World Football Thread

[BigPete33]

Of course I do.

How do you think I'd survive without it?

That's true about the ACL. I can't remember if 2nd place in the league gets it or 2nd place in the finals gets it if it's the same team that wins both the league and the final.

[Bacon]

Of course I do.

How do you think I'd survive without it?

That's true about the ACL. I can't remember if 2nd place in the league gets it or 2nd place in the finals gets it if it's the same team that wins both the league and the final.

I'm pretty sure its the finals loser.

[maccatak11]

Yeah your are right Bacon, only champion and grand finalist get ACL, i was wrong there.


Pete, how closely do you follow the reds? Daniel Mullen has missed the last 2 games after injuring his knee against Newcastle. Hence why i think we are farqued defensively.

I also think barbiero has been one of our best players in recent weeks (his goal against newcastle was one of the best of the season and his confidence will surely grow from here). Sarkies has aslo been improving since he scored one of his few goals a few weeks ago also.

So our back four will pobably start with cornthwaite at right back, valkanis and costanzo in the middle and jamo at left back. But with sasa suspended and alemao a likely non-starter we have no other back 4 option (other than maybe jonas salley - he played a little at centre back with the NZ knights before coming here), which led to my original question.


The team sheet will certainly be an interesting one.

[Bacon]

I heard Dan Mullen was getting better.

And if Alemao is out, then Matt Mullen will be on the bench.

I've like Barberio the last couple of games.

[maccatak11]

Qld 4 - Perth 2.

So the equation is simple for the reds.

We lose, we finish 3rd.

Draw, we finish 3rd, as we have the same goal difference as QLD, but they have scored more goals for (i think thats how it works)

Win by one goal, we finish second (same on points and GD with melbourne, but less goals scored)

Win by two or more goals and we finish first and get the premiers plate.

[BigPete33]

Mullen came off the bench quite recently.

Just watched the Queensland v Perth match, cracking game!

I don't like Tiatto (although I'd pick him every time if he played for us) but how good was his goal? Great stuff. And he has every right to be absolutely filthy at the ref for Perth's 2nd goal. Was never ever ever ever a free kick. Tiatto can be a very dirty player but that was clearly a clean tackle on the ball.

I went to Adelaide v Queensland, and watched both of Queensland's last 2 matches - I have to say they are looking very good at the moment. Van Dyke and Miller up front are causing all sorts of problems for defenders and I really like Zullo out on the left wing. Very promising for the national side in years to come.

They definitely have the momentum and if Adelaide do stuff it up tomorrow night, my tip to win the finals would have to be Queensland.

During the match it was mentioned that the Asian Cup qualifier between Indonesia and Australia is a sellout at a 90 thousand seat stadium. That's not bad for a qualifier where we're sending out a 2nd string side!

Lots of positive things happening for the A-League at the moment and I can't help but share Andy Harpers enthusiasm. I love hearing him go nuts in the commentary box

[maccatak11]

Mullen came off the bench quite recently.

That was Matt Mullen Pete, attacking midfielder / striker who was promoted from the youth league for the game, not Dan Mullen who plays at right back.

But i really hope Dan Mullen is fit tonight, we need him - but everything i have read seems to say he will miss again.

Go the reds.

[maccatak11]

reds 1 - central coast 0

so we finish second.

youth league player michael marone made his debut at right back for the reds and played an excellent game i thought.

We had numerous chances, agostino could have farted on a couple and the would have gone in. but his arse cheeks remained tight and some golden chanves stayed out of the onion bag.

We hit the post twice, once from doddsy, and the other from pantelis who hit the inside of the post from a free kick, only to see it rebound of the keeper (vukovic's) face and somehow not go in.

Was a great game and i feel we did all we could to win the game by two goals, but we were unlucky i feel.

So we will play melbourne victory in two weeks time in a home and away two leg match to see who will get into the GF. If Adelaide do it they will secure an ACL spot, but if the lose they will have to beat the winner of the central coast / queensland mathces to make the final.

Has been a great finish to the A-League.

[BigPete33]

Has indeed been a great finish.

Marone looked very good, please tell me he's staying and isn't one of the zillion players being offloaded after the finals. I'm sure I'll never understand Adelaide's transfer policy!

I can't help feeling Ago let us down though. A bloke of his experience really should have done a lot better with those chances.

Any word on who is coming into the side next season?

I know Ian Fyfe is coming over from Sydney.

[maccatak11]

I agree with your point about Ago Pete. I know Cristiano had been a little out of form, but i cant help feeling that he would have scored at least one, if not both of those golden chances that Ago had.

I hope we keep marone also, him and Daniel Mullen are excellent young players.

We did play a 4-1-4-1 formation as we usually do and we played some excellent, exciting, attacking soccer. This leads me to the question - Where has this attacking flair been all season??

We did build our season on an excellent defence, but with many numbers pushing forward in this game - dodd, pantelis, reid and sarkies making excellent runs from midfield - yet eugene between the sticks was still never really challenged. Perhaps (and i hope) we will carry on this mindset into the finals cos we looked bloody dangerous.


Yes its been a mass exodous Pete, BUT
- ago, beltrame and valkanis have retired,
- diego has played less than 50% of games in his time at adelaide (not good enough for a valuable import spot). we are freeing up this import spot to sign an international marquee striker or playmaker i believe
- salley is one dimensional and has no attacking flair, no point getting the ball off the other team if you pass it straight back.
- costanzo has not really been liked by the heirarchy or the players at the reds since he was dumped from the leadership group two years ago, and i guess cornthwaites good form sealed his fate. If you only need a back-up defender, why not give a good youngster the spot, much like robbie has been in the last few years. although it might have been useful to keep him as a back-up back-up defender like valkanis has been used this year.
- ognenovski is off to Korea for 5 times the amount of cash, and to showcase himself for the macedonian national team (rumour has it he told football australia to stick it after not being selected in the a-league socceroos team to play wednesday against indonesia. how he isnt in the best 4 or 5 australian defenders at the moment - both domestically and internationally - is beyond me, but thats a different story)
- spagnuolo is off to the gold coast chasing more game time
- isyan enrdogen (not gone yet but i hope they get rid of this injury prone defender)

wow that is nine players, almost half of the current squad. I think that we will be trying even harder to hang onto the likes of dodd, galekovic and jameison who are being chased by other clubs. We know that fyfe is coming in who can play anywhere in defence, but he will probably take up the centre defensive post along side cornthwaite.

The recruiters will certainly be busy, but its not like any of the people we are offloading are without good reason.