A-League Men Round 21 Sliding Doors: Auckland stay well clear at the top

From six-pointer clashed to eight goal thrillers; 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 Wellington still has any chance of making finals in season 24/25…

THEN it is clear that the return of Alex Rufer is Phoenix fans’ final hope.

Despite the 1-0 loss to City, the holding midfielder was crucial to everything good that was happening throughout this game.

The Phoenix were pressed extremely high up in this game. Not necessarily hard, as City were tempered in how they wanted to force mistakes. But despite how often the ‘Nix were pushed back even to their corner flag on occasion, Rufer was there remarkably frequently to receive in tight spaces and distribute with calmness and composure.

Such attributes they have been desperately lacking in the weeks where they’ve lamented his absence from the starting 11.

It’s probably too far to go to make the six, and they’ve given no real indication that they’re likely to do so.

But if it is to happen at all, it will be off the back of Phoenix captain, Alex Rufer.

Lachie Avil

Melbourne City

IF Aurelio Vidmar felt the pressure of consistently selecting Patrick Beach despite some costly errors…

THEN this match was complete vindication for his faith in the young shot stopper.

His save to deny Corban Piper’s header, low down to his right mid-way through the second half was as good as they come.

Given the context of the match, it was just as important Marco Tilio’s sole goal of the game in terms of awarding City the three points.

From playing the ball directly into Ryan Teague for an unfortunate goal in his derby debut, to the ball slipping through his fingers off a free kick to keep Auckland’s undefeated streak alive, Beach has made his share of mistakes.

But with the faith of his manager and seemingly a good head on his shoulders, Beach has responded well to those mistakes, and saved his team here when they needed him most.

Lachie Avil

Central Coast Mariners

IF there was a game that summarised the Mariners’ season…

THEN it would be this one.

A timid display against Western United has all but put a line through the Mariners’ hopes of achieving anything significant this season as they now sit in 10th place, nine points away from Melbourne Victory who occupy sixth spot.

It’s not just the points gap between those two sides, it’s the fact that the Jets, Macarthur, and Sydney FC sit between them, all teams that are capable of some thrilling attacking football as seen throughout the season so far.

That is something the Mariners cannot say about themselves, turning up each week with the same lethargic performances that make you wonder how a team could go through such a massive drop-off in form.

Not to beat the same drum but put simply it is down to a loss of personnel, with six starters from last year’s grand final absent this season. That is all well and good, but are the fans seeing enough in Mark Jackson to keep their belief in him rolling into next season?

Will Booth

Western United

IF Western United’s attacking unit is clicking…

THEN which defence in the league is capable of stopping them?

Second place on the table, youngsters performing week-in week-out, scoring goals for fun, you couldn’t really ask for more as a Western United fan this season.

A team that can break down any opposition defence on their day, Western United are an absolute joy to watch at the moment. Their first two goals against the Mariners showed their class in the final third which has been evident all season long.

In terms of their ability to slickly work the ball into areas to create tap-in chances for their attackers, they might only be behind Sydney FC in the league when they are on top of their game. And they are definitely above Sydney when it comes to consistency in this area.

There are two players that could be wearing the national team’s new fluorescent kit by the end of that year, and they are Noah Botic and Dylan Leonard.

Botic sits alone at the top of the goal scoring charts this season and would be deserving of a call up in one of the weaker areas of the side, whereas Leonard’s form might have just propelled him into the limelight for the Young Socceroos World Cup campaign in October this year.

Will Booth

Auckland FC

IF all that goes around comes around…

THEN Auckland fans will feel they are owed a few favourable calls.

Head coach Steve Corica immediately called out the two penalties given against the Black Knights as “soft”. Two trips of both Ethan Alagich and Stefan Mauk gave Adelaide United some much-needed lifelines back into the game, which they took. 

And this isn’t the first time Auckland will feel hard done by referee decisions – the reverse fixture had its own controversy when Yaya Dukuly appeared to have fouled Callan Elliot in the build up to a goal. 

On the other hand, Auckland haven’t been immune from favourable decisions themselves – refereeing in their match up with Sydney early in the season a massive helping hand, as was the decision not to send off Nando Pijnaker in their previous fixture.

The biggest positive to take from all of this is that despite the ups and downs of football and refereeing, Auckland have managed to weather it all and remain likely premiers and clear favourites for the title with eight rounds to go. 

Jacob Stevens

Adelaide United

IF the Reds had even a league-average defensive unit…

THEN they would be borderline unstoppable.

Adelaide fell into a trap they often find themselves setting – making games more difficult than they need to be. Another 4-4 draw for the side this season, and one that doesn’t help but feel entirely unavoidable.

United performed with admirable spirit despite another depleted match day squad, but it was lousy marking on three of the Auckland goals that made life tough. Again, a goal was conceded from a corner – in similar fashion to the last time these two sides met. 

At some point questions have to be asked of the coaching staff, because when Bart Vriends is out there looking at times as lost as any of the other centre backs Adelaide have started over the last few years, then there’s clearly a coaching and systemic issue.

To credit the fight-back: it was another vintage attacking display from the Reds. And regardless of your opinion on the penalties, it was a well deserved draw. 

But man, imagine how different things could be if this side could get their defending in order. Scoring four goals and drawing … again! It’s highly entertaining for the neutral, and there is probably a few heart doctors in the City of Churches who will see their workload increase if this continues much longer.

Jacob Stevens

Brisbane Roar

IF that was the true version of Brisbane Roar… 

THEN there’s no way they belong bottom of the standings.

In stating quite the obvious, but this season has been a total write-off and major disappointment for a Brisbane Roar side who offered so much hope and promise without delivery. 

Sure, they may be under strength in parts of their squad on top of being a poorly assembled side, but when Ruben Zadkovich implements his ideas across to play attacking football (when he feels like it), they actually produce some positive passages. 

The way the Brisbane midfield overloaded in the final third created all sorts of issues for Victory, with the presence of Asumah Abubakar and Nathan Amanatidis acting as real weapons. 

This performance should make Zadkovich ponder whether to transition to a counter-attacking style of play as opposed to possession-based football. 

Christian Montegan

Melbourne Victory

IF the title was decided by the number of dropped points against lower opposition… 

THEN Victory would be champions.

Despite entering this fixture having won only once in their previous eight attempts in Brisbane, this was viewed as nothing other than three points in the bag – considering the Roar’s woeful season. 

Unlike the 3-0 loss away to the Jets last month, Victory struggled to create cutting edge opportunities while being heavily reliant on a lot of ball possession, but not much to show for it. 

Even with the experienced Miranda, albeit who has had a poor season, marshalling the back-line, there were gaping holes which were picked apart time and time again. The defensive structure should be a slight concern for Arthur Diles heading into finals (if they even get there). 

Last season’s runners-up have accumulated 12 points out of a possible 30 on the road in 2024/25, including a win against Melbourne City at AAMI Park. If those fortunes don’t turn around, especially considering that a top-two berth looks extremely unlikely from here, then it’s a long mountain to climb. 

Christian Montegan

Macarthur FC

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

THEN they will miss finals.

It is a little bit of déjà vu, given the above was written in the Round 18 Sliding Doors piece, but it continues to ring true for Mile Sterjovski’s side.

Since then, Valere Germain has also departed the club, while their Young Socceroos players have only just wrapped up their AFC U20 Asian Cup campaign, winning the tournament in a penalty shootout in the early hours of Sunday morning (AEDT).

Coming into the weekend as a 7th (Sydney) vs 8th (Macarthur) contest, Sydney showcased why they are above the Bulls on the ladder in a dominant display.

Filip Kurto was again fantastic in goals, but he can’t be expected to shovel the entire workload by himself, because spectacular saves can only do so much with a forward group that only generated two shots through 60 minutes of play, neither of which were on target, finishing the game with six shots and only one on target.

It makes for dire reading for the Bulls, who sit five points out of the six, still have a bye to take place, and four of their seven remaining games against sides in the hunt for a finals spot.

They need to find a solution for their departures and fast, or else fans might start questioning why so many crucial players were allowed to leave in the January transfer window.

Poletti

Sydney FC

IF there was a fixture worth six points in the league this round…

THEN it was Macarthur v Sydney FC.

Sydney FC fans can let out a big sigh of relief after earning three points in this match, as any other result could have spelled trouble for the side who sit just outside the top six as it stands. This is a little misleading however, as they are only three points behind Western United in second spot with a superior goal difference to boot.

Giving themselves breathing room over Macarthur and the Jets was paramount here as they can now look upwards instead of constantly glancing backwards in trepidation.

It wasn’t a completely inspiring performance, and was a game where you might posit that the result came from Macarthur being poor rather than Sydney FC dominating proceedings. A win is a win however, and there were positive signs seeing Sydney’s lethal attack once again combining to put the ball in the back of the net.

Douglas Costa was robbed of a goal and an assist minimum in this game too, with Filip Kurto showing why he has been one of the league’s best shot stoppers for a couple of years now. Adrain Segacic did what he does and netted within just four minutes of coming on, but this one did come in more comical circumstances then we are used to.

Their AFC Champions League 2 two-legged quarter-final is now a priority, with a relatively easy return to the league coming when they face Wellington Phoenix on March 16.

Will Booth

Western Sydney Wanderers

IF the league’s top competitors hadn’t noticed the Wanderers recent charge just yet…

THEN they certainly have now.

Sure, a win against Perth Glory this season is not too much to write home about. But the simple fact is that the top six are so close on the table because teams have not been beating who they were supposed to be beating.

No team apart from Auckland and perhaps Victory in their first two months under Kisnorbo have been able to string any consistent performances together for more than a month.

The Wanderers have now done that, gaining 13 points from their last 15 offered, with consecutive wins at home to boot.

They have a chance to extend that particular marker to three, when they take on a challenged Melbourne Victory side following their bye.

The Wanderers have been the best attacking side all season and there still are question marks over their defensive line. But those questions are getting softer and softer as the undefeated streak of five grows larger and larger.

Lachie Avil

Perth Glory

IF we all thought that Perth Glory had turned a corner after the January transfer window…

THEN a 4-1 result against the Wanderers presents a stern test of mentality.

In reality, it probably wasn’t all that bad. The Wanderers are the best attacking team in the country, Aydan Hammond’s first goal was a belter and his second was just unlucky.

But regardless of how it came about, 4-1 still reads poorly, and Perth have to respond to this positively.

Last season, albeit a little later in the piece, they were presented with the same opportunity. Then, it spiralled uncontrollably to the tune of 23 goals conceded in their final four outings.

The same must not happen this time around. They need to find a way to carry some of this new found positivity around the side into pre-season and get a jump start on building for the new campaign.

A home fixture against Brisbane represents the perfect opportunity to respond, they just have to take it.

Lachie Avil