WestSydneyFootball.Com Round 3 A-League Preview

Melbourne Victory have had a torrid first few weeks to the season. The short passing game of Ange simply hasn't worked for Melbourne like it had in Brisbane. They were pressed off the park by Heart and were hammered 5-0 by his old team Brisbane. They need a massive improvement on the pitch, and Ange may need to adjust tactically. With Adelaide wanting revenge for years of rivalry dominance this could get ugly.

Adelaide pulled off a somewhat lucky 1-0 home victory against a gallant Wanderers outfit in their last game in Adelaide. With everyone expecting the Reds to falter due to fatigue, they managed to keep strong in defence and score on the counter following a defensive error. Kosmina has made changes to his lineup, with goalscorer Jeronimo Neumann being given a starting role up front while Djite and van Dijk have both been left out of the squad. Adelaide will be up for this grudge match and will want to put Victory to the sword.

Prediction: 3-0 Adelaide.

The F3 Derby. Newcastle go into this match on the back of a good 3-2 away victory against Sydney FC. Heskey made the most of his chance to score one of the goals and the Newcastle squad looked the much better line-up. Conceding 2 goals is never a good sign however and they will need to step up their defensive efforts to take three points at home. Birighitti has a potential chance for a second first impression with his goalkeeping opponent Ben Kennedy potentially withdrawing due to injury.

The Central Coast Mariners scraped a dour 1-0 victory against rough and ready Perth Glory. For most of the first half the two sides cancelled each other out. Heavy tackling, direct passing, it was a long ball controlled by McBreen who scored. Perth were missing Shane Smeltz and his quality may have let the Mariners get away with a win when they could have lost or drawn. Central Coast have as usual flown under the radar and Arnold will want to keep under it as much as possible. Central Coast seem too solid to leave without at least a point.

Prediction: 1-0 Central Coast.

The Sydney Derby. A complete sell-out will mean an amazing atmosphere at the 20,000+ seater Parramatta Stadium. Western Sydney visited Adelaide and were unlucky to come away with a 1-0 loss. But they still failed to score. Tony Popovic must make changes in either his tactical structure, his playing roster or both. With one of the best midfield trios in the competition it is up to the attacking trio to work in a way that befits the quality of Ono, Mooy and Poljak. There will be a huge crowd willing the team onto victory and they will target the weak Sydney FC defense.

Sydney FC have yet to record a win so far this season. A horrible pre-season schedule meant they came into round 1 underdone, and this continued with a loss to fellow mid-table side Newcastle. Del Piero fired up from the set piece but the rest of the team have been dreadful. Sydney have an injury depleted squad. Their defence has leaked like a sieve. Wanderers must take advantage of that. Just like the Melbourne Derby, the fixture means more than just the bare result.

Prediction: 4-0 Wanderers.

When comparing an Adelaide/Melbourne rivalary match and the two NSW Derbies, the trip across the Tasman for the Roar seems anti-climactic. Wellington showed good fight and had a bit of luck with their 1-1 draw against Melbourne Heart, and should have the vast majority of their squad back from international duty. I believe their current 2nd place flatters to decieve when the abysmal performance of Sydney FC in the round 1 clash is taken into account. They will start to drop back down the table in the next few weeks.

Brisbane Roar were lethal against a very poor Melbourne Victory team. Wellington are made of sterner stuff so the Roar will be on their guard. With their attacking growing and adding direct long passes to the typical short passing of yester-year, the Roar are now one of the most dangerous teams in the league and will be looking to get back in the top 2 positions they are used to. Rado Vidosic has yet to be truly tested as a manager. If Wellington can steal the lead it will be interesting to see how Vidosic will respond. Roar should have enough firepower and solidarity in defence to win this one.

Prediction: 2-0 Brisbane Roar.

Perth Glory tried and tried last week but failed to make much of an impact during their 1-0 loss to Central Coast. Their attack faltered with the loss of Shane Smeltz. Their defence eventually conceded to McBreen. Ferguson continues to play his boring but effective football, but in this case the effective part of the equation went missing. Glory need to get their fire back.

Melbourne Heart were disapointed with 1-1 draw against Wellington at AAMI Park. In front of a healthy crowd they squandered a chance at 3 points when Simon Colosimo was sent off for a deliberate hand-ball. Ifill brought the teams back level from the spot. Even down a man the Heart should have done better, with several gilt edge chances to steal the win wasted. With a new central defensive pairing certain to take place they will need to stay focused. This is a hard game to pick, but I think the Glory at home will shade it.

Prediction: 1-0 Glory.

The league ladder going into round 3:

1. Adelaide – 6 Points.
   
2. Wellington – 4 Points.
   
3. Melbourne Heart – 4 Points.
   
4. Central Coast – 4 Points.
   
5. Brisbane – 3 Points.
   
6. Perth – 3 Points.
   
7. Newcastle – 3 Points.
   
8. Western Sydney – 1 Point.
   
9. Sydney FC – 0 Points.
   
10. Melbourne Victory – 0 Points.