The False 9: Round 1 - Hey, Melbourne people, your turn to shine

The A-League needs the Melbourne derby at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night to give it the kick-start it didn't get from round one.

A-League Rd 1 - Adelaide v Melbourne

Source: Getty Images

Round-one attendances were disappointing, with a total of 64,580 and a match average of 12,916. Last year's first-round total was 90,013 (average 18,003).

Obviously, attendances can vary enormously according to who is playing who, and where, and it didn't help that two of the lower-drawing teams, Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix, each played at home in round one.

But let False 9 tell you two things:

In last season's first round, Sydney FC was at home to Melbourne City and drew 25,525. This season, the same game at the same venue was watched by a crowd of 17,051.

Last season, Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory played at Adelaide Oval in round two and drew 33,126. This season, the same game at the same venue, but in round one, drew 19,079.

The Melbourne derby is a huge occasion that can still provide the competition with the early buzz it needs. City has improved its playing roster and looks like being a genuine contender and Victory is the defending champion.

Last season, the derby was played at Etihad in round three and drew 43,729. Saturday night's game promises to be a ripping contest, so there is no reason it shouldn't pull at least as many again. Hopefully, it will exceed 45,000 and maybe even push towards 50,000.

Turn it on, Melbourne!

Man of the hour (and a half)

Fabio Ferreira was dynamite for Central Coast Mariners in their win over Perth Glory.

He smashed two penalties past Glory goalkeeer Ante Covic and also set up his team's other goal with a shot that Covic could only deflect with his feet into the body of Mariners striker Roy O'Donvan. The rebound went straight in.

Taking penalties isn't easy, ask Wellington Phoenix, and when you're the penalty taker and you step up to the spot for the second time in a match you've got to decide whether to put the ball in the same place as you put it the first time or aim somewhere else.

Ferreira put it in the same place, he just hit the ball a bit harder and a bit higher into the back of the net. That's confidence.

"I’m very proud of the team, we play very good," Ferreira said. "I think we have a good team and I hope we can do well this season. I’ve been training a lot and I was confident in both the two penalties," Ferreira said.

"I’m happy with the two goals and I’m happy for us to start with a win."

Quote of the week

"The player he is competing against in every challenge always hits the deck."

That was Victory coach Kevin Muscat talking about Adelaide midfielder Isaias, after the game in which Victory captain Leigh Broxham was sent off for a second yellow card that resulted from a challenge on the Spaniard.

Isaias did go down as if struck by lightning on this occasion and the referee bought it. Broxham was guilty of a foul, but it was a minor one that wasn't deserving of a yellow card. The video shows that.

Now we wait to see how the referees judge Isaias in the future and whether this incident works against him. You know, like the boy who cried wolf.

Naughty corner

Nigel Boogaard finally took the A-League red-card record on his own late last season, when he was sent off for the sixth time to break the deadlock between himself and Hall of Famer in this department, Kevin Muscat, at five apiece, and already he has gone to seven.

As they always do, two yellow cards equalled a red for Boogaard, playing for Newcastle Jets against Wellington. It was an embarrassing way for the central defender to begin his stay at his new club, particularly as captain.

Since it happened in their own land of the long white cloud, The False 9 has convinced Kiwi music Hall of Famers, Split Enz, to mark the occasion with one of their best little ditties.

Tweet, tweet #1

Austrian striker Marc Janko wasn't happy with the circumstances in which he departed from Sydney FC at the end of last season, but he's a good guy so that didn't stop him from wishing the club and its players all the best for this season.

Tweet, tweet #2

Victory really could have done with Archie Thompson coming off the bench for the last 15 or 20 minutes against Adelaide, to try to make something happen in what finished a 0-0 draw, but of course the veteran is out with a knee injury sustained in an FFA Cup match.

But Thompson is working hard at getting back on the field as soon as possible, as he let all of his adoring fans know. Thompson damaged his medial ligament on September 22 and it is regarded as an eight-to-12-week injury, so with a bit of luck we'll see him back playing again before Christmas.

Now and then

Last season, the people running the show at Newcastle Jets wanted to get rid of David Carney, but he stuck to his principles and refused to be marched. He may not have been playing, but he wasn't gone.

This season, Carney opened Newcastle's campaign with a rare - for him, anyway - headed goal and an assist in the 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix.

As they say in the classics, he's back, baby!

"David's a new man and that's a credit to himself,'" new Jets coach Scott Miller said.

"He's had a difficult six months, but the way he prepared for this game and looked after his body and basically stepped up his mentality throughout the pre-season has been outstanding."

The numbers game

Victory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic will move into outright first place for A-League appearances when he plays in the Melbourne derby.

Vukovic and his former teammate at Central Coast Mariners, the new-retired John Hutchinson, were duelling for top spot towards the end of last season and Hutchinson finished it one game in front.

The first round of the new season saw Vukovic draw level with Hutchinson, on 228. In third place is another current player, Wellington Phoenix's Andrew Durante, on 223.

Round two will see Western Sydney Wanderers captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley move into outright fifth place, with 211 games, ahead of the currently injured Victory star Archie Thompson, who is stuck on 210.

Adelaide United defender Tarek Elrich will edge closer to the 200-game mark now he is back from Socceroos duty. Elrich is 10th on the list, with 197 games.

Can't wait for . . .

It's never too early for a Melbourne derby and with City having opened the season well with an away draw against last season's beaten grand finalist, Sydney, it's going to be fun to find out what they can do against champion Victory at a packed Etihad Stadium.

City playmaker Aaron Mooy will be fully rested this time, instead of inevitably being a bit zombie-ish as he waited on the bench to get a start against Sydney after just flying in from Jordan, where he had represented the Socceroos. 


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Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service.
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7 min read
Published 13 October 2015 4:16pm
By Greg Prichard


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