Crucial changes organisers must make ahead of next year’s Unite Round changes
A crowd of almost 30,000 at the Sydney derby was a highlight of the A-League’s Unite Round, but some questionable scheduling needs to be fixed for next season. That and more in THE TACKLE with Marco Monteverde and Robbie Slater.
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Unite Round has come and gone for another year, with the undoubted highlight being Saturday night’s Sydney derby, which attracted a crowd of more than 30,000.
The APL’s decision to anchor the round, in which all matches were played at Allianz Stadium, with the Sydney FC-Western Sydney Wanderers clash, paid off.
However, some of the other scheduling was questionable.
There was no need to have an F3 derby as part of the round.
Newcastle, the nominated home team for Friday’s game, shouldn’t have lost hosting rights for the match, which only attracted a crowd of 5,156.
Games between the Jets and the Mariners should only be played across two venues – McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle and Industree Group Stadium in Gosford.
Hopefully, the APL won’t make the same mistake next season.
Some other changes that should be considered for next year’s edition of Unite Round – if the competition doesn’t expand and again has six games each week – is playing only one match on Friday night and increasing Saturday’s schedule to three games.
Friday doesn’t need two games, with the 5.30pm (AEDT) scheduling of the first match too early for people to get to after work, as the crowd size of just 2425 for the game between Western United and Perth Glory proved.
Playing three games on Saturday at 2.30pm, 5pm and 7.30pm makes much more sense.
The Sydney derby should again be the weekend’s feature game on the Saturday night.
However, rather than have the competition’s two New Zealand clubs play their matches on the Sunday, as was the case this year, have them both part of a Saturday three-game schedule, but obviously not in a match against each other.
That would encourage more fans from New Zealand to fly over for Unite Round, as they could arrive on Friday night or Saturday morning, and fly home on Sunday to arrive in plenty of time for work on Monday.
How’s this for a possible Unite Round schedule for next season
Friday: Macarthur FC v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday: Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix, Western United v Auckland FC, Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers
Sunday: Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United v Melbourne City.
Bye: Perth
Mata of opinion
There is no doubt that the Wanderers looked a better team after their Spanish star Juan Mata came off the bench in the second-half of Saturday night’s Sydney derby.
However, whether it’s enough to convince Western Sydney coach Alen Stajcic to start the former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder against Melbourne City this Saturday remains doubtful.
Perhaps working in Mata’s favour at the selection table will be the fact that the Wanderers were beaten 4-2 in the derby.
However, Stajcic may well dig his heels in.
And that’s Stajcic’s right as coach. He makes the calls, and it will eventually fall on him if he’s getting them wrong.
It was good for Stajcic to reiterate that a “humble” Mata hasn’t made a fuss about being left out of the starting side.
The same can’t be said for Mata’s agent Fahid Ben Khalfallah, who has publicly expressed his anger at Stajcic’s treatment of Mata.
It led to a fiery response from the Wanderers coach after his side’s loss to Sydney, with Stajcic calling out Ben Khalfallah for making “cowardly’ comments.
The tension between Stajcic and Ben Khalfallah must be making things difficult for Mata, but his professionalism will no doubt ensure he continues to put his best foot forward.
Almighty Auckland
If there was any doubt about Auckland FC’s title credentials, it was put to bed on Sunday.
Playing outside of Australia for the first time in their A-League existence after three successive matches in New Zealand, the Black Knights beat Macarthur FC 1-0 in the finale to Unite Round thanks to a goal from Guillermo May.
The win moved Auckland two points clear at the top of the table, with the Black Knights having a perfect record of four wins from four matches.
Auckland is also the only team yet to concede a goal this season.
Credit must go to former Sydney FC coach Steve Corica for the work he has done so far in his role as Auckland’s mentor.
While there is a long way to go this season, the Black Knights already look well and truly headed for a finals berth.
And the same can probably be said for the competition’s other Kiwi club Wellington Phoenix, who were also 1-0 winners on Sunday, over the previously unbeaten Melbourne Victory.
With the New Zealand teams sitting in first and second spots on the table, the December 7 derby between the teams should be a cracker.
Team of the week: (4-2-1-3) Josh Oluwayemi (Wellington Phoenix); Hiroki Sakai (Auckland FC), Brian Kaltak (Central Coast Mariners), Dan Hall (Auckland FC), Jordan Courtney-Perkins (Sydney FC); Angus Thurgate (Western United), Anthony Caceres (Sydney FC); Anas Ouahim (Sydney FC); Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix), Hiroshi Ibusuki (Western United), Guillermo May (Auckland FC). Coach: Giancarlo Italiano (Wellington Phoenix)
Player of the week: Hiroshi Ibusuki (Western United)
Originally published as Crucial changes organisers must make ahead of next year’s Unite Round changes
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