One-stop A-League Photoshop: Marrone the one

Should we be getting used to this man in the green and gold?

Marrone Makes the Grade

Melbourne Heart right-back Michael Marrone earned a spot in Holger Osieck’s 19-man squad for Wednesday’s World Cup Qualifier against Saudi Arabia at AAMI Park.

While the game is a dead rubber for the Socceroos, Osieck has named a strong mix of local and overseas talent with nine players representing the A-League.

Marrone’s good form this year means he’s the only specialist right-back in the team, meaning fans could see the 25-year-old feature in his first Socceroo appearance.

Berisha has been on fire for the Roar this year.

Red-hot Roar 

Brisbane’s Besart Berisha is in red-hot form after scoring four goals in two games. The Albanian hit two goals against Melbourne last weekend before slotting a consecutive double against the Glory in Perth.

Berisha is now within touching distance of Shane Smeltz’s goal-scoring record set in his first season at the now defunct Gold Coast United. The New Zealand striker hit 19 goals that season and Berisha’s double against Perth moves him to 17 goals, two away from equaling the record.

Here at The Football Sack we’ve produced a heat-map image of Berisha during Brisbane’s 3-0 against Perth to show you just how ‘hot’ the Albanian is right now.

The ‘Nix probably would’ve stopped it from going in anyway

That Sink-ing Feeling 

Sydney’s finals hopes were dealt a serious blow on Saturday after a deflating 1-0 loss to Wellington at the SFS. After consecutive wins against Perth and Adelaide things were starting to look up for the Sky Blues but they failed to break down the tough, defensive Phoenix at home.

Paul Ifill scored his first headed goal of the season to put the New Zealanders ahead before a glut of chances fell to the Sydney-siders who threw everything but the kitchen sink at the visiting side.

It’s a good thing they didn’t as well because with the luck they had on the day Paston would probably have saved it… or Beauchamp might have put it over the bar himself.

A two game penalty? That’s a slap in the face

A Slap-stick Comedy 

During Brisbane’s trip to Perth on Saturday the Roar came away with all three points after a 3-0 win. Unfortunately for Ange Postecoglou’s side they are now without Henrique after the Brazilian was slapped with a two match ban after retaliating to an errant elbow from Perth skipper Jacob Burns.

Henrique was shown a straight red for the incident but most were left wondering if the Roar number 10 had forgotten to tell Burns the set-up to the joke…

Q. What did the five fingers say to the face?
A. SLAP*


Magilton goes back to the Drawing Board 

Gold Coast has been stealing all the headlines lately and they managed it again by holding onto a point against luckless Jim Magilton’s Melbourne Victory.

Maceo Rigters put the home side into the lead before an instant reply for Carlos Hernandez levelled the scores. The Victory needed a spark from somewhere but despite the attacking inspiration of Hernandez, Kewell, Rojas and Thompson the scores remained at 1-1.

The result takes Jim back to the drawing board with finals almost out of reach for the blue half of Melbourne.

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The Crossbar: Slap and tickle (without the tickle)

We now face the real possibility of the Hyundai A-League finals being played without the teams with the biggest TV market audience involved, which with a TV rights deal upon us is a slap in the face for Ben Buckley and co. Speaking of slaps, what on earth was @10HenriqueSilva thinking, and will @JacobBurns07 be punished for his initial contact? 

NewcastleJetsFC 1 def AdelUtd_fc 0

The Jets ended what slim chances Adelaide had of sneaking into sixth place with a lacklustre 1-0 win at Hunter Stadium on Friday night. A @Elrich11 goal five minutes before half time was all it took as Eugene Galekovic now goes 10 games without keeping a clean sheet. Over 10,000 fans were at the game - a decent crowd all things considered. 

WgtnPhoenixFC 1 def SydneyFC 0 

Sydney's finals hopes took a beating when they threw everything except the proverbial kitchen sink at Wellington after Paul Ifill got the Phoenix in front after 13 minutes. With a plethora of chance to Antonis, Cazarine, Carle and even McFlynn it was Beachamp who scuffed the best one. 

GoGCU 1 drew GOMVFC 1

Melbourne Victory kept their impressive run of draws humming along, this time against Clive Palmer's much heralded under 23 team at Skilled Park. Captain @AdrianLeijer was a late withdrawal and will in fact be out for the rest of the season, much like his team-mates who are now only a mathematical chance of making the top six. It was a good day for plump men Australia wide when @MaceoRigters and Carlos Hernandez both scored for their respective teams on Saturday. Zac Anderson got a like last week and he's getting one again this round, but we are ever so impressed with the way he goes about his business both on and off the field. 

BrisbaneRoar 3 def PerthGloryFC 0

Brisbane traveled across the west and it was a case of

No Broich = No worries as @BesartBerisha7 went on his merry goal scoring ways with two goal at the Shed end to help the Roar cement second spot and a mouth watering two legged Grand Final rematch awaits. Perth on the other hand look wobbly going into the finals race with two losses from their last three outings. Roar only sit three points behind the Mariners with a slightly better run home.

MelbourneHeart 1 def CCMariners 0  
Big bad Eli Babalj was the difference between these two in another epic encounter at AAMI Park. JVS went completely opposite to the last time they played and let the Mariners have the majority of the possession only to enforce the use of the ball when Heart did have it. Clint Bolton was the hero after guessing the right way to a Sutton penalty and then saving the follow up. The game was very spiteful with nine yellow cards dished out and both teams were lucky there wasn't more. 

These snuck under the Crossbar and into The Sack (Likes)

1. Besart Berisha. 17 goals for the season, two away from Shane Smeltz's record for a season. @CJPelican

2. @ZacAnderson4. Instead of handing out gimmick captain's armbands, it should have gone straight to this guy. Quality footballer, quality leader. Halloran and co, getting the plaudits and deservedly so, but this guy is equally impressive.

3. @Socceroos' new away strip. Better than the 'Best and Less' themed one we currently have.

4. Putting a sticker on your kit 'cos you're our fearless leader (Palmer). @Sam_JFMc

5. Our nominations in the FFDU awards, you can vote for us here.

What went over the Crossbar (Dislikes) 

1. 'The Slap' warrants its own dislike but the initial elbow by Jacob Burns borders on thuggery.

2. The rumours floating around the Fire Sale at the Gold Coast. They're starting to get a bit of the Inglis thoroughbred sales about it.

3. Aziz Behich's diving. That's bad enough but leaving the trailing foot in and collecting Mat Ryan in the face is worse. Do something about it FFA.

4. Day time kick-offs when its 34 degrees and there is no other game that day. Think about it FFA, it just doesn't make sense for a summer sport. @hardsy05

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Massive win for Melbourne Heart

Melbourne Heart should make the finals after a 1-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park on Sunday. 5034 fans turned up on a sweltering Melbourne day to see another fascinating encounter between these two sides.

Dugandzic hasn't yet quite refound his early season 

 

 

An Eli Babalj goal in the 50th minute was enough for Heart to pull the Mariners back to the pack and in doing so confirmed themselves as a major contender should these sides meet come finals time. Now you might scoff at the suggestion that sixth placed Heart are a genuine threat to a Mariners side who have only lost three games this season. The fact is that Heart have now outplayed the ladder leaders twice in a six week period.

Firstly, Melbourne Heart have all the right qualities to beat the Graham Arnold's team; the creativity in the middle of the park through Fred, Clint Bolton between the sticks, pacey duo Aziz Behich and Mate Dugandzic out wide, and a centre forward in Eli Babalj who is going to cause headaches for all A-League defenders for years to come.

Sure the Mariners have a line up filled with equally good players who play a very tight, physical game. And they're well coaches by Arnold who has deservedly installed his team atop the Hyundai A-League table this season. The Mariners even have their own young gun striker in Tomas Rogic, who could be the find of the year.

Heart introduced Aziz Behich and Mate Dugandzic back into the A-League after their disappointing Olyroos campaign with varying success. Dugandzic, who was close to the best player in the league before the trip, struggled for any meaningful possession and was eventually moved out to the left wing to stop Bojic’s runs down the right. Behich on the other hand was better although his shooting might be a reason why the Olyroos failed to score in their campaign. Behich was also involved in an ugly incident early on when he clearly attempted to win a penalty by diving and in the process left a trailing foot which collected a sliding Mat Ryan in the cheek. Ryan then confronted Behich and shoved him in the chest which Behich reacted to by going down like he was shot. This isn’t the first time Behich’s acting has come into question.

After the game John van’t Schip avoided questions on the Finals Series and how many points were needed to guarantee a top six spot, rather worrying about how his team plays in accumulating the points to get them there. He was all praise for his young giant striker Babalj who he claimed is defensively as good as any in the forward in the league. Simon Colosimo spoke of the determination in the Heart camp to be on the ball for the whole 90 minutes. With a full squad to choose from excluding Nick Kalmar every spot is up for grabs, which, coming into the finals is a good headache for van’t Schip to have.

The Mariners now sit only three points above the barnstorming Brisbane Roar with four games to go and a slightly harder draw. Heart on the other hand have their destiny firmly in their hand. Either way it would be great to see these two sides meet in a final at years end. You just might be able to get some good odds on a Heart upset.

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Brisbane Roar: How the west was won

What a difference a few weeks makes. Back at the beginning of January, Ange Postecoglou was a disgruntled and angry figure both during and after Brisbane Roar were held to a 3-3 draw by Perth Glory at nib Stadium.

Postecoglou, who has a firm philosophy in place at the club, was disgusted that his side had failed to play “their way”, and his emotions were captured perfectly by Fox Sports’ dressing room cameras.

There was no repeat last night at the same venue however as a ruthless Roar easily turned over Perth Glory by three goals to nil.

Besart Berisha showed why he is the Hyundai A-League’s premier marksman, bagging a brace, while it was a mixed night for Henrique who netted the opener before being sent off in the second half for an altercation with Glory skipper Jacob Burns.

"Everyone keeps reminding me about the last time we were here so it's good to get it out of the way now," said Postecoglou afterwards.

"We were good tonight, really good. I thought we controlled the game right from the start, we played our type of football.

"It wasn't easy conditions with the ball zipping around but the boys showed tremendous character by just persisting with our type of game. 

"I think Perth probably tried to push on and press us a little bit but we played through that and were really clinical up front."

The defeat for Glory means that they have only beaten Roar three times in the last 21 meetings between the two sides.

So how did Brisbane manage to make it look so easy against a side that had won its previous three home games, scoring ten goals in the process?

Full backs played high

Roar looked to be lining up with a conventional four man defensive unit, however in practice it was more like a three man defence. 

One of Ivan Franjic and Shane Stefanutto pushed forward at every opportunity, something made possible by the fact that Glory played just a lone striker in Billy Mehmet.

When the sides last met, Franjic was kept quiet by Mile Sterjovski with the former Socceroo putting in a great shift and helping himself to one of the goals of the season. The roles were completely reversed this time round however with Franjic offering plenty in attack while Sterjovski had to defend much more then he would have liked.

The situation was mirrored on the other side with Stefanutto nullifying the threat of Travis Dodd.

Indeed, there were occasions when both Franjic and Stefanutto pushed on to join the attack, and in this instance it was Erik Paartalu who dropped in to make the back three alongside Mohamed Adnan and Matt Smith.

Paartalu, who was called up to the Socceroos squad for the first time last week, stuck to Glory playmaker Steven McGarry throughout. With Liam Miller absent through injury, McGarry was easily Glory’s most creative talent but his frustrating night ended just after the hour when he was replaced by Andrezinho.

Matt Smith shows solidarity

Roar took their chances

If you don’t shoot you don’t score as the cliché goes. Roar only registered three shots on target (six in total) in the entire game and scored three times. That won’t make for happy reading for Glory keeper Danny Vukovic but there was little he could do about any of the goals as his normally resolute defence left him exposed on a number of occasions.

Through balls, the kind you play using triangle in FIFA on the Playstation, were the order of the day with Berisha setting up Henrique’s first with a great pass to allow the Brazilian round Vukovic and score into an empty net.

The third goal also came from a well executed through ball to Luke Fitzgerald who got in behind Josh Risdon to meet pass and squared the ball to Berisha who tapped home from close range.

Sandwiched in between the first and last goals was one that sums up the Roar philosophy. Goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos, under pressure from a backpass, decided not to pump it long and instead chip a pass neatly to Shane Stefanutto on the wing. The full back in turn calmly played the ball across his goal to Mohamed Adnan who was able to switch the play to the right wing. The result? A quick break down the channel and a pull back across the area where Berisha took control, turned Bas Van den Brink and scored past Vukovic.

In thirty seconds of play we saw yet another example of just how good a side Brisbane are.

White Line Fever hit more than just the Glory players

Glory got it wrong

While Roar were at their clinical best, the home side did themselves no favours in front of an excellent crowd of 10,631. 

They went into the game without Shane Smeltz and Liam Miller but Billy Mehmet and Adam Hughes showed last week against Newcastle that they are perfectly adequate replacements.

Glory simply never got going and, as Bas Van den Brink admitted in the post match press conference, didn’t get stuck in early on.

Ian Ferguson’s substitutions were strange to say the least. With Miller out, Steven McGarry was the team’s playmaker and even though the Scotsman had a difficult night, he was far better than many around him.

The decision to bring left footed left back or left winger Todd Howarth on at right back for Risdon to continue with a defensive four when Roar had ten men was also a head scratcher.

The third and final change came with just a few minutes remaining as Tommy Amphlett was given little time to stake his claims for a place in the side having spent most of the season playing in the youth league.

Maybe tonight was a wakeup call for Glory after a whirlwind few months that has gotten people dreaming of a finals berth. How they bounce back against a struggling Adelaide United on Thursday will tell us a lot about their character as we edge ever closer to finals.

Roar, meanwhile, are getting back to their best and proved a point to doubters who suggest that they are nothing without the influence of injured German Thomas Broich.

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Wellington Phoenix fend of Sydney for win

Sydney FC have blown their chance to surge into fourth on the Hyundai A-League ladder, going down 1-0 to a traveling Wellington Phoenix. A crowd of 10 165 saw Sydney again go behind early at the SFS and the home side never recovered, wasting a golden opportunity to firm their place in the top six.

Credit: Kristy Beck

In their first attacking opportunity of the match Wellington found the lead after only 12 minutes when Tony Lochhead crossed a beautifully curved ball into the box which found Paul Ifill's head and consequently the back of the net.

The single goal was enough to secure Phoenix all three points, leaving Sydney to rue many missed chances, none moreso than Michael Beauchamp's skied shot over the crossbar in the 92nd minute despite an open goal. 

MORE TO FOLLOW...

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Adelaide United directed to the mirror following loss

Adelaide United will be forced to have a long hard look in the mirror this weekend after losing to the Newcastle Jets tonight at Hunter Stadium, 1-0 in round 23 of the Hyundai A-League.

Tarek Elrich had plenty to smile about at the conclusion of the game, scoring a quality goal in the first half that eventually secured the match for the Jets.

Man of the match Francis Jeffers assumed the role of playmaker throughout the game, setting up an unmarked Elrich for success as Elrich fired the ball through the legs of Reds defender Nigel Boogard and past the 'keeper for the only goal of the match.

With Adelaide’s finals hopes resting on a win, the team left the field disappointed and frustrated by their efforts.

Speaking directly after game United defender Nigel Boogard said his team need some serious self-reflection after their mediocre performance.

“I think everyone should have a good look in the mirror and pull their finger out.

“If there is a mathematical chance [of making the finals] we will try as hard as we can, as we did tonight. But I think it’s just not good enough, it needs to be better from everyone”.

Adelaide coach John Kosmina lamented his side’s lack of finishing in the game.

“I don’t think Newcastle were good enough to win the game tonight but a draw would have been a fair result, certainly football wise there wasn’t much between the two teams, if you take various aspects of the game.”

The loss for the visitors has virtually ended their season, as they must win their next four matches to have any hope of qualifying for the finals.

"We've gotta win four in a row. We have Perth on Thursday and I’m still confident we can still win that game at home. We are due a win at home, by the sheer law of averages.

"Then we are off to Uzbekistan and maybe things will turn for us there? Then we can come back and beat Brisbane and win the last two at home” said Kosmina.

The loss to Newcastle places the Reds in ninth position on the Hyundai A-League ladder, seven points clear of the wooden spoon which is currently held by Gold Coast United yet only two points behind eighth placed Melbourne Victory.

On the other hand the win for the Jets keeps their finals aspirations alive, but could still leave them out of the top six by the end of this round should results not go the Novacastrians way.

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Sack Attack | One Man Teams

 

The latest cartoon from the Hyundai A-League Webcomic "Sack Attack" by Agaki Bautista....

MORE SACK ATTACK WEBCOMICS

 

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Sack Attack | Online Dating

 

The latest cartoon from the Hyundai A-League Webcomic "Sack Attack" by Agaki Bautista....

MORE SACK ATTACK WEBCOMICS

 

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One-stop A-League Photoshop: Keeping things Clively

Welcome to another edition of our One-stop A-League Photoshop! With just five rounds remaining before finals the Hyundai A-League season is quickly drawing to a close. This week saw a sensational outburst from Gold Coast owner Clive Palmer, the Mariners uncovered their next ‘superhero’ while Harry Kewell’s good form continued to roll on.

Forget Batman, Rogic can do it all by himself

Rogic Boy Wonder

There must be something in the water at Gosford. Graham Arnold manages to churn out a new Australian prospect every other week with attacking midfielder Tomas Rogic putting in another assured performance in just his fourth Hyundai A-League Appearance.

Arnold is resigned to losing Mustafa Amini to German league leaders Dortmund in May but it seems he’s already found the man to fill ‘Musty’s’ spot behind the strikers.

Rogic is the talk of the A-League with two wonder-goals in as many weeks and the Mariners’ fans will be hoping their new ‘Boy Wonder’ can keep up his impressive form.

Kewell has kept a cool head under pressure this year

Ice Kewell

Harry Kewell showed his class with another outstanding performance on the weekend as the 33-year-old scored both of Melbourne’s goals in their loss to Brisbane.

Here at The Football Sack we’ve been saving up all the ‘cool’ puns for an occasion such as this with the former Socceroo one of the league’s standout players in recent weeks.

Hope you enjoy some of our ‘ice work.

Palmer for dummy half at the Titans next season?

Clive Palmer

It’s been an incredible few weeks for Gold Coast United which was capped off with the loss of Miron Bleiberg and a sensational outburst from club owner Clive Palmer.

Palmer claimed to enjoy Rugby League more than football and said his involvement with Gold Coast amounted to just a small proportion of his overall business ventures.

We’ve looked into our crystal ball to see what the future holds and things look promising for the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL with a new signing which could push them off the foot of the table and back into finals contention.

Magilton comic

Jim Magilton’s Melbourne Victory came crashing back to Earth after an entertaining 3-2 loss to the Brisbane Roar. After defeating the top-of-the-table Mariners last week the Blues were high on confidence but allowed Besart Berisha to strike early and put Melbourne on the back foot.

While Jim wasn’t happy with the loss, the Northern-Irishman did find a silver lining in the outcome of the game.

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How to vote - 2012 Australian Football Fan Awards

If you've ever been to the polls on election day, you would have seen those people who hand out brightly coloured "how to vote" forms - which admittedly can be about as handy as Selleys No More Gaps is to a butcher. This is essentially, my job in this piece.

Sack Nominees Pete Nowakowski (left) and Christian Layland (right)

Now I know that being the intelligent and ridiculously good-looking person that you are, that you've already made your mind up and you're ready to cast your vote for the The Football Sack or an associated contributor in the 2011/12 Football Fans Down Under Fan Awards, but keep reading so you know HOW to vote.

The FFDU Fan Awards provide you with the chance to recognise the hard work of varying organisations and individuals throughout 2011/12 football season.

In previous years, our effort to provide comprehensive Hyundai A-League, Westfield W-League and State League coverage were recognised, having been finalists for “Football Website of the Year”, “Best use of Social Media” and “Blogger of the Year” (Christian Layland and Matt Collard).

This year, the team will once again be hitting up the Gala Awards Night, this time in Melbourne, where we’ll be looking to send more silverware straight to the pool room where it will join our ‘Football Podcast of the Year’ award from last year. You can check out our 2011 Sydney shenanigans in the video at the end of this article!

The nominees (and who you want to vote for) representing The Football Sack are:

“Football Website of the Year” - The Football Sack
“Football Best use of Social Media” - The Football Sack
“Blogger of the Year” - Scott Condon (Check out his weekly blog “The Crossbar”)
“Football Podcast of the Year” - The Football Sack
“Twitter Character of the Year” - @petenowakowski
“Football Personality of the Year” - Christian Layland
“Football Writer of the Year” - Melanie Dinjaski (Check out her story on Erik Paartalu here)
“Football Young Writer of the Year” - Matt Collard

Two members of the The Sack team who will also be fighting for votes is David Manuca and Neil Sherwin. Both will be gunning with Matt Collard for Football Young Writer of the Year to create some inter-office rivalry!

In addition we’ve got a soft spot for Stephanie Catley, so we encourage you to vote for her in the Female Footballer of the Year Category.

To cast your vote and show us some love, click here and be directed to the Football Fans Down Under Fan Awards.

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The Crossbar: Miron's gone! Say it ain't so...

Miron Bleiberg walked away from his Gold Coast coaching gig on Sunday and perhaps no-one is more shattered than the folk here at The Football Sack.  

Bleiberg's coaching ability has been questioned at times but his passion and entertainment has not been. We sincerely hope he gets a gig in the Hyundai A-League next season because we might have to cut this column down by half without him.

Heart 1 def Gold Coast 0

Big Clive Palmer decided the best thing to do to take his club forward was to put a 17y.o. debutant in as skipper and then 'suspend' his coach for questioning the decision. That's how things are rolling up on the glitter strip at the moment. Not much leadership, not much following. Melbourne Heart were able to record their first win of 2012 when Eli Babalj popped in the winner on 79 minutes. Fred made a triumphant return to football with a man of the match display.

Perth 2 def Newcastle 0

The 'Sack Fergie' club lost a few more members this week when the Glory outplayed the Jets. Adam Hughes came on in the 13th minute for the injured Liam Miller and scored two minutes later. A Fergie masterstroke? Big Billy Mehmet got his fifth of the season and it was glory days once more for Perth. If they can just nab a home final they will be a real contender come Finals Series.

Brisbane 3 def Kewell 2

Melbourne didn't have to worry about conceding a lead when they went one down in the first 40 seconds to Brisbane. Berisha and Kewell scored twice each with a Henrique penalty the difference. A Carlos Hernandez thunderbolt would have seen voting closed on the all time best A-League goal but for that pesky crossbar. Melbourne can now book their winter holidays with chances of making the finals now slimmer than Kate Moss.

Central Coast 2 def Wellington 0

Tomas Rogic again showed us that blooding youngsters in the league is a win/win when he scored another goal beyond his years in the Mariners win over Phoenix. Former Motherwall striker John Sutton made his debut for the Mariners and looked at home right away. The Mariners now need to start the bandwagon rolling to get the Grand Final played at Bluetongue because they are a monty to be hosting the biggest day in the Hyundai A-League come April 21.

Sydney 2 def Adelaide 1

Ivan Necevski kept the Sky Blues in the game with some brilliant saves but it was Mitch Mallia's athletic goal celebration that was the highlight of the night. After latching onto a long ball Mallia coolly beat Galekovic and then went into a cartwheel reverse flip the likes the A-League has rarely seen. Chianese also got onto the scoresheet for Sydney with a cleverly taken goal. In the space of one game Sydney have been able to effectively knock their two biggest rivals in Adelaide and Victory out of finals contention.

HAVE A LISTEN TO OUR AWARD WINNING PODCAST HERE 

These snuck under the Crossbar and into The Sack (Likes)

1. The prospect of another Mariners vs Brisbane Grand Final. Epic!

2. This tweet: "@juliandcampbell Like - Carlos Hernandez; Dislike - The Crossbar". We assume you mean the actual crossbar and not this column. 

3. Mitch Mallia's goal celebration. Good degree of difficulty, good landing, high points for creativity. @seamussantos

4.  Tomas Rogic, another great goal. How long before he is the labelled with 'The next Viduka' tag?

5. Eugene Galekovic starting the game in a black strip, the same colour as Sydney FC's away strip. He was forced to change it to a sky blue top. Why doesn't he just apply for a job at Sydney FC? @vossy7 

These struck the Crossbar went straight down and we're not sure if it crossed the line or not (we need video technology to know if we like/dislike them) 

1. Miron's sacking/resignation now gets the rumour mill into fifth gear. Sydney/Victory/Heart/Adelaide will all be linked to the A-League's 'king of quotes'. Lets just hope one of the clubs snap him up soon.

What went over the Crossbar (Dislikes) 

1. Clive Palmer. An overwhelming response from everyone on twitter and the wider football community 'disliked' Palmer this week, using hashtag #PalmerOut to display their disdain. 

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Adelaide United falter at Hindmarsh

The return of goalkeeper Ivan Necevski has helped Sydney FC to their second consecutive win after a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-1 victory over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh.

Necevski was reinstated over Liam Reddy after the 5-2 loss to Newcastle and the former Jets ‘keeper hasn’t looked out of place since returning to the starting XI.

Adelaide United coach John Kosmina was left wondering how his side failed to take all three points from the visitors after dominating play for the majority of the second half.

“Was it our finishing or was it Ivan Necevski had a great game?” Kosmina mused.

“It was probably more the second. I think Ivan made some great stops, good reflex stuff on more than one occasion,” he said.

Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka reserved particular praise for his ‘keeper, believing the 31-year-old saved his side just as Adelaide began to take control of the match.

“They scored and were very close to scoring again but our goalkeeper Ivan Necevski had some good saves and kept us alive,” Lavicka said.

Youngster Joel Chianese opened the scoring for Sydney at the end of the first half with a well taken volley before the Reds bounced back after the break. Fabian Barbiero found the net in the 56th minute as the Reds started a period of attacking pressure which would bear no fruit for the home side.

The 8259 fans were stunned in the 80th minute as Mitchell Mallia came off the bench to fire Sydney into a 2-1 lead and cement sixth spot on the Hyundai A-League ladder.

Kosmina praised his side’s performance in the second half and felt his side deserved more from the match.

“I don’t think anybody at the ground tonight including the Sydney people could disagree,” Kosmina said.

“Coley [Sydney FC Football Director Gary Cole] described it as bank robbery.

“That’s the way it bounces sometimes.”

The Reds are now seven points away from finals football with just six games remaining in the Hyundai A-League season.

Sydney captain Terry McFlynn praised the late-season resurgence of the Sky Blues after wins over Perth last week and now United keep them in sixth spot and in the hunt for finals football.

“Tonight probably wasn’t the prettiest game of football but when you’ve got two teams that are fighting for their lives to get in the top six, it’s just about who is brave enough to take the three points,” McFlynn said.

Sydney will look for their third consecutive win when they host the Phoenix next Saturday while the Reds travel to Newcastle with hopes to boost their fading finals aspirations.


The Football Sack's 'Player of the Year' points:

3 Ivan Necevski
2 Francisco Usucar
1 Joel Chianese

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FFA hits back at Clive Palmer comments

Football Federation Australia has hit back this afternoon against Gold Coast United owner Clive Palmer's comments on the Hyundai A-League. Palmer labelled the league "a joke" this weekend, stating he believes rugby league to be a better game than football.

  
LISTEN TO 'SACK ON SUNDAY' TO HEAR OUR THOUGHTS ON CLIVE PALMER'S COMMENTS 

"Football fans across Australia will today rightfully condemn the lack of respect inherent in comments made by Clive Palmer," said FFA CEO, Ben Buckley.

"The comments are offensive to the players, coaches, administrators and volunteers who are the life and soul of Australian football.

"We welcomed Clive into the game and lauded his investment, but no matter how frustrated Clive may feel about his involvement, these comments are out of order.

"I remind Clive that as a chairman and owner of a club, he has obligations to the competition, his fellow club chairman and investors in the other nine clubs, and to the game itself."

This slamming rebuttal by the FFA will now bring Gold Coast United's future in the Hyundai A-League into further question. The club, who have yet to re-sign the bulk of their playing roster, have dwindling crowd numbers, and sit bottom of the ladder, are in dire straits. These shocking comments from Palmer could be the final straw for the governing body and they now may look into rescinding the Gold Coast's A-League franchise. 

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Dominant Perth Glory halt Jets' winning streak

Perth Glory had their eight game undefeated streak broken last weekend but showed no signs of a hangover from the end of the club record. Adam Hughes and Billy Mehmet headers ensured Perth made swift work of Newcastle with a professional performance that keeps them in touch with the top two.

Newcastle have only had one win in Perth previously, but perhaps entered this match with high hopes after three straight victories – two of them away - preceded this match. But Perth needed not to worry as they failed to provide a proper challenge. Perth scored a goal each half and struck the woodwork three times.

Brisbane’s win earlier in the night proved not to be a distraction for Iain Ferguson’s side. They played with patience and, even without Liam Miller, a spark in attack, established from a midfield that played with creativity and pace, crucifying the Jets'slower central pairing.

Miller had to be replaced by Hughes after 12 minutes but his short stint shouldn’t have ended without a goal to his name. Miller’s clever one-two with Mehmet was only ruined by the weak shot that followed. However, it was his replacement that put the home side in front after 15 minutes when he met a Josh Risdon cross with conviction.

What followed from Newcastle was more significantly disappointing than the all too familiarity of away failure. The lack of attacking penetration was a polar opposite to their performance in Sydney two weeks ago. The defence passed the ball comfortably around the back but the Jets best chances in the first 30 minutes came from predictable set pieces that Perth managed with minimal effort.

Perth were satisfied in letting Newcastle keep the ball in unthreatening positions before hitting the Jets unresponsive defence quickly after winning possession. The tactic produced the more explosive moments of the first half and led to a sequence of play that ended with Perth – through the boots of Hughes and Steven McGarry - striking the crossbar twice in a matter of moments.

Taylor Regan and Jacob Pepper patrolled the central zones of the midfield but looked out of depth with the home side moving the ball quickly across the field. Space could be found all across the pitch for Perth as Regan chased shadows. Travis Dodd, like Hughes earlier, tried his luck from range when presented with time and space left by Regan, but his shot only found the advertising boards. Van Egmond reacted by replacing Regan with Abbas and pushing Rubin Zadkovich into the midfield.

Newcastle showed barely any signs of improvement as the match wore old. Long shots going high and wide offered only brief moments of worry for Perth. Goal scorer Hughes almost heaped more misery on the visitors on the hour mark, but the post denied his cracking effort from the edge of the area. The moment of luck for Newcastle didn’t last long, though, and a minute later Mehmet replicated the first goal with a strong header directed into the top corner.

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Berisha and Kewell put on a show

Two goal hauls from Brisbane Roar’s Besart Berisha and Melbourne Victory’s Harry Kewell set Suncorp Stadium alight in front of 18,523 on Saturday night. But an Henrique goal from the penalty spot would be the difference, as Brisbane went out eventual 3-2 winners in the hard fought and highly entertaining encounter. 

Clearly attempting to undo their undesirable habit of conceding first at home, Brisbane were on the offensive from the first whistle and it didn’t take long at all before they saw rewards. 

Forty-two seconds in fact. And who else should they score through but the Mania from Albania, Besart Berisha who bamboozled four Victory defenders to skip past and score his 14th goal of the season, a club record. 

Not to be outdone, Victory were demonstrating a new found hunger in attack lead by their main man Harry Kewell. In the 8th minute it was the Socceroos stalwart who got his fluro-clad team level again finishing a sublime individual effort by Marco Rojas, with a pure strike off just one step.

It was end to end football as both sides dazzled the crowd in one of the most entertaining matches of the season.

Berisha got his second of the night in the 32nd minute putting away a cross from Henrique and the Brazilian extended the home side’s lead to 3-1 minutes later when tall timber Erik Paartalu was clipped in the box by defender Ubay Luzardo, leading to a penalty.

Melbourne could only conjure up one more goal through Kewell who pounced on a poor back pass by Broich. 

But when Kewell came off in the 75th minute, for Archie Thompson, Victory looked nowhere near as threatening up front, allowing Brisbane to secure the narrow win. 

Kewell looked in his element, and his two goals took his season tally to seven. Coach Jim Magilton was proud of his star player’s performance, but had to defend his decision to bring him off the pitch while clearly in such good touch. “Spent” after scoring Victory’s only goals on the night, Magilton said they would obviously need Kewell in future matches and preferred not to overwork him.

In a physical match that saw five yellow cards dished out to Victory players, Magilton had to bite his tongue when commenting on referee Jarred Gillett’s performance, specifically the two-footed studs up tackle by Berisha on Hernandez that wasn’t booked. 

“I have to say, some of the referee’s decisions today were baffling. He booked Leijer and then he booked Ubay for lesser tackles and yeah, I think Berisha was a lucky boy,” he said.

“I think the referee...uh, I’m not going to say anything.”

For Brisbane, the moment belonged to Man of the Match, Massimo Murdocca. Playing his 132nd game in the orange kit, Murdocca overtook former teammate Matt McKay as the club record holder.

“It was a very exciting game to be honest,” he said.

“We got the win, and I’m very fortunate. In my hundredth game we won and this milestone we won again, so I’m blessed.”

With Central Coast Mariners overcoming Wellington Phoenix in the earlier match, despite the win at Suncorp, Brisbane Roar are still sitting in second spot on the Hyundai A-League ladder, while Victory languish in eight place eyeing off a much-wanted finals berth. 

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Rogic rises as Wellington Phoenix fall

Tomas Rogic will be hot on the tongue again this week after scoring another stunner to help the Central Coast Mariners to a 2 - 0 win over Wellington Phoenix in tonight’s Hyundai A-League fixture at Bluetongue Stadium.

Rogic combined well with new strike partner, John Sutton.
Credit: © John Dewberry / Central Coast Mariners

Building on his performance from last week, Rogic was as it again with some tidy footwork and a slight swivel of the hip, before bending the ball into the top left hand side of the net with an unstoppable dipping strike just after half-time.

The technically gifted teenager caused plenty of headaches for a Wellington side that was out-of-sorts without key suspended pair, Tim Brown and Andrew Durante.

Wellington looked flat all over the park and were sorely missing Durante's calm and neat distribution from the back, as well as his leadership and hardened defensive qualities.

The absence of Brown was also costly as Wellington struggled to find any foot-hold in the middle of the park, and were particularly poor supporting their front men; a role that Brown excels in.

The win exposed the weakness in Wellington’s squad depth, and puts pressure on Brisbane Roar as the Mariners increased their lead at the top of the Hyundai A-League ladder.
 

Rogic was unlucky not to have scored in the first half after coming close with a couple guilt-edge chances, his best a low drive that narrowly went wide of the post after he'd wriggled free of his marker with an instinctive turn.

His spacial awareness and support play was impressive, with his movement and execution providing the Mariners a smooth transition between the middle and front third.

The Mariners had some tooth in their attack and created a lot of chances in front of goal, the balance finally looking back to normal for the men in yellow and navy, as Rogic, on-loan Hearts' striker, John Sutton, and Adam Kwasnik, linked well.

While many recognise Rogic's attributes going forward, his defensive qualities off the ball perhaps go a little unnoticed.

It is no secret that Graham Arnold admires a hard working player, and Rogic was no exception in his 76 minutes on the park where he did as many kilometres tracking players in defence as he did making forward runs into the box. He cut out passes and made the odd well-timed tackle, too.

There is a bad habit of our young players being sensationally billed as the next Kewell's, Viduka's, and Maradona's, well before their time.

Judging from his comments, the well spoken teenager recognises that one swallow doesn't make a Summer, and knows there is a lot of hard work ahead - his head apparently more screwed on than some media pundits.

There's no doubting Rogic's nose for goal and promising attacking talents; it is no secret that Hyundai A-League clubs are hunting for his long term signature. But calls for Socceroos' coach, Holger Osieck, to be considering him for Australian selection? Please, he has started in four A-League matches.

The signs from Rogic have been promising, and for Australian football's sake, we can only hope that he maximises and fulfills his potential. Though, the proof will be in the pudding.

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Horror week ends with loss for Gold Coast

Gold Coast United ended a turbulent week with a 1-0 loss to Melbourne Heart in front of a disappointing 4,972 fans at AAMI Park. Mike Mulvey took the reigns in the place of the Miron Bleiberg who was facing a club imposed suspension for his manner in 'Cooper-Gate'.

Captain Mitch Cooper and midfielder Jake Barker-Daish made their debuts for Gold Coast in what was the youngest side ever to grace an A League game. Veteran defender Kristian Rees was the only player over the age of 23 years old. Age didn't stop United early as they took the game up to the more fancied Heart but experience quickly overtook enthusiasm as Melbourne dominated the first half.

Fred was all smiles after his man of the match return for Melbourne Heart

Heart were without any great chances in the first stanza other than a Germano header that was hit straight at Jerrad Tyson and a Fred mis-kick when he had beaten the off-side trap, in what wasn't a half that will feature on any highlight DVD going into any time capsule.

The second half started much the same as the first with Ben Halloran testing Clint Bolton early, Halloran, the only Gold Coast player contracted past seasons end was again showing why he is a great Socceroo prospect.

Heart though were clearly the better side throughout the game and were rewarded for their persistence. Kristian Rees tried to play out from the back and coughed the ball up which Fred found and lofted it across to Matt Thompson. The returning Thompson played the ball to giant striker Eli Babalj for the easiest of tap-ins on 79 minutes.

The win was Heart's first for 2012 and Fred's first since December 8 2011 and now sees them up into 5th place on the table. Gold Coast on the other hand are now cemented to the bottom with short odds on them 'winning' the wooden spoon after competing in a preliminary final last season.

After the game Heart coach John van't Schip was positive about his sides chances going forward and with Duganziç, Behich and Hoffman all to return from Olyroo duty he has every right to feel so, Even Fred claimed he was at 50% and with another match or two under his belt he would be cherry ripe for the finals.

Mulvey and Anderson see positives

Gold Coast interim coach Mike Mulvey also looked at the positives as he and young gun Zac Anderson fronted the media. Mulvey was full of praise for his youthful side and in particular Anderson and Halloran. Mulvey was cool in his press conference and, if given the job that could be vacated by Bleiberg soon, looks more than accomplished after three years with the club.

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Reds to face the unknown in ACL qualifier

Assistant coach Luciano Trani and captain Galekovic

Adelaide United Captain Eugene Galekovic has admitted there is an air of uncertainty surrounding the Reds’ AFC Champions League qualifying clash with Indonesian club Persipura Jayapura.

Galekovic says the Reds will face up against the ‘unknown’ when they take the field at Hindmarsh tomorrow night, labelling the match ‘a weird one’.

“We don’t know what to expect with all the players we’ve never heard of so we’ve just got to worry about ourselves and give our best performance,” Galekovic said.

“If we win we’re through and if we lose we still might be through so it’s a bit of a weird one for us,” he said.

Adelaide’s official Champions League coach Luciano Trani said the lack of information on United’s opponents shouldn’t be an issue if the Reds .

“They’re unknowns to us. We don’t see them like we know our A-League fixtures but as long as we play well tomorrow night it doesn’t matter who we play against,” Trani said.

United were forced into the match against the Indonesian champions after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) supported the non-FIFA-sanctioned club’s appeal to play Champions League football.

As Persipura are not supported by either FIFA or the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) the ruling could be reversed when the CAS hands down its final verdict in three weeks time.

Persipura are set to arrive in Adelaide this afternoon with just over 24 hours to prepare for the cut-throat playoff.

Galekovic said Persipura’s lack of preparation time could be a factor in the outcome of the match but was wary of an Indonesian upset.

“Obviously the climate’s a lot different over there compared to here, getting in a day before won’t help, they would’ve liked to have a few days to soak it up,” Galekovic said.

“That’s part of the game [travelling] but mentally they’re going to be prepared and will want to go through just as much as we are.”

John Kosmina’s role on the night is still to be decided as he doesn’t hold the mandatory A-licence required to lead an AFC Champions League squad.

United will look to cement their place in the 2012 Asian Champions League if they defeat Persipura at Hindmarsh Stadium Thursday night with the game set for 7.30 kick-off local time.

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One-stop A-League Photoshop: Wooden you know it?

GCU have firm grip on wooden spoon

It’s been another action-packed week in the Hyundai A-League and things will continue to heat up with just six rounds remaining before we enter the endgame of finals football.

This week saw Jim Magilton finally taste Victory, Gold Coast fell closer to the spoon while JVS searches for answers to Melbourne Heart’s problems.

New skyscrapers on the Gold Coast beachfront

Wooden spoons popping up everywhere on the Glitter Strip

Life’s been tough for the sports fans of Gold Coast in recent times. They currently hold two wooden spoons in the NRL and AFL and Gold Coast United appeared to seal an unprecedented three-peat after surrendering a 1-0 lead at home to lose to Adelaide United 2-1. The Gold Coast Skyline could take on a rather depressing view if this trend continues…

LOTR 4: The Return of King Carlos

King Carlos

King Carlos announced his comeback to first-team football in sensational fashion against the Mariners with a trademark thunderbolt. With calls for Hernandez to be awarded goal of the season, it’s no longer a surprise when the Costa Rican pulls a cracking goal out of his bag of tricks.

The Return of King Carlos will have Jim Magilton and Victory fans leaving the Shire to follow their team, chasing the precious ring-shaped object that is the Championship toilet seat!

Jim can’t believe his luck!

 Magilton comic; more drama than Home & Away.

In honour of Jim Magilton’s first win ever A-League win we’ve got two editions of our Magilton Mania comics. Assisting me this week is Social Media Manager David Manuca (@davidmanuca) who’s chipped in with a Magilton comic of his own.

We’re sharing the love around this Valentine’s Day so enjoy all the Magilton you can get your hands on this week!

Is JVS barking up the wrong tree

JVS Lassie

How quickly things can change in football. Just a few weeks ago the Heart were on top of the world with Brisbane and the Mariners but have now dropped off the pace and are winless in 2012. Melbourne have gone seven games without tasting victory and lost 3-0 to the Jets on Saturday. John van’t Schip will be trying everything he can to turn his team’s form around after falling into a well of poor form. The Dutchman might need Lassie to look for help with Captain Fred out injured and Mate Dugandzic still away.

Teams will be searching for Kryptonite soon

Nichols Superman

This photo was made especially for our Chief of Staff Christian Layland (@Layles89) because I know how much he’ll appreciate it. After returning early from Olyroos duty the 22-year-old slotted straight back into Ange’s side and contributed a wonder-goal from outside the box to secure all three points at the cauldron that is Wellington’s home ground.

Nichols must be some sort of ‘Super-man’ to be able to return home to the Hyundai A-League and make an instant impact after the long flight back from Tashkent.

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