Christian Montegan 
Daniel Arzani with a wry smile after slotting home a penalty against Macarthur in Round 3 of the 2024/25 A-League Men. Photo: Marcus Robertson/Round Ball Australia
Melbourne Victory rallied back from a one-goal deficit to defeat Macarthur 2-1 at AAMI Park on Sunday evening, helped by individual moments of brilliance.
Facing off in an Australia Cup rematch where Mile Sterjovski’s side claimed a snatch-and-grab win five weeks ago, plenty of motivation was immersed from a Victory perspective.
After Daniel Arzani was controversially dropped from the squad for the Cup final, the Socceroo was forced to wait until the 62nd minute to come off the bench and make an impact.
Arzani looked sharp, lively and up for the fight – winning 50/50 duels and using his pace and trickery to keep the Macarthur defence on their toes.
The 25-year-old was rewarded for his efforts, comfortably converting from the penalty spot after Macarthur’s Walter Scott was punished for a handball from a corner.
“He was good at times,” Kisnorbo said when referring to Arzani. “With [Macarthur’s defensive] block as it was, I think we needed to get players that could dribble at pace and break them down, and that’s what he did.
“He took the penalty which was a great penalty, but it was an opportunity that we felt to put Daniel on when we did. He needs to continue and build on this.”
Just like the Cup final, eyebrows were raised when the team sheets were announced, but this time, it was Bruno Fornaroli who was omitted from Victory’s official matchday squad.
Given the prolific Uruguayan started against the Central Coast Mariners in round one, the decision strikes as a surprise considering Kisnorbo’s emphasis on competitive competition.
“[He was the] only player to miss out. Do you go with an extra striker or an extra defender?” Kisnorbo said.
“I made the decision late yesterday and we went with an extra defender. I thought [Josh] Rawlins did really well last week, so it was harsh for [Fornaroli] to miss out, but that’s the game.
“Niko [Vergos] and Jing [Reec] were outstanding regardless of who was out of the squad. Even though Niko didn’t score, [the positives were] his presence, his work ethic, he created chances [and] he gave Daniel the penalty which shows more about someone’s character than anything else.”
When asked how Fornaroli handled the news, the Victory boss clarified that he took it well, understanding that football is a competitive environment.
A similar pattern emerged from the previous meeting in late September, with Victory dominating for large parts and seeing the bulk of possession.
However, they were left to rue missed chances when captain Valère Germain, who was suspended for the Bulls’ Cup triumph, flicked home a clever header six minutes after the break.
Instead of putting their heads down, Victory responded tremendously and looked hungrier of the two teams, which included a screamer from Reno Piscopo outside the box to curl the ball past Filip Kurto.
Overall, there were more than enough signs of encouragement.
“We showed great character and great resilience,” Kisnorbo admitted. “Obviously during the game we dominated, [but] couldn’t capitalise [whether it be] in front of goal or the final pass. That’s something we need to work on.
“The players did really well, especially coming from a goal behind and we know it’s hard to break down a low or medium block, so all credit to the players because they worked really hard to get the result.”
The referee opted to put away his whistle to keep the contest free-flowing, much to the dismay of the Victory.
One minute before half-time, Nishan Velupillay was on the receiving end of a crunching challenge from international teammate Luke Brattan, yet the latter escaped a yellow card as tempers flared in a scuffle.
Midway through the second half, midfielder Ryan Teague was cynically dragged down to halt a promising Victory attack, only for Jake Hollman to walk away without a booking.
“I’ll be honest with you, I think both challenges are [yellow cards],” said Kisnorbo. “I don’t want players to get yellows or get sent off, [but] that’s not me.
“The fact that there were all these challenges and Jason [Geria] got the only yellow of the game… if it was consistent, then no problems, but I think they were yellow card offences. The ref didn’t see it like that and we move on.”
Last season’s runner-up will hope to keep their undefeated start intact when they host Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park on Saturday in a double-header involving the Melbourne Derby beforehand in the A-League Women.