay who swung and missed the crucial clearance, leaving Matthew Thompson to secure a 2-0 lead with a sterling shot into the top left-hand corner.
In a patchy home performance, Knights rookie Kris Bright proved a breath of fresh air up front, his unsuccessful - but heart-stopping - strike from 30m in the 24th minute proving to be the Knights' best chance to get on the board in the first half.
When Milicic found the back of the net for his second in the 27th minute, the night seemed all but over for the New Zealanders, the goal created by another defensive error from the home side after Jets midfielder Jobe Wheelhouse easily slid a pin-point cross past three Knights defenders.
While the Knights began the second half with a little more mongrel, it was again the Jets who shone on the scoreboard, Milicic bagging his hat-trick in the 55th minute with a deft chip over the head of a bewildered Milosevic.
However, the 'keeper soon made himself the home-town hero a minute later with a mercurial save from a Milicic penalty, earned when defender Cole Tinkler was penalised for a hand-ball in the 56th minute.
Yeo looked to have nabbed a consolation goal 10 minutes later after a tidy cross from midfielder Zenon Caravella, but it was not to be the striker's night, his shot spraying wide of the net.
However, in just his second A-League game, young New Zealander Jeremy Brockie finally gave the 2,500-strong home crowd something to cheer about, running onto a cross from Bright to slide a wobbly shot past Jets 'keeper Liam Reddy in the 70th minute.
Six minutes later the youngster was in again, finding a hole in the Jets' solid defence to give the Knights their second goal of the night.
However, Brockie's injection into the game proved to be a case of too little too late, the Jets taking the important three points from their away game.
Knights manager John Adshead was left to lament another big loss and had little positive comment to make, despite the side appearing to respond to another half-time rev-up.
"It's your worst nightmare isn't it? I thought for the first 15 minutes we played the ball a little bit better than them," he said.
"Your worst nightmare appears, you make three unbelievable errors at the back and they put a shot in on every occasion and over the next 10 minutes you're looking at a 3-0 scoreline."
"I said at half-time that we were light-weight, there was no passion, there was no tenacity out there and we weren't getting in their faces and asking questions."
Milicic was happy to have bagged his three goals, but was still shaking his head at the penalty miss.
"On a personal level I am happy with the hat-trick but disappointed with my penalty miss, but the main thing is we came here for three points, we got the three points and that's the bottom line for us."
New Zealand 2
(Brockie 72, 76)
Newcastle 4
(Milicic 19, 28, 56, Thompson 21)
Crowd: 2,500 at North Harbour Stadium
A predictable result, though this makes me happyer..
Roar's Olympic feat
Friday, 4 November, 2005 - 9:57PM
Bren O'Brien, Sportal
Matt McKay
Matt McKay
Queensland has leapt above Melbourne on the Hyundai A-League ladder, after securing a 1-0 win over a nine-man Victory at Olympic Park to record its fourth win of the season.
Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg said the result went some way to righting what he said was the 'injustice' of the team's position on the ladder.
"I think everybody sees the quality that we have been playing and I think it was a complete injustice that we came here as second from bottom," he said.
"We have all the ingredients, I think," he said. "We are now the team which has conceded the least goals, we have six clean sheets out of 11 games, we have more shots at goal, by close to 40, and we still were second from bottom."
Melbourne, in the middle of a four-match home run, lost its third-straight match since a 5-0 win over Sydney, and will be without stars players Archie Thompson, who will be on international duty, and Kevin Muscat and Geoffrey Claeys, who were both sent off in the second half, for next week's match against Newcastle.
Coach Ernie Merrick said that he was proud of the way his remaining players battled on and with a bit more luck, his team may have come away with the points.
"We created a lot of scoring chances and the result seemed to be determined by a rebound of the chest of our goalkeeper," he said. "We nearly scored a late equaliser. We played very well with ten men."
It was a fast and furious start to the match, with both sides missing excellent chances inside the first eight minutes. Royce Brownlie seized on a defensive error from the home side and forced a reflex save from Eugene Galekovic before the Victory's Richard Kitzbichler delivered an awkward cross which bounced into the path Thompson, but the Qantas Socceroo, one-on-one with goalkeeper Tom Willis, headed it over the bar.
Queensland then stunned the home crowd on the quarter-hour after a clever turn and shot from Alex Brosque only prompted a parry from Galekovic and McKay was on hand to slot it home. McKay had started the movement from midfield, picking out Spase Dilevski on the wing, who was able to free up Brosque for the initial shot
Melbourne had two great chances to level within three minutes of the goal, with Thompson and Danny Allsopp both thwarted by the keeper. Steve Pantelidis also found Willis impossible to beat when he leapt to meet a Kitzbichler free kick on 23 minutes.
Queensland continued to play the better football on the break, and it could have been 2-0 on 35 minutes when Brosque out-paced the Victory defence but put his shot into the side netting. Andy Vlahos was then set up for a close-range volley after a beautiful pass by Thompson, but could not trouble Willis. His frustration showed when he was booked for a two-footed tackle on Massimo Murdocca soon after in the last meaningful action of an eventful first-half.
Hyuk-Su Seo's 30m shot got the second half off a bright start for the visitors, with the ball sailing narrowly wide. Brownlie then went over the bar again after a clever cross from Dilevski, before Remo Buess went into book for a challenge on Muscat. From the resultant free kick, Thompson could have equalised after Willis spilt the ball from Kitzbichler, but he steered his shot well above the bar.
Muscat was then given his marching orders after two bookings in quick succession for tackles on Murdocca and Seo. Referee Mark Shield had no hesitation in sending the skipper to the sheds, leaving the Victory with ten men for the last 30 minutes of the match. Shield had the yellow card again out minutes later when Dilevski brought down Thompson on the edge of the box.
The players began to concentrate on the football once more, and the end-to-end nature of the match resumed with Thompson forcing a scrambling effort from Buess on 70 minutes. Vlahos could have also scored, but was thwarted by Josh McCloughlan, who was injured in the tackle and was replaced by Jonty Richter.
Melbourne's hopes were dealt a final blow when Belgian defender Claeys raised his foot high and connected with Jordan Simpson, who had just come onto the ground. There was no shade of yellow from Shield this time and a red card saw the Victory down to nine men. Queensland had all the running, but couldn't find a second goal and extraordinarily, the Victory could have secured a point had Allsopp slotted a one-on-one shot with Willis in the fourth minute of extra time.
Melbourne 0
Queensland 1
(McKay 15)
Crowd: 13,239
Sydney 5 def CC 1
Perth 4 def Adelaide 1
Sydney's result I think was expected but Adelaide forgot to turn up. In Adelaide too.
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Sydney FC 11 6 2 3 22 17 5 20
2. Adelaide United FC 11 6 2 3 15 14 1 20
3. Newcastle Jets FC 11 5 2 4 18 15 3 17
4. Perth Glory FC 11 5 2 4 18 16 2 17
5. Queensland Roar FC 11 4 4 3 11 9 2 16
6. Melbourne Victory FC 11 4 3 4 16 10 6 15
7. Central Coast Mariners FC 11 4 3 4 16 16 0 15
8. New Zealand Knights FC 11 1 0 10 7 26 -19 3
P = played | W = wins | D = draws | L = losses | F = goals for | A = goals against | GD = Goal Difference | Pts = points
Notice Melbourne's plumet. Is tight with just 5 points from 1 to 7 and only 2 points from 3 to 7.
The Original Idiot
07-11-05, 03:04 PM
Perth 4 def Adelaide 1
Sydney's result I think was expected but Adelaide forgot to turn up. In Adelaide too.
NO! WHY CAN't YOU JUST WIN AT HOME! WHY MUST WE HAVE SUCH AN INCONSISTENT KEEPER? CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A BORING ONE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?
Titanium_BD1103
07-11-05, 03:41 PM
Go Sydney FC... WE ARE ON TOP.. and lovin it.... :D :D.. what a good victory 5-1 against the coast.. a great game too.. good atmosphere.. :)
NO! WHY CAN't YOU JUST WIN AT HOME! WHY MUST WE HAVE SUCH AN INCONSISTENT KEEPER? CAN'T WE JUST HAVE A BORING ONE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?
lol A boring keeper would be an advantage wouldn't it?? That was a bad miss that gifted Mori one of his goals.
Steelers
07-11-05, 05:23 PM
QLD are still in the hunt :D
My bad....
Perth 4 def Adelaide 2. I most have looked away when Adelaide actually got near the Perth goal.
Current A-League Table;
2005/06 Australian A-League
Pos Team P W L D F A Diff Pts
1 Sydney 12 7 3 2 23 17 6 23
2 Adelaide 12 7 3 2 17 15 2 23
3 Perth 12 6 4 2 21 16 5 20
4 Newcastle 12 5 4 3 18 15 3 18
5 Melbourne 12 4 4 4 16 10 6 16
6 Qld Roar 12 4 4 4 11 10 1 16
7 Central Coast 12 4 5 3 17 18 -1 15
8 NZ Knights 12 1 11 0 7 29 -22 3
Top 2 will be safe - as for the other spots Im still leaning Melbourne\Newcastle or Melbourne\Perth.
Both Newcastle and Perth have found some form lately. Melbourne is having scoring troubles at the moment - but they should have to much power in the coming rounds.
Titanium_BD1103
14-11-05, 03:13 PM
GO SYDNEY FC.. we are ontop of the table.. yay.. :D :D
As for the performance against the roar.. yawn.. that was so lacklustre... I know the boys tried their best, but last night was an off night for them... I thought Zdrillic played well though... but yeah.. we will need to improve next week to win against Perth...;)
As for Kazu.. he was solid and looks like a good player and asset.. :D
And they were thinking of releasing Zdrillic to go to the Roar!!!!
The Melbourne Victory are looking shakey after some terrible losses at home. Good crown again though! The new stadium in Melbourne is going to be sucha boost for the Victory.
Mariners on the move
Friday, 18 November, 2005 - 10:16PM
Central Coast has broken its two-match Hyundai A-League losing streak in emphatic fashion, downing Melbourne 2-0 in an impressive performance at Olympic Park.
Sitting second from bottom before the start of the match, the Mariners made the most of their chances, with goals from John Hutchison in the 38th minute and Dean Heffernan in the 75th helping the Central Coast side leapfrog the Victory on the table.
Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna was delighted with his team's approach after a couple of disappointing losses in recent weeks.
"The problem we've had over the past few weeks is that we've defended to deep. I thought we held the line well up the park and basically put them under pressure, limiting them to playing the long ball, which we coped with reasonably well."
The result means the Victory have gained just one point from four successive matches at home, are winless in five and haven't scored in six hours and 50 minutes of football. Their ledger know stands at four wins, four draws and five losses in 14 matches, with only two home matches remaining this season.
Coach Ernie Merrick said his players had missed a golden opportunity over the past month to put themselves at the top of the competition.
"We certainly have left ourselves down and there's a big challenge now to play well away from home," he said.
The Victory welcomed Kevin Muscat back into defence, while Qantas Socceroo Archie Thompson warmed the bench as coach Ernie Merrick gave Ricky Diaco a first A-League start. Michael Beauchamp came into the visitors' line-up in place of Andre Gumprecht.
Stewart Petrie had the first chance of the match, but was unable to get enough on the ball to trouble Eugene Galekovic. Victory could have then scored three times in the first 12 minutes with Michael Ferrante's dangerous free kick unmet in the box, just before Danny Allsopp scotched two chances, one from a cross from Richard Kitzbichler, and the other a header which went just over the bar.
Referee Ben Williams issued the first two cautions of the match after 25 minutes with Diaco and Matthew Osman into the book after separate incidents. An error from Galekovic, booked when Williams deemed he had handled outside the box, almost created a Mariners' goal, but the handful of away fans among the crowd of 13,892 didn't have to wait long for the opener.
After Vince Lia became the third Victory player into the book, Damien Brown steered his free kick into the box and found Hutchison completely unmarked. His header looped over Galekovic and into the net for the midfielder's third goal in as many matches.
Mariner Andrew Clark was next into Williams' book just after half time as the Victory looked to play more attacking football. The result was more frustration for the home crowd as substitute Andy Vlahos headed straight to Danny Vukovic and then chipped a dangerous cross, only to find nobody in position. Kitzbichler's also ball rolled untouched across the box, and it was clear the Victory needed a striking presence, prompting Merrick to introduce Thompson for Diaco on the hour mark.
But from that point, the Mariners took control of the match. With the confidence of a one-goal lead, they looked more patient in their attacking build-up. After no-one got a foot on Osman's close-range cross, the visitors got a deserved second goal after a quick break from some scattered play saw Heffernan outpace his marker down the left, and finish deftly, beating an advancing Galekovic.
It could have so easily been 3-0 had Petrie made the most of a shot on goal created when Galekovic had parried another long effort from Wayne O'Sullivan.
Late in the piece, Vlahos created a couple of good opportunities, but the drought stretched on, with defender Daniel Piokowski picking up a late yellow card on another tough night for the home side.
Melbourne 0
Central Coast 2 (Hutchison 38, Heffernan 75)
Crowd: 13,892
The Original Idiot
19-11-05, 04:21 PM
Nobody seems to be able to win at home. All right, just the Victory and the Reds.
Titanium_BD1103
20-11-05, 10:57 AM
Sydney FC and Perth Glory drew 0-0...
That was another dull game.. seemed like Sydney FC was a bit lacklustre at times and Perth should have done better with the opportunities they got...
Snaps go to Clint Bolton for his great saves.. made sure Perth didn't win...
Another few points but good chance we won't be at the top of the table come Monday.. Adelaide should beat NZ... and go top... but GO SYDNEY FC.. :D :D
Steelers
20-11-05, 08:30 PM
Live score courtesy of www.foxsports.com.au
66:00 mins gone
QLD Roar 0 - 1 Newcastle Jets
Steelers
20-11-05, 08:32 PM
Adelaide defeated NZ 1-0
Steelers
20-11-05, 08:57 PM
QLD defeated by Newcastle 1-0 :(
Steelers
20-11-05, 11:41 PM
Queensland 0 Newcastle 1
NEWCASTLE United Jets continued its fine form away from home with a deserved win over Queensland Roar at Suncorp Stadium tonight.
Roard made a bright start, but Newcastle wrested the initiative with a well-worked goal for midfield player Matthew Thompson midway through the first half.
The Jets then hung on in the face of intense pressure in the second period to extend their unbeaten run to six matches and maintain a healthy position in the top four.
For the Queenslanders, the first half followed a pattern similar to recent home matches: plenty of possession in midfield without managing to create meaningful goalscoring opportunities.
Roar's best chance fell to Michael Baird, the striker having his close-range shot blocked by Newcastle's Paul Kohler after a threaded through ball from Massimo Murdocca.
But Queensland too often failed to test visiting goalkeeper Liam Reddy in the opening stages, and Roar slowly let the Jets into proceedings.
The hosts first handed Thompson a sight of goal after 28 minutes, when the midfield player drilled a shot into goalkeeper Tom Willis's right-hand post.
Then, seven minutes later, Thompson made a porous home defence pay for more slopping marking.
Willis reacted quickly to Nick Carle's snapshot ? after the talented playmaker had evaded man-marker Todd Gava ? but could do nothing to keep out Thompson's follow-up.
Queensland poured forward after half-time, with second-half substitute Osvaldo Carro's close-range headed effort rubbed out for a marginal offside on 78 minutes.
But the Jets looked more controlled in possession despite the home side's increasingly desperate forays forward.
Queensland coach Miron Bleiberg admitted his side's third home loss this season was a big disappointment.
"We missed the opportunity to jump to fourth place but probably at the moment we don't deserve it ? simple as that," he said.
"Apparently a lot of people reckon that the (Carro) goal was a goal. But even if the goal would have (counted), it would have been a point only, which is not good enough.
"At the moment we are where we deserve to be."
Newcastle coach Richard Money believed the Jets were worthy of taking home three points for the second time in three weeks.
"I thought we played well," he said.
"I thought we played very smart, tactically very good. Everybody carried out our game plan pretty much to the tee.
"It's a big result for us. It puts us in that top group of four. There's a little gap now of three points and we wanted to be in that group when there was going to be a gap.
"We've begun to gel and we've begun to be a difficult team to beat."
NEWCASTLE 1 (Matthew Thompson 35) QUEENSLAND ROAR 0 at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: Mark Shield. Crowd: 13,004.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au
Current Ladder,
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 13 8 2 3 18 15 3 26
2. Sydney FC 13 7 3 3 23 17 6 24
3. Perth Glory FC 13 6 3 4 21 16 5 21
4. Newcastle Jets FC 13 6 3 4 19 15 4 21
5. Central Coast Mariners FC 13 5 3 5 19 18 1 18
6. Melbourne Victory FC 13 4 4 5 16 12 4 16
7. Queensland Roar FC 13 4 4 5 11 11 0 16
8. New Zealand Knights FC 13 1 0 12 7 30 -23 3
Both Melbourne and QLD look gone for the season - though Melbourne the more likely of the 2 to be able to come back from here.
Steelers
22-11-05, 07:49 PM
How many rounds to come in the season?
The Original Idiot
23-11-05, 08:10 AM
One team plays another 3 times a season, 7 teams= 21 games.
13 played so far means 8 rounds left.
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 14 9 2 3 21 17 4 29
2. Sydney FC 14 7 3 4 25 20 5 24
3. Newcastle Jets FC 14 7 3 4 20 15 5 24
4. Perth Glory FC 14 6 3 5 21 17 4 21
5. Melbourne Victory FC 14 5 4 5 19 14 5 19
6. Central Coast Mariners FC 14 5 4 5 21 20 1 19
7. Queensland Roar FC 14 4 5 5 13 13 0 17
8. New Zealand Knights FC 14 1 0 13 9 33 -24 3
Adelaide, Sydney and Newie looking the goods whilst QLd starting to fade. Still enough games lef though!
Steelers
02-12-05, 05:26 PM
Source: www.foxsports.com.au
Queensland 1, New Zealand 1
MISSED opportunities may cost Queensland Roar the chance to play in the A-League finals after it could only draw with cellar dweller New Zealand Knights at Suncorp Stadium last night.
The 1-1 deadlock sees Roar remain in seventh place, three points outside the top four with three matches remaining in round 15.
Coach Miron Bleiberg was left to ponder a host of missed chances that could have put the first nail in their season's coffin.
"We tried to play good football but we're missing something up front - I can't say it's bad luck if it keeps repeating itself," he said.
"The equaliser was so out of place and out of context, like someone took a hammer and banged it on my head."
Queensland took the lead in the 29th minute when last week's two-goal hero Alex Brosque found striker Royce Brownlie with a well measured ball from the left flank.
Brownlie beat out Knights defender Frank van Eijs to head the ball into the back of the net in the only chance converted by the home team in a game they dominated.
Roar seemed to have legitimate claims to a penalty in the early minutes when Noah Hickey brought down Jonathan Richter in the area, but referee James Lewis awarded a free-kick outside the box.
Adding to Queensland's catalogue of missed chances was Stuart McLaren in the 37th minute.
A well-weighted Michael Baird cross found McLaren unmarked with only the keeper to beat, but the former Brisbane Strikers player-coach could only place his header over the Knights goal.
The chance was the start of a period of sustained pressure from the Roar, with a great opportunity just two minutes later.
Stand-in captain Remo Buess came agonisingly close to extending the lead with a header cleared off the line by New Zealand's Ben Collet, who positioned himself near the right post.
Queensland was made to pay for its poor finishing just before halftime when they conceded a goal against the run of play to a Knights set-piece.
A Collet free-kick, awarded after Warren Moon fouled Zenon Caravella, found veteran striker Simon Yeo.
Yeo looped his header over his marker, Seo, and over Queensland keeper Tom Willis, whose first real action of the game was to pick the ball up from the back of his net.
Brownlie should have doubled his tally in the 70th minute.
Danny Milosevic got his fingertips on to Brownlie's shot and pushed the ball onto the crossbar before it bounced back into the arms of the relieved Knights keeper.
Seo almost scored a spectacular 30-metre winner in the 90th minute, but his trademark free-kick grazed the wrong side of the post.
Replacement Jordan Simpson's stoppage-time header then bounced back into play from the crossbar, a miss that could have marked the end of Queensland's campaign to make the finals.
The Knights players celebrated the draw as if they'd won the match and coach John Adshead admitted they were lucky to win a point.
"If you want to see the rainbow, you've got to go through the rain - we've been through a monsoon. It's good to come out and see a bit of colour at the end of it," he said.
"I think we've played a whole lot better this season and come away with nothing - I'm not ashamed to come away with a little bit of luck."
It was a disappointing result for the 8607 in attendance, Roar's worst home crowd of the season and a far cry from the 20,725 that watched the corresponding game at Suncorp Stadium in the opening round in August.
QUEENSLAND ROAR 1 (R Brownlie 29)
NEW ZEALAND KNIGHTS 1 (S Yeo 44)
Crowd: 8607 at Suncorp Stadium.
Queenslander
02-12-05, 05:28 PM
If only the Roar could put some good performances in. Their crowd figures are showing their lack of form :( 20,725 to 8607 is a huge drop.
True - but the Knights are hardly crowd pullers no matter where they are.
Halftime
Newie and Adelaide 0-0 With Newcastle I would say having the better of the first half.
Newcastle have just put one past Adelaide!!!! 1-0
Forget that its now 2-1 Adelaide!!
Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory (1st-Half)
Saturday, December 3, 2005 (8.00pm AEDT)
Aussie Stadium
Sydney FC 45:00 Melbourne Victory
1 Score 0
Corica (24') Goals
Social Loafer
03-12-05, 10:40 PM
Sydney have won 2-1.
Crowd of over 17,000, good turnout. Comes on the same weekend Newcastle got over 10,000 despite it raining.
Some good rowds then. Be interesting to see the aves at the end of the year and comepare them to the goals at the start of the season.
Sydney 2 Melbourne 1
SYDNEY FC will start its World Club Championship campaign buoyed by a comfortable defeat of Melbourne Victory in the A-League at Aussie Stadium tonight.
Goals from Steve Corica and David Carney exacted sweet revenge against the Victory, which had humiliated the glamour club by scoring five unanswered goals in their previous encounter at Olympic Park seven weeks ago.
The win also keeps second-placed Sydney in touch with league-leader Adelaide, which is five points ahead on the ladder with six rounds remaining.
Sydney will fly out to Japan on Tuesday night to prepare for its opening CWC match against Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa on December 12.
The home side was in control for the majority of the match, but a Daniel Allsopp goal with just two minutes remaining ensured a thrilling finish for the crowd of 17,272.
Sydney's first genuine chance came in the 13th minute when Alvin Ceccoli fired a volley over the crossbar from a Dwight Yorke corner, the shot just sailing over the outstretched hand of Victory keeper Michael Theoklitos.
The breakthrough came just 11 minutes later, with midfielder Steve Corica drilling his strike into the top left-hand corner of the net for the opening goal after some clever lead-up work from Yorke and Sasho Petrovski.
It was the first goal of the season for Corica, who missed last weekend's epic 3-2 loss to Adelaide due to a virus.
The host was unlucky not to go further ahead, with Yorke's long-range attempt denied by a brilliant Theoklitos save just three minutes later.
Sydney continued pressure Melbourne and were again denied in the 31st minute, this time by the woodwork, after Japanese short-term import Kazuyoshi Miura's rocket rebounded off the left-hand post.
It is the last A-League match for "Kazu", although he will be available for Sydney's CWC campaign.
Melbourne's best chance of the half came from striker Daniel Allsopp just before Corica's goal, but he was unable to beat Sydney keeper Clint Bolton.
The second half was much like the first, with Sydney dominating play but the luck on the side of the visitors.
Ceccoli found Petrovski with a cross in the 55th minute, but his header ricocheted off the crossbar, much to the disappointment of a vocal home crowd.
Tempers flared between the interstate rivals, with several players jostling in Melbourne's penalty area in the 65th minute before another scuffle broke out in midfield just moments later.
The result seemed beyond doubt when Petrovski's cross found Carney, who made no mistake in the 81st minute to create a two-goal buffer.
But Allsop's 88th minute strike for Victory in the 88th made for an exciting finish.
SYDNEY FC 2 (S Corica 24m D Carney 81m) bt MELBOURNE VICTORY 1 (D Allsopp 88m) at Aussie Stadium. Crowd: 17,272. Referee: M Breeze.
Steelers
05-12-05, 12:42 PM
Bangladesh cricket
Nearly 400 injured in clash over umpiring
Cricinfo staff
December 3, 2005
Nearly 400 people were injured in a village in Bangladesh in a series of clashes over controversial umpiring decisions in a cricket match between two rural teams. At least one man is reported to have died while a dozen houses were torched in the scuffle.
Paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles and police fired gun shots and tear gas shells on Thursday to disperse a fighting mob from a village near Brahmanbaria district town, 100 km from Dhaka.
"More than 200 people were admitted to different hospitals with injuries," a police inspector was quoted as saying in a Reuters report. "The victim succumbed to stab injuries while being shifted to Dhaka for higher treatment." The rival villagers used guns, sticks and whatever weapons came to hand in sporadic clashes that began on Tuesday.
Delayed television footage showed hundreds of people carrying sticks and fighting on a newly harvested paddy ground at Sarail.The clashes continued through the day and night before the police and paramilitaries went into action in the village. "The situation is now under control," the inspector continued, "but scores of people were injured and huge properties were damaged."
For some it is more than just a game.
First of all, what is this doing in the A-League thread :whatd: LOL
Secondly, HOLY CRAP! Just shows how much they love cricket over there (I think)
LOL thatnks for spotting that!!
Ill delete it and move it where it should be - musta had a few beers under my belt!
Team P W D L F A GD Pts
1. Adelaide United FC 15 10 2 3 23 18 5 32
2. Sydney FC 15 8 3 4 27 21 6 27
3. Newcastle Jets FC 15 7 3 5 21 17 4 24
4. Perth Glory FC 15 6 4 5 23 19 4 22
5. Central Coast Mariners FC 15 5 5 5 23 22 1 20
6. Melbourne Victory FC 15 5 4 6 20 16 4 19
7. Queensland Roar FC 15 4 6 5 14 14 0 18
8. New Zealand Knights FC 15 1 1 13 10 34 -24 4
The table is starting to look more and more set with Adelaide, Sydney and Newcastle seemingly set, though Newcastle could still falter. QLD would probably need either a minor miracle or massive chang ein form to make the finals.
Team Region Home Ground Capacity Avg Crowd 05/06
Adelaide United FC SA Hindmarsh Stadium 16,500 10,658
Central Coast Mariners NSW Express Advocate Stadium 20,059 7,037
Melbourne Victory VIC Olympic Park 18,500 14,593
Newcastle United Jets NSW Energy Australia Stadium 28,000 8,238
New Zealand Knights NZL North Harbour Stadium 25,000 4,225
Perth Glory WA Members Equity Stadium 17,300 9,769
Queensland Roar QLD Suncorp Stadium 52,000 15,372
Sydney FC NSW Aussie Stadium 41,159 15,826
From the table the major dissapointments would be CC (though they arent too bad), Newcastle (fighting to get a toehold in a massive league stronghold), Perth (THE major concern crowd wise. May have something to do with the club alienating the supporters groups.) and NZ (they have had terrible weather onevery single home game so that is not too much of a concern.)
I think they may have expected a little more from Adelaide and possibly Sydney though QLD are way above expectations. They were hoping for an ave around 10k in the first year. So far with an ave of 10,714 and with the semi's starting to be a real target I think that figure looks safe.
Kevin clash costs three
By David Lewis
December 13, 2005
MELBOURNE Victory skipper Kevin Muscat refused to comment last night after being banned for three matches at a Football Federation Australia hearing in Sydney.
But the thunderous expression on the face of the 32-year-old defender spoke eloquently enough for him as he stormed out of the FFA's College St headquarters having been found guilty of violent conduct.
Muscat won't be sighted again until the A-League round 19 clash away at Newcastle United Jets.
Flanked by solicitor Chris Nikou and Victory officials Gary Cole and Darren Gosling, Muscat received a two-match sentence for violent conduct from disciplinary arbiter Tony O'Reilly.
It came after an incident in which he ran the length of the field to aim a kick at Sydney FC's Sasho Petrovski during a mini melee sparked by a coming together of Sydney's Terry McFlynn and Melbourne's Andy Vlahos in the round 15 clash at Aussie Stadium on December 3.
Sydney won the game 2-1.
Muscat received a one-game suspension for picking up his fourth yellow card of the season in the same game for an earlier incident in which he tangled with Petrovski after the striker had collided with Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos.
The verdict is a bitter blow to Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick, whose job prospects may hinge on breaching a three-point gap to get sixth-placed Melbourne into the finals.
But without his inspirational skipper that already daunting task looks even more imposing.
Muscat was cited after an FFA video review.
The Daily Telegrap
Titanium_BD1103
13-12-05, 05:41 PM
Well.. I could say something about this.. but I will leave that to the Sydney FC Forums.. :D :D :D
I will just say here that it was deserved.. it was a cowardly attack to Sasho.. who I admire as a player dearly and therefore it made me even more annoyed to see it occur.. congrats to the FFA for doing something about it.. and hopefully Muscat will learn during his cool down period and not do something that stupid again... :D :D
A tough penalty but something the A-League has to do to ensure that the new comps reputation and viablity remain squeaky clean. Lowrie and co will not allow anything to sully the so far good image the league is creating for the sport in Australia.
1. Adelaide United FC 16 11 2 3 27 20 7 35
2. Sydney FC 16 8 4 4 29 23 6 28
3. Newcastle Jets FC 16 7 3 6 22 21 1 24
4. Central Coast Mariners FC 16 6 5 5 27 23 4 23
5. Perth Glory FC 16 6 5 5 25 21 4 23
6. Melbourne Victory FC 16 5 5 6 22 18 4 20
7. Queensland Roar FC 16 4 6 6 16 18 -2 18
8. New Zealand Knights FC 16 1 2 13 12 36 -24 5
Tight from 3 to 7th but I fear it is a little to hard for the Roar to make it from here. Adelaide and Sydney are safe, both Melbourne and QLD will need a minor miracle.
SuperCliffy#01
06-01-06, 12:39 PM
Would love to go at least one game before the end of the season to support the mighty Central Coast Mariners, but unfortunately the games are'nt shown on free to air. that would be nice to have.cya.
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