A-League Men Round 18 Sliding Doors: A blunder out west costs Glory points

From Deadline Day signings, a Derby comeback, and goalkeeping blunders; Round Ball Australia keeps you up to date with all the big story lines from Round 17 of the A-League Men competition, with Sliding Doors.

Wellington Phoenix

IF Chiefy’s deadline day signing of Francisco Geraldes is supposed to be the Marco Rojas replacement…

THEN he can’t come into a match day squad soon enough.

Giancarlo Italiano made it clear in pre-season that Rojas was supposed to play a pivotal role in the way that the Phoenix wanted to play this campaign.

In the brief glimpses that we did get of the Rojas and Kosta Barbarouses partnership, it was clear why. But, for a player that has long been troubled with injury and coming off a stint of not playing any football for at least six months, that was a risky bet.

Wellington are also entering dangerously low areas of shots on target and big chances created in the league, with significant distance between them and second last on those lists.

They are crying out for someone who can create more chances and actually help the team put the ball in the back of the net.

He won’t be fit for Victory away – the fixture last season that they managed to get a result in without having a shot on target – the goal being set for the final Kiwi Derby of the season in the following weekend.

Lachie Avil

Brisbane Roar

IF The Roar had Henry Hore for the whole 24/25 season…

THEN could their fortunes have massively changed?

Hore has been a revelation since returning from his loan spell in Korea. So much so that it begs the question as to why he was loaned out in the first place?

The in/off season nature of the K-League makes sense to keep the legs ticking over. But since the A-League season began, Hore made just three appearances, two of them off the bench for Gangwon.

It’s easy to forget just how many games were lost by extremely fine margins in the beginning of Brisbane’s season.

A 90th minute Jaiden Kucharski winner, almost the better team against Victory away, 2-1 up against Adelaide, high scoring draws to the Bulls and Wanderers away all in the first seven games.

Since returning, Hore has proven that he has the capability to swing games, if he’d been around earlier in the season to do just that, who knows how much momentum the Roar could have gathered early on.

Lachie Avil

Adelaide United

IF Champions always manage to find a way to win…

THEN Adelaide sure looked like Champions against City.

It wasn’t the greatest 90 minutes anyone will watch this season. In fact, it’s likely up there as the worst. But when a team can scrap their way to a win against finals-seeking opposition on a windy night after being battered in the first half, then it’s probably a good sign.

With no Pana Kikianis, Isaias had to step into defence alongside Bart Vrriends, and the pair were under relentless pressure from City in the first half. But City couldn’t take their chances, and Adelaide would have the wind behind them in the second half.

With that in mind, Carl Veart subbed on Yaya Dukuly for a very underwhelming Ben Folami, instructed the boys to play direct, and took the game back into Adelaide’s grasps.

Zach Clough and Archie Goodwin were the pair to link up for the goal, a lovely whipped corner finding the ever-mobile Goodwin who executed a tremendous header – back on the scoresheet after a game of missed opportunities last week.

Adelaide, based on the eye test, arguably did not deserve to win that. But teams that win silverware always find a way to get the three points in games where they’re not up to standard. And it’s clear Adelaide are eyeing that silverware this season.

Jacob Stevens

Melbourne City

IF Hindmarsh stadium on a Friday night has a reputation for delivering high-entertainment games of A-League football…

THEN City managed to buck that trend.

It was a far from thrilling game of football, one that Melbourne City probably feel they should’ve got more out of after a dominant first half performance.

But in the second, it was pretty much all Adelaide, with Goodwin’s header off a corner all it took to condemn Aurelio Vidmar’s men to a third straight defeat.

It’s a loss that will start to ring alarm bells in Melbourne’s East, that the ‘reintegration’ phase of City’s injury list isn’t quite going to plan.

The talent coming back is undeniable: Leckie, Tilio, Caputo. But, there’s an argument to say that the upsetting of the apple cart may not be worth it.

That view is probably short sighted, given the main objective is to be ready for finals. But, if they drop too many more points in that transition period, they’ll find themselves sitting outside the six.

And to win the finals, you have to be in the finals.

Lachie Avil

Perth Glory

IF Oli Sail was one of the few players averse to fan criticism this year…

THEN his catastrophic mistake will have destroyed all good will.

As a goalkeeper, you simply cannot let a ball roll between your legs. It’s a borderline career-ender; just ask Rob Green (and that wasn’t even between his legs!).

Sail has been one of the few Perth players this season to not consistently draw the ire of the crowd, but making a mistake like that when 1-0 up, after the season they’ve had, is pretty inevitably going to lead to criticism.

And whilst that criticism is probably warranted, Perth had ample opportunity at the other end of the pitch to put the Mariners to the sword and secure a rare win. Adam Taggart fired the side in front early, and looked dangerous every time he was on the ball.

But the Glory were profligate in front of goal, the Mariners defended the final 20 minutes stoically, and it ended in the draw.

Look, a draw for the Glory this season is still an OK result. But when a win was that close… A different deflection on a shot, the ball falling slightly differently for Taggart, a Mariners defender not going in for a block… Or, Sail could have simply just not watched the ball go between his legs. Not sure which is more agonising. 

Jacob Stevens

Central Coast Mariners

IF the Mariners new signings and returning players can fire straight away…

THEN they can start turning their draws into wins.

The only team in the league that is undefeated in their last five matches, but the feeling on the Central Coast is an underwhelming one.

Last week felt like it was two points handed to the Jets, whereas this week the Mariners were certainly handed two points by Perth Glory, but each match feels like a coin toss.

Central Coast are unable to stamp their authority over anybody this season, even a dwindling Glory side, but there are promising glimpses.

New signing Abdul Faisal has looked to inject some pace and energy since his arrival, and alongside Miguel di Pizio who made his first appearance since being sidelined with a serious knee injury in this match, the pair of youngsters will have a big task on their shoulders in rejuvenating a sluggish attack.

Sasha Kusevski and Lucas Mauragis are also finding more minutes off the bench over recent weeks, and when they are at their best, they play an important role in the speed at which the Central Coast Mariners can go forward and hurt teams.

Will Booth

Newcastle Jets

IF the display against Melbourne Victory is a true reflection of their capability…

THEN all may not be lost in the Hunter.

Newcastle found their mojo as they ground out an admittedly less dangerous than usual Melbourne Victory for almost 90 minutes of actual game time before three goals in prolonged stoppage time (due to a medical emergency in the crowd) saw them romp to victory.

Coach Rob Stanton showed with more minutes of the legs of Lachlan Rose and Kota Mizunuma most notable that his side were a constant threat. Alongside Rose & Mizunuma, Clayton Taylor continued to shine and that as a key attacking trio will become a constant threat for Newcastle.

Newcastle’s defence also stood tall in this match as they were forced a reshuffle

It is clear the secret sauce is starting to finally brew as Newcastle look to finish the season in a positive direction.

The remaining question is can Rob Stanton find a way to get Rose & Mizunuma into his starting eleven alongside Taylor and possibly Charles M’Mombwa. If so you have to feel that Newcastle can overcome their slow starts and start to be a consistent challenger in matches.

Chris Macpherson

Melbourne Victory

IF goals dry up as they did last season…

THEN it could be a real battle to play finals football.

Last season under Tony Popovic, goals were extremely difficult to come by, especially in the second half of the campaign when Bruno Fornaroli ultimately lost his scoring boots somewhere in Qatar from the Asian Cup.

That undoubtedly is one of the biggest fears for Victory fans, now sitting in sixth position, with Melbourne City level on points with a game in hand. Scary times indeed. 

Against the Jets, it was one of the games where literally nothing went right aside from the Jets’ two disallowed goals for offside. 

But this match was different compared to ones played out last season from the Victory, because here, they didn’t even create the clear-cut opportunities, so you couldn’t even criticise them for wasting chances in front of goal. 

If things dry up from a creative aspect, then Victory’s defence can only sustain pressure for so long, as the jets proved with three late goals. 

Christian Montegan

Sydney FC

IF Ufuk Talay is unable to work out his team selections…

THEN he faces unhappy players that he isn’t getting the most out of.

The Sydney Derby proves why it is one of the must-see events on the Australian sporting calendar, with its’ latest rendition not giving fans much time to breathe until the final whistle.

Sydney FC fans would have been the happiest after the match with their thrilling late comeback, but why did it take so long for them to get into the game?

Talay has a major headache with his team selection each week, balancing a squad of too many gifted attackers and a shortage of experienced defenders, which has been exacerbated by Hayden Matthew’s departure.

Adrian Segecic is a major part of this discussion, having gotten his side back into matches so often throughout his cameos, but why is he not starting matches?

He has scored five of his seven goals this season coming off the bench, and only managed to score in one of his eight starting appearances. Is Talay brave enough to displace an under-performing Ouahim from the starting side, or is Segecic resigned to being Talay’s late game weapon?

Will Booth

Western Sydney Wanderers

IF the Wanderers reflect on this match with a glass half full mentality…

THEN there are plenty of positive signs. 

We’re stating the obvious here. Seeing a 3-1 lead up until the 88th minute rapidly vanish would be the most bitter pill to swallow, especially in a fixture as enormous as the Sydney Derby. 

Yes, they dropped two points, but considering how the Wanderers’ season has panned out so far this season, that performance was enough to indicate a handful of positive signs moving forward. 

They actually had an identity about them. They knew when to be aggressive, when to push forward in numbers, when to hit on the counter attack and when to absorb pressure to weather the storm. 

For long stretches, Alen Stajcic’s men actually had the match on their terms whether it was on or off the ball. 

Defensively, it’s no secret that they’ve struggled for continuity, yet the centre-back pairing of Alex Bonetig and Anthony Pantazopoulos were courageous and bold to play more of a high line at times, understanding that the Sky Blues are a team who love to advance the ball with possession instead of opting for the dink over the top. 

The signs are there, but is it enough to sneak into the top six?

Christian Montegan

Macarthur FC

IF Macarthur can’t find a way to overcome their player departures…

THEN they will miss finals.

Macarthur struggled in this game from the get go with the likes of Harry Sawyer and Chris Ikonomidis, who have hardly played for the Bulls this season, taking prominent roles in the starting 11.

Whilst those two weren’t necessarily at fault, it highlights just how much maneuvering Mile Sterjovski has had to do with the squad looking disjointed and lacking chemistry.

A bright spot for Macarthur was that they took advantage of some lapses in concentration from Western United, and punished them by putting the ball past Matt Sutton.

Jake Hollman did his stocks absolutely no harm, even with the absence of his preferred link-up partner in Jed Drew, as he looked fantastic in midfield and put his name on the scoresheet.

If Hollman keeps this up throughout the remainder of the season, regardless of where Macarthur finishes, he might be the next player out the door in the off-season, and Macarthur could be looking at a full squad rebuild.

Poletti

Western United

IF we’re to take John Aloisi’s side as serious contenders…

THEN the defence needs to stay awake for 90 minutes every week.

Despite some good passages of play from the home side, make no mistake about it, Western United dominated this game. Were it not for Filip Kurto, they could have had four or five goals.

Unfortunately, they left Campbelltown with a draw after two brief lapses of concentration allowed Hollman and Marin Jakolis to score two absolute bangers, undoing all of Western’s hard work throughout the game.

But the defence was switched on when it counted late in the game as Macarthur went on a flurry of attacks in second-half stoppage time, with everyone required to step up for the visitors to deny the Bulls a late winner.

Despite the dropped points, Western United still sit in third place at the end of Round 18, they only sit seven points behind their opponents next week, top of the table Auckland FC.

If they can complete the season sweep over the newest A-Leagues side, the race for the Premiers Plate is well and truly open with finals looming large on the horizon. 

Poletti