A-League: Western Sydney Wanderers hold psychological edge over Sydney FC in title race
Let’s make one thing clear ... the Sky Blues are going to win the Premier’s Plate in a canter, but when it comes to the A-League Championship, there’s an outsider back in the pack with a real chance.
Western Sydney Wanderers
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Let’s get this clear straight away: Sydney are obviously going to win the Premier’s Plate.
With 27 games to go in the regular season, we can agree that Sydney will sew up first place on the ladder — and the Central Coast Mariners have locked in the wooden spoon.
Beyond that, there’s a multitude of questions over how the rest of the season will play out, the impact of the four-month shutdown and what the make-up of the top six will be.
The biggest question of all is a simple one. Can anyone deny Sydney FC a slice of history by stopping them becoming champions for a record fifth time?
It’s going to take something very special for someone to beat them to the championship – but this year’s finals are going to be a different kettle of fish.
Anyone can make a run and shock someone on their day but honestly I think there’s one major challenger, one with an outside chance — and a dark horse who loom as a genuine shot to truly upset Sydney FC’s plans of A-League domination.
Melbourne City sit in second spot and obviously have a lot of quality — so you have to count them in as a chance.
The team I’ve got my eye on is Wellington Phoenix, who play Sydney FC on Friday to restart the season — and we’ll learn plenty about how the next six weeks will play out by full-time.
Phoenix have got the gun marquee in Ulises Davila, they possess a good frontline and they’re experienced through the middle and at the back.
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They are also one of the teams that could truly be galvanised by the bizarre circumstances in which the season is going to finish — with everyone living in each others’ pockets in a World Cup-style shootout.
Hotel-living with only your teammates for support can go two ways: it can be extremely difficult away from the families but it also can be a great bonding exercise.
For the teams with strong bonds already established within their group, it could turn out to be an enormous boost.
And who spends more time travelling together and hotel-hopping than anyone else in the A-League?
The Wellington Phoenix.
They’re obviously going to have a tight bond and Ufuk Talay’s done a fantastic job over there.
But there’s a wildcard in our midst that I know Sydney FC will be wary of, because there’s only one team that’s beaten them this year — and they’re coming home with a wet sail.
Western Sydney Wanderers have two wins and a draw from three games against Sydney this year.
That’s a strong psychological blow and, if they make the top six, I think the Wanderers are the ones who could really trouble them.
Their form really improved after the departure of Markus Babbel, and Jean-Paul de Marigny has done a fantastic job. They’ve got to be the favourites for that sixth position even though they’re a point away behind in their battle with Western United and Adelaide.
Although they’ve kept Alessandro Diamanti, Western have lost marquee midfielder Panagiotis Kone.
I have question marks how Brisbane will cope without Robbie Fowler in charge, while Perth will always stand a chance with Tony Popovic at the helm.
Despite all that, Sydney are the benchmark — and perhaps their biggest advantage now is that they’ve managed to hold onto all of their foreign players for the run home. And unlike other clubs, we’re talking about imports of the highest quality.
Adam le Fondre, Alexander Baumjohann, Kosta Barbarouses and Milos Ninkovic, the best of the lot.
With Perth’s Diego Castro choosing a caravan over the A-League’s football carnival, you’ve got the four best foreigners in the country playing for Sydney.
That’s why Sydney will be the team to beat.
HOW THE A-LEAGUE SEASON SHAPES UP
Compiled by Joe Barton
The A-League is back ... finally. Here’s a quick recap on how things stand heading into the competition restart and where each team could end up in the helter-skelter run to the finals.
SYDNEY FC
League position: 1st
Predicted finish: Champions
The undisputed competition heavyweights restart the season with an almost unassailable lead in the race for the Premier’s Plate – with an eight-point advantage and six games to play, compared to the three of their nearest rival, Melbourne City. Boasting the league’s best attack and defence, the Sky Blues looked unstoppable before the shutdown, and have only become stronger after welcoming back Michael Zullo and Ben Warland, both of whom have recovered from long-term injuries over the break. COVID-19 might be the only thing stopping them from winning back-to-back grand finals.
MELBOURNE CITY
League position: 2nd
Predicted finish: Finals
Sit in second but have just three fixtures left in the regular season – after cramming extra games before the lockdown. That will help them avoid the draining backlog of fixtures that their fellow Melbourne sides, currently in quarantine, will face and the fresh legs could help come finals time. City have a hole to fill with experienced winger Markel Susaeta – who started in nine of his 10 appearances since joining in the January window – opting against joining the A-League hub. But with the league’s equal-best attack, led by frontman Jamie Maclaren and his 18 goals, they’re well placed to cover his exit.
WELLINGTON PHOENIX
League position: 3rd
Predicted finish: Runners-up
After a slow start, Phoenix have emerged as arguably the biggest title threat to Sydney FC, who they face in the opening fixture of the competition restart. Avoided the rush of A-League imports failing to return post-shutdown, with star import Ulises Davila (11 goals, 5 assists) set to pull the strings in midfield as he’s done in a sensational season. In his first season as coach Ufuk Talay, with the outstanding Stefan Marinovic in goals, has instilled a tremendous defensive discipline making Phoenix one of the most dangerous prospects leading into the finals.
BRISBANE ROAR
League position: 4th
Predicted finish: Finals
One of the most fascinating sides to keep an eye on when the competition returns, the Roar have undergone some major upheaval in the past month with Robbie Fowler’s failure to return after the shutdown – having guided his side into the top six. After a slow start the Roar were clicking when COVID-19 hit, and how they respond to new head coach Warren Moon will be vital. An inaugural player with the Roar, Moon understands the inner workings of the club — but can he make them hum?
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PERTH GLORY
League position: 5th
Predicted finish: Finals
Suffered a hammer blow on the eve of the game’s return with captain Diego Castro – arguably the game’s best import from the past five years – hitting the road in a campervan with his family rather than flying to Sydney to finish the season. His absence is compounded by that of defensive imports Kim Soo-Beom and Gregory Wuthrich, who returned to South Korea and Switzerland respectively during the shutdown. Picked up just two draws in the past four games. Tony Popovic will have to pull off a coaching masterstroke to cause some damage in the finals.
WESTERN UNITED
League position: 6th
Predicted finish: 7th
What a season to join the A-League! The competition’s newcomers have arrived for the most rollercoaster 12 months anyone could imagine, but sit right in the mix for a top-six berth. Facing the league’s most hectic schedule, with six games in just 24 days, Western also hit a hurdle this week with marquee import Panagiotis Kone quitting the club. But with the playmaking nous of Alessandro Diamanti and elite goalscoring of Besart Berisha, Western boast the best veteran attack force in the league. You’d be mad to rule them out producing some big shocks in the next six weeks.
ADELAIDE UNITED
League position: 7th
Predicted finish: 8th
Looked to be on the slide in a big way before the shutdown, losing their final four matches. If anything, having four months stewing on those defeats might be the best thing to snap out of their funk. But they entered the break with the second-worst defence in the league – shipping a worrying 42 goals, putting them ahead of Central Coast (51) only. Can young gun Riley McGree produce some scorpion-kick brilliance to breathe some life into a flagging campaign? They might need it.
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
League position: 8th
Predicted finish: Finals
Have been revived under the tutelage of coach Jean-Paul de Marigny, who has grabbed the reins following the January sacking of Markus Babbel and transformed Wanderers into a steeled, attacking force. Sit just one point outside the top six and shape as a genuine dark horse with five games left the play. Finding a way to cover the loss of talismanic goalkeeper Daniel Lopar for personal reasons will be their biggest challenge in the run to the finals and beyond.
NEWCASTLE JETS
League position: 9th
Predicted finish: 9th
Need to win all of their remaining four fixtures to stand a chance of reaching the finals – and even that may not be enough, according to Welsh coach Carl Robinson. Robinson is in it for the long haul, and he’ll learn a lot about his squad in the next month as he lays the groundwork for the 2020-21 season. Losing midfield maestro Wes Hoolahan for the season is a blow – and heaps more pressure Dimitri Petratos to dominate the team’s attack.
MELBOURNE VICTORY
League position: 10th
Predicted finish: 10th
It’s been a rough year for the traditional A-League powerhouse, and they’ll be happy to see the back of it. Onto their third head coach of the season and needing a miracle to reach the finals, battling through these final five fixtures could prove torturous. In a further blow, interim coach Grant Brebner has to deal with the loss of key striker Ola Toivonen. It’s looking grim for the four-time champions.
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
League position: 11th
Predicted finish: Wooden spoon
Speaking of grim … the Mariners have endured another hellish season and look to have sewn up a third consecutive wooden spoon already. With little else to play for, Alen Stajcic could opt to look to the future and get a headstart on his planning for next season because big changes need to be made to revive the Mariners from their slumber.