A-League 2016/17 – Round Four – Return of the Mac

MELBOURNE CITY 2 ADELAIDE UNITED 1

NEWCASTLE JETS 0 SYDNEY FC 2

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 1 CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 1

BRISBANE ROAR 2 PERTH GLORY 1

MELBOURNE VICTORY 6 WELLINGTON PHOENIX 1

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Brisbane Roar put the embarrassment of the 4-0 loss to Newcastle Jets in Round Two well and truly behind them with a second consecutive win.  The 2-1 victory moves the side into the top half of the table for the first time this season.  The win came against a Perth Glory side that comfortably beat the Roar just six weeks earlier in the FFA Cup.  At long last, the Roar backline has taken shape and looked solid enough to make the team a contender this season.  Perth Glory have one of the most potent attacks in the competition alongside Sydney FC and Melbourne City but their star players Andy Keogh and Diego Castro were kept quiet by the likes of Jade North and Luke Devere.  Other signs of improvement for the Roar came from the cohesion in the midfield as newcomer Thomas Kristensen has begun to gel with his team mates.

Jamie Maclaren finally opened his account for the season when he latched onto a superb cross from the re-invigorated Corey Brown who has improved leaps and bounds since last season.

Suncorp Stadium remains a fortress for Brisbane Roar.  Nine games undefeated and the season ahead is beginning to look promising.  If the away form improves, the team will surely be in the mix at the pointy end of the season.

News and Notes

• As the season begins to get underway in earnest, a few narratives have emerged.  Western Sydney Wanderers look to be on struggle street with an unexpected draw at home to Central Coast Mariners.  It will be frustrating to the Wanderers that they have been unable to claim a maiden victory at their new home-ground Spotless Stadium.  They have zero wins from three.  They have a number of issues but the biggest concern is their defending.
• Defending champions Adelaide United also look to be repeating their slow start to the season as they went down 2-1 to Melbourne City.  Surely they couldn’t repeat the antics of last season could they?
• City’s win over Adelaide included a highly dubious goal in which Tim Cahill, in a blatantly offside position, obscured the goal keepers vision in saving a free kick.  The linesman flagged it as an offside but was over-ruled by the ref.  In a competition were fans are pretty skeptical of the special treatment that Cahill and City receive, it wasn’t a good look.
• Newcastle Jets went down 2-0 to runaway league leaders Sydney FC.  I can’t tell if the Jets will be any good this season or if the win over the Roar was a once off.
• The Phoenix were humiliated 6-1 by Melbourne Victory.  They have had a shocking start to the season with only a six goal scored (from a penalty) and four straight defeats.
• Someone will have to come good soon, surely.  You can’t have a ten team competition with the Mariners, Jets, Wanderers, Phoenix and Adelaide all playing the way they are currently.