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Aussie Analysis: Five Key Melbourne Victory-Sydney FC Battles In The A-League Grand Final
A tight affair will be decided by fine margins at Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.
| Bet: | Returns: | Sydney FC £22.00 | Draw £32.50 | Perth Glory £29.50 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Sydney FC £24.00 | Draw £33.00 | Perth Glory £27.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Sydney FC £22.50 | Draw £32.00 | Perth Glory £28.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Sydney FC £23.00 | Draw £34.00 | Perth Glory £30.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Sydney FC £24.00 | Draw £32.00 | Perth Glory £27.00 |
|
Mar 18, 2010 4:15:00 AM
By Chris Paraskevas
1. Mitchell Langerak v Clint Bolton
Few would have expected 21 year-old Mitch Langerak to displace veteran Glen Moss between the posts this season, the latter arriving from the Wellington Phoenix as a direct replacement for departed talisman Michael Theoklitos. Despite his youth, Langerak has displayed the opportunism of a seasoned professional in a campaign where Moss floundered. Since establishing himself as Melbourne’s No.1, Langerak has also confirmed himself as one of the country’s most promising young goalkeepers. This will meanwhile be 34 year-old Clint Bolton’s last game at a club with which his name has become synonymous, part of their inaugural Championship-winning squad. After struggling last season he has enjoyed a renaissance with the Sky Blues, a huge factor in their first place league finish this season. His experience and presence will also be crucial to the way the back-line in front of him operates.
2. Simon Colosimo v Archie Thompson
Two World Cup hopefuls clash directly for limited spots in Pim Verbeek’s squad to travel to South Africa. Thompson showed in the second leg of the Major Semi Final just why he remains a genuine chance of a call up with a display of continental quality against Sydney. Colosimo has meanwhile added class to Vitezslav Lavicka’s defensive unit and has delivered consistently during one of the best seasons of what has been an injury-riddled career. If the centre-back can get the better of the striker, Melbourne will find it particularly difficult to break down a well-drilled Sydney outfit; if Thompson is allowed space and time to run at the visitors, they will be on the back-foot for the majority of the evening.
3. Carlos Hernandez v Terry McFlynn
Hernandez is at the heart of everything that is aesthetically pleasing about Melbourne and was rightly awarded the Johnny Warren Medal this season: he is quite simply the competition’s best player. Equally capable of producing thunderous strikes from range as he is of producing killer passes, the Costa Rican’s best quality is his ability to change the complexion of a match within a split second. The margin for error is consequently small for Sydney in midfield, where resident hard man Terry McFlynn might just be tasked with closing down Hernandez at every opportunity. The Northern Irishman is another foundation player at the cub and is never short of commitment, though he has lacked any noticeable impact during this finals series. Shutting down Melbourne’s creative hub would be the perfect way to compensate and would allow Lavicka’s men to take a huge step towards the title.
Brosque | Sydney's main attacking threat
4. Alex Brosque v Kevin Muscat
In the absence of John Aloisi the weight of responsibility on Brosque’s shoulders only increases, with the inexperienced Chris Payne set to line up alongside him on Saturday evening. Brosque is another who is on the verge of clinching a place in Verbeek’s World Cup squad and the silky-smooth striker will know that a match-winning performance on the A-League’s biggest stage would all but confirm his passage to South Africa. Kevin Muscat meanwhile is arguably in the twilight of his career but remains Melbourne’s undisputed talisman and fearless leader. Despite a lack of pace and mobility the influence he has on Ernie Merrick’s back-line – and indeed, on the entire team – is unquantifiable. Using all of his experience, guile and gamesmanship he is the one man capable of shutting down Brosque on his own, thus eliminating pace and trickery from Sydney’s otherwise thin attacking stocks.
5. Ernie Merrick v Vitezslav Lavicka
The league’s two sharpest minds battle in what will be a tight tactical affair at Etihad Stadium. Neither manager likes to change what are winning formulas that are not particularly conducive to width or cavalier football, preferring counter-attacking routes to goal. It makes for encounters that are so often decided by fine margins when these two teams meet, where the slightest of alterations by either coach can have a huge impact (Merrick’s substitutions in the second leg of the Major Semi Final are but one example). Lavicka’s biggest concern will be Sydney’s inability to chase games, given their conservative and particularly rigid system, more suited to defending narrow leads. Merrick meanwhile will look for width against a team that rarely utilizes its full backs effectively. Both men will search for a way to shut down the opposition’s attacking talisman: Hernandez (Melbourne) and Brosque (Sydney).
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Few would have expected 21 year-old Mitch Langerak to displace veteran Glen Moss between the posts this season, the latter arriving from the Wellington Phoenix as a direct replacement for departed talisman Michael Theoklitos. Despite his youth, Langerak has displayed the opportunism of a seasoned professional in a campaign where Moss floundered. Since establishing himself as Melbourne’s No.1, Langerak has also confirmed himself as one of the country’s most promising young goalkeepers. This will meanwhile be 34 year-old Clint Bolton’s last game at a club with which his name has become synonymous, part of their inaugural Championship-winning squad. After struggling last season he has enjoyed a renaissance with the Sky Blues, a huge factor in their first place league finish this season. His experience and presence will also be crucial to the way the back-line in front of him operates.
2. Simon Colosimo v Archie Thompson
Two World Cup hopefuls clash directly for limited spots in Pim Verbeek’s squad to travel to South Africa. Thompson showed in the second leg of the Major Semi Final just why he remains a genuine chance of a call up with a display of continental quality against Sydney. Colosimo has meanwhile added class to Vitezslav Lavicka’s defensive unit and has delivered consistently during one of the best seasons of what has been an injury-riddled career. If the centre-back can get the better of the striker, Melbourne will find it particularly difficult to break down a well-drilled Sydney outfit; if Thompson is allowed space and time to run at the visitors, they will be on the back-foot for the majority of the evening.
3. Carlos Hernandez v Terry McFlynn
Hernandez is at the heart of everything that is aesthetically pleasing about Melbourne and was rightly awarded the Johnny Warren Medal this season: he is quite simply the competition’s best player. Equally capable of producing thunderous strikes from range as he is of producing killer passes, the Costa Rican’s best quality is his ability to change the complexion of a match within a split second. The margin for error is consequently small for Sydney in midfield, where resident hard man Terry McFlynn might just be tasked with closing down Hernandez at every opportunity. The Northern Irishman is another foundation player at the cub and is never short of commitment, though he has lacked any noticeable impact during this finals series. Shutting down Melbourne’s creative hub would be the perfect way to compensate and would allow Lavicka’s men to take a huge step towards the title.
Brosque | Sydney's main attacking threat
4. Alex Brosque v Kevin Muscat
In the absence of John Aloisi the weight of responsibility on Brosque’s shoulders only increases, with the inexperienced Chris Payne set to line up alongside him on Saturday evening. Brosque is another who is on the verge of clinching a place in Verbeek’s World Cup squad and the silky-smooth striker will know that a match-winning performance on the A-League’s biggest stage would all but confirm his passage to South Africa. Kevin Muscat meanwhile is arguably in the twilight of his career but remains Melbourne’s undisputed talisman and fearless leader. Despite a lack of pace and mobility the influence he has on Ernie Merrick’s back-line – and indeed, on the entire team – is unquantifiable. Using all of his experience, guile and gamesmanship he is the one man capable of shutting down Brosque on his own, thus eliminating pace and trickery from Sydney’s otherwise thin attacking stocks.
5. Ernie Merrick v Vitezslav Lavicka
The league’s two sharpest minds battle in what will be a tight tactical affair at Etihad Stadium. Neither manager likes to change what are winning formulas that are not particularly conducive to width or cavalier football, preferring counter-attacking routes to goal. It makes for encounters that are so often decided by fine margins when these two teams meet, where the slightest of alterations by either coach can have a huge impact (Merrick’s substitutions in the second leg of the Major Semi Final are but one example). Lavicka’s biggest concern will be Sydney’s inability to chase games, given their conservative and particularly rigid system, more suited to defending narrow leads. Merrick meanwhile will look for width against a team that rarely utilizes its full backs effectively. Both men will search for a way to shut down the opposition’s attacking talisman: Hernandez (Melbourne) and Brosque (Sydney).
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