Crossbar: The brains behind the team

What a round! 10 goals on Saturday night including one each from the biggest names in the game.

The games either side of Saturday were not too bad either. Sydney and Melbourne prop up the A-League table with zero points between them whilst Adelaide are the only team to go two from two. 

All the talk this week though will be about Alessandro Del Piero and rightly so after the Italian superstar put through a superstar goal to open his A-League account. 

Ange returned to Suncorp for the first time since his departure and if he had any sense he would be booking in for annual leave next time around after Melbourne were spanked. 


These snuck under the Crossbar and into The Sack (Likes)
1. DEL PIEROOOOOOOOOOOOOO. What a goal!!

2.  Central Coast Mariners pink tops. They're for a great cause - so why not?

3. Wellington Phoenix. Without their coach and a host of their best XI were still able to get a point away from home.

4. 10 goals in one night. Saturday night was great viewing for all.

5. Crowds. I was a little miffed at only 17K in Brisbane but crowds on the up are always a good thing.

6. Emile Heskey getting on the score sheet also. He didn't make a meal of it.

7. Thomas Broich after the game interview. Went to great lengths to make sure everyone knew his respect for Ange. 


What went over the Crossbar (Dislikes) 
1. The defence of Sydney and Melbourne. Get me a peg, my nose can't handle it.

2. Hayden Foxe still dressing half player/half mascot. Does he not read this coloumn?

3. Bluetongue crowd announcement. Forget the owner of the Mazda 2's crappy parking, tow it away and let us listen to the commentary!


Things we learned: 
Rado Vidosic may well have been the brains behind the Brisbane machine. 

Things we already knew:
Melbourne Victory are rubbish in defence, but maybe more so than we thought. Brisbane are still bloody good.

Things we could change if we had superpowers:
5pm Saturday kick-offs. We'd pause time itself so we can fit in all the family things we need to do on a Saturday.

Hero of the week:
Alessandro Del Piero. Don't care that Sydney didn't win, that goal is worth its weight in gold.

Villain of the week:
Fred. Had two golden chances to kill the game off but wasted both. Phoenix made him pay.

Player to watch:
Jeronimo Neumann. 2 brilliant games, 2 Adelaide wins. 

Next week's prediction:
1. Adelaide will thump Melbourne Victory. 

2. You won't see a spare seat in the house at the Sydney derby.

3. Western Sydney will score a goal


Last weeks predictions:
Sydney will get more to their game against Newcastle then what Brisbane get against Melbourne Victory.
CORRECT

Sydney fans will sing 'what a waste of money' at least once when Heskey makes a mistake.
CORRECT

Victory will get beaten by Brisbane and there will be a groundswell to Sack Ange.
CORRECT - Well, sort of.


Worth a punt:
Adelaide to make the finals at more than double your money.


The Quick Wrap
Adelaide United 1 (Neumann 70' )
Western Sydney Wanderers 0
Hindmarsh Stadium
Best Sienfeld voice - "Neumann" 

Sydney FC 2 (Del Piero 27' Powell 75' )
Newcastle Jets 3 (Griffiths 12' Heskey 41' Goodwin 62')
Allianz Stadium
Early contender for game of the season. Included goals from the marquee gents. Last week's player to watch Goodwin was brilliant. 

Brisbane Roar 5 (Broich 22' Paartalu 24' Berisha 64' 90' Nichols 82')
Melbourne Victory 0
Suncorp Stadium
Oh dear, what a nightmare return to Brisbane for Ange, Melbourne Victory's biggest ever defeat. The defence was comical.

Melbourne Heart 1 (Thompson 21')
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Ifill 48'pen)
AAMI Park
If ever Heart were going to lock in three points it was this week. Wellington without 7 first choice players through injury and national duty (as well as the coach). It wasn't to be as Fred failed to take two gifts that would have sealed the game.

Central Coast Mariners 1 (McBreen 70')
Perth Glory 0
Bluetongue Stadium
It was all about revenge as the Mariners took the points from the team who knocked them out in last years preliminary final. One goal was all in took in this close encounter of last year's 3rd kind.