A-Leagues round 22: Auckland comes from behind to secure 1-1 draw with Newcastle
A controversial red card to an Auckland substitute was just one of several key moments in an entertaining draw between the league leaders and Newcastle. Catch up on all the latest news from the round.
A controversial red card to Louis Verstraete has capped a rollercoaster 1-1 draw between Newcastle and Auckland on Sunday afternoon.
The substitute was given his marching orders with just over a quarter of an hour remaining after contesting with Charles M’Mombwa in midfield.
Verstraete won the ball but collected his opponent just below the knee with his follow through and after originally being shown a yellow was sent off for an “act of serious foul play” after an on-field review from the referee.
“It’s a hard one, the contact looks nasty,” Andy Harper said in commentary on Paramount Plus’ coverage.
The red card capped what was an enthralling clash with Jets attacker Eli Adams opening the scoring inside 13 minutes with a brilliant strike across goal after a dazzling run from inside his own half.
RED CARD 🟥 Auckland FC will finish with 10 men after this challenge from Louis Verstraete.
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) March 9, 2025
Listen as a yellow card is upgraded to red via Live VAR.
Watch #NEWvAKL live now on Paramount+. pic.twitter.com/oCI6sTSZmM
What followed several minutes later was nothing short of excitement and despair for both sides.
Newcastle had the opportunity to double their lead after a handball by Nando Pijnaker from a corner but Kostandinos Grozos’ penalty was saved.
League leaders Auckland immediately counter attacked up the other end and thought they had equalised when Jesse Randall curled the ball into the top corner, only for him to be ruled offside.
Randall eventually got on the scoresheet, his second goal of the season, when he headed home Hiroki Saki’s cross from inside the six-yard area.
The result made it six games without defeat for Newcastle. Auckland’s lead at the top of the table is six points.
Mariners premiership defence almost over after Victory loss
— Thomas Smith
Nishan Velupillay fulfilled his own pre-match pep talk to kickstart Melbourne Victory’s charge to three points against Central Coast Mariners on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old forward had spoken about taking ‘accountability’ on the eve of the A-League clash and duly delivered by firing the hosts into a ninth-minute lead when he swept in a first-time finish.
Velupillay, who had shown intent from the first whistle on his first start in three matches, pounced upon a misdirected pirouette from teenager Haine Eames to net his ninth goal in all competitions this season, the timing of which could be decisive if he hopes to be named in Tony Popovic’s upcoming Australia squad.
Another player recalled by Arthur Diles, Bruno Fornaroli, doubled Victory’s advantage as half-time approached when he beat the offside trap before picking out the corner.
There was little in the way of a response from the defending champions following the restart as their hopes of an unprecedented three-peat have all but faded following defeat in the grand final rematch - a third domestic loss in a row that leaves them 10 points off the pace with only 18 left on the table.
And their misery was compounded during injury time when Zinédine Machach scored the goal of the game. The substitute let fly from 25 yards to complete Victory’s ninth league win.
TEAMMATES GET ROUND GUTTED EAMES
Yellow shirts swarmed their 17-year-old starlet in response to Velupillay punishing his untimely mistake. The Mariners’ youngest-ever player also received some words of sympathy from skipper Trent Sainsbury, who was back in defence after serving a suspension.
COASTING MARINERS DEFENDER CAUGHT OUT
Even Fornaroli appeared resigned that his 41st-minute strike would be chalked off by a delayed flag, as he sprung in behind, scrambled the retreating Brian Kaltak and lashed in. But as the assistant referee appeared to inform protesting Mariners, and replays proved, right-back Storm Roux had strayed to leave the Uruguayan marksman onside.
YOUNG SOCCEROOS MVP MAKES DEBUT
Fresh from his player of the tournament exploits in Australia’s champion Under-20 Asian Cup campaign, Alex Badolato - on loan from Western Sydney Wanderers for the remainder of the season - recorded his Victory bow during the second period. He replaced Daniel Arzani, whose appearance was his 50th A-League outing for the club, and enjoyed the licence to drift during the closing exchanges, laying on a gilt-edged chance for Santos.
DILES’ SIDE TAKE LEAP WITH TOP TWO POSSIBLE
Victory capitalised on bye-weekends and critically dropped points elsewhere to strengthen their prospects of a top-six berth. Macarthur’s 2-0 reverse against Melbourne City on Friday night and dropped points for Adelaide United, as they were held by Brisbane Roar, jumped them up to fourth on the ladder.
Western United bounces back into the top-two with thumping win
— Marco Monteverde
Midfielder Matthew Grimaldi netted a brace as Western United thrashed a woeful Wellington Phoenix 4-1 on Saturday night to secure a third successive win and regain second place on the A-League ladder.
Having lost second spot following Melbourne City’s 2-0 win over Macarthur FC on Friday, United was quick to again move ahead of its fellow Victorian club with a clinical display at Ironbark Fields.
Rather than drop their heads after being beaten 2-0 by competition leaders Auckland FC last month, John Aloisi’s men have responded in style, picking up a perfect nine points from their following three matches, in which they have scored 10 goals.
“We created a load of chances and deserved the four goals,“ Aloisi told Paramount Plus.
“Maybe we should have had more, but I was pleased with the performance.
“We feel that we’ve performed well here at home in every game so far, and we feel now we’re scoring goals here as well.”
Two-goal hero Grimaldi was “really happy” with his own performance, as well as the whole team’s display.
“We have that experience in our team and also that young group as well, and when we blend that together we get an amazing group,” Grimaldi said.
While it was good news for Grimaldi and United, the Phoenix’s miserable season continued.
The Kiwi outfit, who last season fell just one week short of reaching the grand final, slumped to a fourth successive loss, with only Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar behind them on the table.
United dominated from the outset, going ahead in just the third minute through midfielder Rhys Bozinovski.
The goal came from an Angus Thurgate corner, which the Phoenix defence failed to deal with
Bozinovski was rewarded for putting himself in the right, with the ball seeming to hit his shoulder on its way to the back of the net.
Thurgate continued to cause problems with his corners, testing Phoenix goalkeeper Alby Kelly-Heald half-an-hour into the contest with a curling effort that seemed to be dipping under the crossbar before the gloveman’s intervention.
However, it only took another three minutes for the hosts to deservedly double their lead.
Japanese midfielder Riku Danzaki, who came into the starting team for the injured Abel Walatee, was the provider with a dangerous low cross into the heart of the Phoenix penalty-area.
Kelly-Heald got his hand to the ball, but could only parry it into the path of Danzaki’s countryman Hiroshi Ibusuki, who finished with aplomb to score his ninth goal of the season.
Phoenix pair Sam Sutton and Marco Rojas had chances in the final five minutes of the first-half but neither could hit the target.
However, United had no such trouble finding the back of the net six minutes after half-time, sealing victory with a goal from Grimaldi, who was fed by the impressive Danzaki.
Grimaldi’s second goal of the contest, again assisted by Danzaki, was the icing on the cake in the 62nd minute.
The Phoenix scored a consolation goal in the final 10 minutes through substitute Nathan Walker, but it was too little, too late for the outclassed visitors.
Adelaide United suffers blow to top-two chances
By Val Migliaccio
Two world class goals from teenagers were the highlights of an afternoon which seriously dented Adelaide United’s A-League championship hopes.
Adelaide dropped two vital home points to cellar-dweller Brisbane Roar at Coopers Stadium on Saturday in a 1-1 draw.
Reds Dutch defender Bart Vriends couldn’t contain his disappointment after the clash.
“The conditions were hot; we wanted to get a result within 20 or 25 minutes, but they (Roar) wanted to make a slow game, and we played along with it,” Vriends told Paramount Plus.
“There’s a lot of things we have to work on: our intensity, our pressure, we have to be a lot better.”
Adelaide is now hovering closer to being dumped out of the top six, just weeks after it was potential premiership material in a clash inspired by a teenage rampage.
Adelaide’s Harry Crawford scored a goal of the season contender just before the break, but a Roar equaliser from another teenager was just as good.
WHAT A WAY TO SCORE YOUR FIRST A-LEAGUES GOAL! 🤯🚀
— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) March 8, 2025
18-year-old Harry Crawford unleashes an absolute screamer from outside the box just weeks after making his senior debut. Unreal.
And how about the backflip to cap it off ðŸ˜
📺 Watch #ADLvCCM live NOW on Paramount+ or 10… pic.twitter.com/Y1RVT65M4u
The 18-year-old beat two Roar men on the edge of the box before unleashing a 20m thunderbolt into the top corner to score his maiden A-League goal after just his third start.
The former Elizabeth Vale and Croatia Raiders junior capped off his wonder strike with an acrobatic celebration in first-half stoppage time.
Roar substitute Jacob Brazete’s equaliser and first A-League goal in his fourth start was also brilliant in the 68th minute.
The 18-year-old former Sydney FC NPL star took advantage of a fast Roar throw-in, which was instigated by coach Ruden Zadkovich’s quick thinking when he relayed an out-of-touch ball to his side before Adelaide’s defence could settle.
Brazete rounded Crawford on the edge of the box before unleashing a 25m shot into the top corner of the net.
He almost scored a winner deep in second-half stoppage time, but his effort whizzed past the upright.
ROAR MEOW, THEN ROAR AGAIN
Roar was on top for the first 15 minutes, highlighted by Louis Zabala’s 20m effort, which shaved the upright in the eighth minute.
Adelaide was starved of the ball until about the 15th-minute mark before the Reds started dominating in the 35C afternoon heat.
Crawford was the first Red to get close to scoring when he was on the end of a spectacular Zach Clough assist.
Crawford missed the target from 10m, a minute after the first of four drinks breaks during the 90 minutes.
The young right back later scored a cracking goal but Roar failed to lay down despite being on track to equal a demoralising record, one win for the season, which is held by the now defunct New Zealand Knights
Roar had another chance in the second half to score, when Ethan Alagich was dispossessed before substitute Brazete’s 10m effort was parried by keeper James Delianov in the 64th minute.
RED FACES
Common sense prevailed after the break when Adelaide keeper James Delianov changed his top after starting the clash with a multi-coloured jersey that was like Roar’s design.
Delianov took the second half with a navy-blue jersey, which eliminated any potential confusion.
CYCLONE ALFRED HALTS ROAR
The away side arrived in Adelaide on Wednesday in a bid to avoid the potential carnage and training ground chaos due to the pending ex-cyclone Alfred, which was downgraded to a tropical low when it hit Brisbane on Saturday morning.
Former Adelaide attacker Ben Halloran and Roar’s French forward Florin Berenguer stayed home with their families after Brisbane officials reportedly offered players options to stay home due to the tempest danger.
A-League
Adelaide United 1 (Harry Crawford 45m) Brisbane Roar 1 (Jacob Brazete 68m) at Coopers Stadium – Referee: Lachlan Keevers.
City continues rise up the ladder
— Max Hatzoglou
Melbourne City youngster Max Caputo produced one of the best performances of his career to power his side to a convincing 2-0 win over Macarthur on Friday.
The 19-year-old scored his first A-League brace to lift City to a fifth-straight win at AAMI Park and three spots to second on the table.
After a stunning shot from a tight angle in the 33rd minute opened the scoring account, Caputo avoided a second yellow late in the first half before nailing a penalty in the second half to seal the victory.
It is a positive for the rising star who played in his fifth match of the season after missing the start due to injuries.
A handball from Bulls defender Tomislav Uskok in the 69th minute, which was deemed following a VAR call, led to the costly penalty for the visitors.
It was City’s third win in four games and a result which ends a four-game losing streak against the Bulls.
The Bulls meanwhile have their season hanging by a thread as they stand in eighth spot five points out of the top six.
Marin Jakolis’ shot from distance in the 77th minute forced Patrick Beach into a strong diving save in what was largely a quiet night for the City goalkeeper who had to manage four shots compared to his side’s 14.
City’s German Ferreyra made a stunning tackle deep in defence to deny Bulls striker Chris Ikonomidis midway through the first half. Commentator Simon Hill described it as one of the “tackles of the season”.
Then after a well-executed training ground move almost paid dividends, City finally made it count on the scoresheet with Caputo’s sharp strike.
Caputo nearly made it past Filip Kurto again just before half time but the in-form goalkeeper put in a strong one-on-one save.
Saif-Eddine Khaoui had a strong chance to open the scoring account in the opening minutes for the Bulls in his starting debut, although the 29-year-old’s shot lacked venom. He was later substituted at half time for Liam Rose.
Aziz Behich had a promising match which included setting up the opening goal with a long ball down the left side.
LUCKY ESCAPE
Caputo put himself on rocky ground just before halftime when he jumped for a header and accidentally elbowed Matthew Jurman while on a second yellow.
But referee Ben Abraham let the play go in a fortuitous moment for Caputo who earlier received a yellow for a late tackle also on Jurman.
Bulls’ Luke Brattan and Jurman could be seen frustrated heading into halftime alongside Abraham.
COHEN’S BIG DAY
More Coverage
City’s Yonatan Cohen had the birth of his second child early on Friday and later featured for City in his first game back from an MCL injury.
The Israeli forward came on in the 75th minute and almost curled a shot in six minutes later.
MELBOURNE CITY 2 Caputo 33’ 74’ (P) MACARTHUR BULLS 0
Originally published as A-Leagues round 22: Auckland comes from behind to secure 1-1 draw with Newcastle
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