A-League grand final: Mark Bosnich looks at the likely tactics ahead of the big game

AHEAD of Sunday’s A-League grand final, former Socceroo goalkeeper Mark Bosnich looks at the tactics that could decide the match.

THE Roman leader Marc Antony made his name as a general by attacking through the middle — but in the end it proved his undoing at the Battle of Actium.

In the sporting battle of Adelaide Oval on Sunday, will Western Sydney’s preference for coming through the middle prove triumphant — or their downfall?

ADELAIDE

United are the most adaptable team in the A-League, in fact in the history of the competition — they can counter-attack, keep possession, drop off or harry you, and they’re comfortable doing them all.

The credit for that goes to Guillermo Amor, their coach who was such a legend at Barcelona.

Stefan Mauk could be a key man for Adelaide United on Sunday.

I’m not sure people realise his pedigree, as a member of the side that won the European Cup in 1992, and as a contemporary of Pep Guardiola. Certainly after three close fought games between these teams, I think he will know exactly what to do in the grand final.

Amor likes his wingers to stay wide, to hog the touchline and try to spread the opposition defence. It presents the fullbacks with a headache - do they follow their man, or try to stay compact and in touch with their centrebacks? Do the former and the likes of Bruce Djite and Stefan Mauk will piledrive through the holes, but staying narrow gives the wingers too much time and space.

WANDERERS

There’ll be plenty of attention tomorrow on their key players, but one central figure will be on the bench and get little or no mention. Andres Carrasco, Tony Popovic’s assistant this season, has been a major proponent of the progressive style they have implemented.

As part of it, the wingers are expected to come narrow and often join up with whoever is the central striker, in a bid to overload the opposition defence just where it should be most secure.

It gives the opposing fullbacks the inverse difficulty - come side to reinforce the middle and risk leaving space out wide for Western sydney’s fullbacks to overlap into, or leave their centrebacks to be one on one or worse as Western Sydney come forward.

This style has been successful for much of the year, which is all the more remarkable when you consider how many players Western Sydney changed last season, and how they have managed to implement a radically different blueprint.

VERDICT

The three games between the two sides this year produced only two goals - but in the semis both went for it and scored nine goals between them, which I hope is a portent for tomorrow.

For the sake of my parents still living in Western Sydney, I should say the Wanderers. To be truthful, I wouldn’t mind if Adelaide were to triumph, after the way they have played. But I just feel the Wanderers have their name on the trophy, and will beat United 3-2.

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Originally published as A-League grand final: Mark Bosnich looks at the likely tactics ahead of the big game