Ballwatching column for Round 5: Fury over pitch, trouble at Melbourne City
A pitch disgrace, a split between a marquee player and coach and a horrible day out for a top defender were all part of the highs and lows from round five.
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A pitch disgrace, a split between the marquee player and the coach and a horrible day out for a top defender were all part of the highs and lows from round five.
The moment: Just when it seemed the high-flying Perth were going to have to settle for a home draw against bottom side Central Coast Mariners, Glory attacking midfielder Chris Ikonomidis continued his fine start to the season with a stoppage-time goal to give his team a 3-2 win.
Ikonomidis showed great composure on the back post to score his second of the match. While it was cruel on the 10-man Mariners, it was an ending that sent the Glory crowd into delirium.
The drama: Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce’s decision to axe star striker Bruno Fornaroli from his weekend squad divided the football fraternity. While the move backfired in the sense that City produced next to nothing in attack in losing 2-0 to Brisbane Roar, there were those who supported Joyce for showing that a player isn’t bigger than a club.
Others, however, were livid with Joyce for the non-selection of Fornaroli, who was reportedly dumped for “fitness” reasons. The relationship between Joyce and Fornaroli is obviously strained, and it’s not the first time Joyce has seemingly fallen out with leading players in his squad.
Player of the week: Brisbane Roar striker Adam Taggart. The former Perth Glory marksman scored a brace in Brisbane’s 2-0 home win over Melbourne City at Suncorp Stadium. The double not only propelled the Roar to their first victory of the season, it continued Taggart’s impressive start to his Brisbane career.
He now has five goals from as many A-League matches for the Roar. Whether it’s enough to force his way back into Socceroos jersey in time for January’s Asian Cup is unknown, but he’s giving national team coach Graham Arnold plenty to think about.
A round to remember for: Adelaide United attacker Ken Ilso. The Dane has had a mixed start to his A-League career, having to be content with a spot on the bench too often for his own liking. But Ilso made a case for a permanent spot in Adelaide’s starting side by netting twice in his side’s 3-1 away win over Wellington Phoenix on Saturday.
A round to forget for: Sydney FC defender Jop van der Linden. The Dutchman won’t remember Sunday’s “Big Blue” fondly. Not only did Sydney lose 2-1 to Melbourne Victory, but van der Linden had unwanted roles in both of the Victory’s goals. The opening goal of the game, scored by Victory striker Ola Toivonen, came via a van der Linden deflection. While that was forgivable, what wasn’t was the 28-year-old centre-back’s needless second-half foul on Keisuke Honda that led to the Victory’s matchwinning penalty.
Talking Point 1: Should the A-League match between Western Sydney Wanderers and Newcastle Jets have been played considering the state of the Spotless Stadium pitch?
Philip Micallef
Probably not but money rules. Look at the Libertadores final... if it were for Conmebol the match disgracefully would have gone ahead
— Philip Micallef (@MicallefPhilip) November 25, 2018
Should have been abandoned.
— #BlockedByCahillIRL (@TiernanWalker) November 25, 2018
After Phoenix game at ANZ last season being called off they probably lost a bit of money. Plastic and screws aside pitch was piss poor but after this season will probably never use it again
— Warren Drury (@WarrenDrury) November 25, 2018
After Phoenix game at ANZ last season being called off they probably lost a bit of money. Plastic and screws aside pitch was piss poor but after this season will probably never use it again
— Warren Drury (@WarrenDrury) November 25, 2018
Talking Point 2: Has the relationship between Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce and the club’s star striker Bruno Fornaroli been irreparably damaged?
Does he (Joyce) have many amicable relationships?
— Lucas J Gillard (@LJGillard) November 25, 2018
Good question!!!
— Nick Meredith (@Fof1967) November 25, 2018
Most surprising: Perth Glory being pushed all the way in their last-gasp 3-2 home win over Central Coast Mariners. The top-of-the-table Glory had been expected to cruise to victory over the competition cellar dwellers. And while they got their three points, the Glory needed a goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time against a Mariners team that at that stage had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Kalifa Cissé.
Least surprising: Keisuke Honda’s involvement in Melbourne Victory’s 2-1 away win over Sydney FC on Sunday. The Japanese superstar earned, and then scored, the match-deciding penalty. Honda has been at the forefront of everything the Victory has done this season. He’s living up to the hype, to the delight of not only Victory fans, but most A-League supporters.
Under pressure: The honeymoon is well and truly over for Wellington coach Mark Rudan. After starting the season with a win and a draw, the Phoenix have lost three straight, with two of those defeats coming at home, including Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Adelaide United.
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