End-to-End: Round 3

Taking a look at all the weekend’s action, we investigate who had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend and who couldn't wait for the sound of their Monday alarm.

Last weekend provided us with a glut of football as the Melbourne Derby and ACL Final headlined another massive week in football. There were upsets aplenty as league leaders stumbled and cellar dwellers thrived.

Losers
Taking the record for the first club to appear on the losers list twice is the Brisbane Roar. Two weeks ago, the women dropped out of the top four and the men lost their opening round match to Adelaide; things have got much worse for the Roar since then. Their A-League outfit has lost their opening three matches - the first time in their history the Roar have failed to claim a point in their first three rounds - while the W-League outfit have derailed completely, now holding up the bottom of the ladder. If this trend continues, questions will need to be asked as to how things have gone so wrong so quickly.

After round two, Perth Glory were sitting atop both the A-League and W-League ladders, with the two sides winning a combined eight from eight. However, this 100% start came to an abrupt end on the weekend against Adelaide United. The women were surprised by an improving Adelaide team, while the men were outclassed by Josep Gombau’s team. Despite the setbacks, the Glory will still be a force to be reckoned with, but they are amongst our losers for this week.

Finally, Melbourne City had a week to forget, as it was announced David Villa will be leaving our shores much earlier than expected, before being thumped 5-2 in the Melbourne Derby. Hopes were high amongst the fan base as City lead twice during the first half, however, they failed to turn up in the second as Besart Berisha and Kosta Barbarouses tore them apart.


Winners
For the second week in a row, an A-League cross-town rivalry has headlined the news for all the right reasons. While we thought the Sydney Derby had everything, the rivals from Victoria put on a cracker show. The first half was electric, with a fast-paced game providing plenty of goals. While the 43,729 in attendance was short of the predicted 47,000, it was still a fantastic spectacle, especially with the seats brought in. However, the FFA need to do away with this face-off nonsense at the start of the match, it’s a joke rather than building suspense; stick to what’s worked for the last century.

Three games into the season and there is still optimism around Sydney FC - what is the world coming to? While it isn’t surprising Graham Arnold has brought stability to FC, it is a surprise to see Sydney so settled. Despite a disappointing loss to Adelaide in the FFA Cup, the Sky Blues showcased their potential with two of their international signings producing finishes of top class. It will take something special this season to top Marc Janko’s effort.

Our most important winners from the weekend were the Western Sydney Wanderers. Even with a tough start to the A-League season, the Wanderers continued their remarkable Asian Champions League form in their 1-0 win over Al-Hilal. The Saudis dominated much of the first half, but like many teams in Asia before them, they were unable to break through the Wanderers defence; Ante Covic having yet another incredible performance. While the job is only half done, and facing an uphill battle, the Wanderers have given themselves a great chance to be crowned the first ever Champions of Asia from down under.