Perth Glory primed for top-of-the-table clash with Melbourne Victory

Glory coach Tony Popovic believes his team have earned the right to take part in a top-of-the-table clash with Victory.

Perth Glory head coach Tony Popovic celebrates after his side’s win over Wellington last Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Perth Glory coach Tony Popovic believes his team have earned the right to take part in a mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash with Melbourne Victory on Sunday.

Glory head to Melbourne knowing a win over the defending champions will put them seven points clear on the top of the A-League ladder.

Popovic’s in-form team have lost just once this season and earned high praise from Wellington coach Mark Rudan after a 3-0 demolition of the Phoenix last weekend.

Popovic picked up his first win as Glory coach with a thrilling 3-2 success over Victory in Perth in round two this year.

He says that game was probably more important for his team than the Melbourne side at the time, but the tables have since turned.

“Round two was probably a bigger game for us than them, in terms of Melbourne Victory, in the past, has always been a big game for Perth Glory,” Popovic said. “The difference now is Perth Glory is a big game for Victory. It should be a great game.

“We go there excited by playing such a big team away from home and knowing that we’re also a big game for them this week.

“We’ve earned that right to have that and we don’t want to disappoint them.”

Victory’s Japanese star Keisuke Honda laid on both goals for Kevin Muscat’s men in that 3-2 loss in Perth earlier this year.

Honda hasn’t played since December 14 but is pushing for selection in Sunday’s match after returning to training last week.

Popovic said it would just add to the spectacle if Victory’s marquee man returns.

“Our memories are very good of him from round two, he was excellent in that match and he’s been a bright spark for the league,” Popovic said. “I’m sure Victory want him out there and, if he’s fit, great … it’s a big game and we want the best players out there.

“If he plays we’ll welcome him and we’ll just play the way we are and have another quality player in front of us.”

Meanwhile, Adelaide United are bracing to lose attacker Ben Halloran for a large chunk of the A-League season because of an ankle injury.

Halloran’s prognosis will be known soon but coach Marco Kurz has signalled the outcome.

“I think it’s a long-term injury with Ben Halloran,” Kurz said on Thursday.

Halloran missed Adelaide’s 4-3 win against Brisbane last weekend, when another Reds forward, Ken Ilso, was shown a straight red card and earned a suspension. But Adelaide have a ready-made replacement in new recruit Jordy Thomassen, who is likely to make his A-League debut in Saturday night’s finals-shaping fixture against Melbourne City.

The fourth-placed Reds hold a two-point buffer over fifth-placed City and Kurz said Thomassen was in Adelaide’s squad for the game.

“The boys, they do a great job to integrate him in the team,” Kurz said. “That is a big compliment to the group. It’s not always easy to come in as a new player.

“Jordy is 100 per cent fit … he looks like he’s a good player. I don’t know if he will start or not but he’s ready.”

Meanwhile, Kurz said he was surprised at Aurelio Vidmar’s decision to quit the club after just five months as football director.

Vidmar, a former United coach and captain, cited unhappiness at being desk-bound by the role as the prime factor in his resignation.

“I was surprised that he left the club after only five months,” Kurz said. “We had always constructive, sometimes also controversial, discussions about a couple of things.

“But at the end it was always our goal … to find the best solution for the club and that is what we did.”

Kurz said he wouldn’t get involved in discussions about whether Adelaide should appoint a new football director.

“I have enough work to do with my boys, to set the boys up and prepare well for the games,” he said.

AAP