Hyundai A-League Round 14 Weekend Wrap
The status quo remained with no movement on the competition table, with all four Round 14 games ending in draws.
Results Adelaide United 1 drew Perth Glory 1 Melbourne Victory 1 drew Wellington Phoenix 1 Newcastle Jets 0 drew Central Coast Mariners 0 Sydney FC 0 drew Queensland Roar 0
Game Wraps Jamie Harnwell celebrated his 200th appearance in a national league game, with a goal that earned his bottom-placed team Perth Glory a deserved share of the points with Adelaide United. In a tight contest, Adelaide took the lead shortly before half time, when Robert Cornthwaite fed a nice through ball for Richie Alagich, who drilled his angled drive inside the far post. But Perth is showing a lot of resilience, despite their lowly position and drew level in the 69th minute, when a free kick into the box was flicked on by Harnwell and it sailed over Eugene Galekovic and into the top corner.
Melbourne Victory survived the send-off of Kevin Muscat in the 35th minute, to earn a 1-1 draw with Wellington Phoenix. It was Wellington who started the better, although the better chances seemed to be going the way of the home side. However the match took a dramatic turn when Muscat, first received a yellow card and a minute later a red card, following a tackle on Tim Brown. But that seemed to lift the home side and they took the lead in the 42nd minute, when an Archie Thompson shot, took a deflection and found Danny Allsopp perfectly positioned four yards out and he tucked home for just his 3rd goal of the season. However the Phoenix soon began to control possession with their extra man and former Victory midfielder Vince Lia scored the equaliser with a terrific finish from the edge of the box. Melbourne though were determined not to let all three points slip from their grasp and held on for a point.
The local F3 derby produced another draw with neither side able to break the deadlock. The biggest talking though was the start for Brazilian Mario Jardel, only his second since he was signed just before the season started. He lasted until the 56th minute, when he was replaced with Jason Hoffman, who almost made an immediate impact. He managed to get himself a free shot in the penalty box and while his shot beat Danny Vukovic, it hit the post, rebounding to the Jets other Brazilian Denni, who headed over with the goal at his mercy. The Mariners best chance came in the first half, to Sasho Petrovski, whose shot failed to beat Ante Covic at the near post. The point maintained the Mariners four point lead at the top of the table, while Newcastle stays in the four.
A crucial match for both teams at Sydney Football Stadium, with a win for the home side that would jump them up to third spot on the table. But alas, not even the appearance of David Beckham and his LA Galaxy team mates could inspire them to a win over the Roar. The early signs were good for Sydney, when Mark Rudan hit the crossbar with a header. But Queensland, on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run, came back into the game and should have taken the lead when Reinaldo contrived to miss a golden chance, somehow guiding a header from directly in front in front and just two yards out, wide of the far post. He again had a chance off another Robbie Kruse cutback, but his shot struck his own player and the ball rebounded wide. The introduction of Juninho for the last 15 minutes seemed to spark Sydney and Roar had Andrew Packer sent off, when he pulled at Alex Brosque-s shirt as he was racing onto a Juninho through ball.
Goals Tally: 4
Card Count: 17 yellows - 2 reds
Attendance/Average: 62,354 / 15,589
Goal of the Week There is nothing like scoring against your old side and in some style as well. Vince Lia had a bit to prove to his old coach Ernie Merrick at Melbourne Victory, after being released at the end of last season. He found his way to Wellington, where he featured regularly of late and picked the perfect time to score his first Hyundai A-League goal with a sweetly struck shot from the edge of the box that gave Michael Theoklitos no chance.
Player of the Week It takes some effort to come back after a seven-week injury lay-off and virtually play, as if you haven-t been missing. Stuart Musialik did just that for the Jets, controlling the midfield for his team with his deft passing and ability to win balls and get his team moving forward. He will only get better with more match fitness, which should have Jets fans excited about their finals chances.
One to Watch It has taken a little while, but Shaun Ontong is starting to make a name for himself at Adelaide United. The former Australian Under 20 captain, looked like he might miss the Hyundai A-League, but was successful in trials with Adelaide and reunited with his former AIS team mates Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite. Was a solid contributor for Adelaide on Friday night and showing his not afraid to put himself about.