Sprinkled amongst the AFC Women’s Asian Cup action, we have a four-game round of A-League Men’s action for you, the top five teams in action and plenty of permutations depending on the outcomes of some juicy encounters.
The leader board remains tight in our tips and predictions ladder, and I’m sure that all of you playing along at home will be loving the unpredictability of each round that never fails to cough up a surprise result.
Join our tipsters in their attempts to tame the wild beast that is the A-League. Share your thoughts, get your own tips in, and let’s try and keep this long-running institution alive during its enforced holiday from The Roar.
Stuart Thomas
Adelaide, Newcastle, Victory, Auckland
The Red’s hopes continue to rise and the team is moving into serious contention for the title this season. Wellington have been something of a mess recently and it is hard to see them winning this one on the road. The Jets are the best team to watch in the league and despite Western Sydney’s last up win, they should do the business in front of a bumper crowd at home.
This should be a very good Big Blue and both have plenty on the line. Victory need a momentum builder and Sydney need to prove their credentials. I think it is violent, with a few fisticuffs. Ufuk Talay loses the plot and the game ends spitefully. Victory. Auckland to get the three points against Perth in a very predictable result and comprehensive win in New Zealand.
Andrew Prentice
Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney, Auckland
A truncated round sees the Reds hosting the fading Phoenix. It might be already “at the beach” time for Wellington as they try to regain some of the consistency that made them a force not so long ago. Friday nights at Hindmarsh are a buzz – Adelaide to win.
The Wanderers battered the Bulls pretenders last week despite scoring 4 in only 5 shots. Newcastle were held in the F3 derby thus ending their winning streak. They look the goods though and won’t be as spendthrift in front of a generous Wanderers defence as Macarthur were. Easily the league’s top scorers, the Jets have shored up their defence of late with two successive clean sheets. Doesn’t bode well for the Jets former premiership-winning coach Garry Van Egmond.
Lolley-watch is on again in the Harbour City and it looks grim for the home team. But they’ve coped okay without him in recent times. Victory are looking solid but will rue dropping points in Adelaide. Should be a cracker at Allianz with the home ground not a usual advantage for the hosts. But something tells me they’ll turn it around on Saturday.
Perth fly halfway around the world to play Auckland and will at least be able to bag some serious frequent flyer points (good luck trying to use them though). That’s about all I expect them to get out of the trip as Auckland have flexed attacking AND defensive muscle in the last month to put their push for top spot back on track. With a variety of attacking options to choose from, Steve Corica can rotate with impunity. Auckland comfortably.
Texi Smith
Adelaide, Newcastle, Sydney, Auckland
We’re getting to the point where Wellington Phoenix are due one of those wins where their stats show more goals than shots. Travelling to Coopers Stadium to play a Friday game under lights, the expectation is for a handsome home win, but you cannot right off the league’s basement club that easily. Or can you? Alex Rufer is suspended, they’re off the back of a poor loss to Sydney, and Adelaide are still in contention for a top six finish. Ryan White to star again in a flowing performance that gives us a goal in each half, Panashe Madanha with a world-class top-corner strike to settle it, while the whole country is watching Uzbekistan v China.
Well, well, Western Sydney Wanderers off the bottom of the table with a thumping derby win, and the Box Office Jets’ run of wins brought to a halt in their own local rivalry. Good numbers of travelling fans from West Sydney, despite going up against Chinese Taipei v Vietnam, give us a rocking atmosphere, Brandon Borrello continues his goals revival with an early strike, and an insipid first half performance has the Jets fans grumbling. Cue the introduction of Lucas Scicluna to go head-to-head with his brother Dylan, and the added spice brings the best out of the home team in front of their biggest home crowd of the season. Ben Gibson equalises with fifteen minutes left, and the grandstand finish is complete when Xavier Bertoncello sweeps home the winner and jumps into the bouncing Squadron to celebrate.
Handily scheduled before the big India v Japan clash late on Saturday night, the Big Blue gives us a blockbuster A-League fixture to get excited about. Sydney were victorious but only just in a lacklustre display in Wellington, while Victory snatched a point from Adelaide. The visitors are out for revenge after their mauling in the pouring rain at Leichhardt Oval earlier this season, and they’ll be the better team in a tense first half. With a ticking off at half time from an extra-agitated Ufuk Talay, Jason Davidson slices through his own goal to give Sydney the lead, and there’s no looking back once Alex Grant’s Desperate Dan forehead adds the second from a corner. A low-quality game, a priceless win from a team that knows how to win ugly, and Sydney’s stuttering finals dream remains a reality.
Come on, you’re kidding right? Do we have to tip this one? Perth Glory somehow got a point in Brisbane on the weekend but it wasn’t pretty and this time they travel East to face back-in-form Auckland FC. They have lost games like this before, but this time there are no mistakes, and a dominant first-half display has the home side 3-0 up at the break. Jesse Randall scores the goal of the game just after the break and despite going for the jugular, there is only one more goal in a comprehensive 5-0 romp for last season’s premiers and the head of this season’s chasing pack. A worthy appetiser to Sunday night’s crucial Women’s Asian Cup tie between Sout Korea and Australia!
Our tipsters didn’t exacly cover themselves in glory last round. Surely we can tip these four with some success :
Your tips for the week are required below. Do it, and help the Crowd keep their handsome lead over the tipsters …
Good luck for this mini-round! Drop us a comment to let us know that The Roar’s fantastic readership is still here. And enjoy the AFC Women’s Asian Cup; there’s some superb football being played in our country, make sure you get to a game if you’re local.
Wellington Phoenix, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne Victory and Auckland FC
Thanks Texi
Adelaide 4-1
Wanderers 3-2
Victory 3-1
Auckland 5-0
Roar to go a second weekend undefeated. Sweet.
Contemplating going to Suncorp for game on Apr 2nd..any recommendations? nearest accom? best seats etc? I dont like ground level OR the away bay so Id be in the stands.
For Roar games only parts of the lower bowl are open the only upper seats that are open are stadium members seating
thanks..same annoying issue as Allianz then
The lower bowl at Suncorp is huge (it holds nearly 28,000 people on its own). The good news is the back few rows offer an elevated view of the pitch, which sounds like what you’re after.
I’d book in sections 301, 302, or 340 and in one of the back rows of those sections (or adjacent ones if they’re blocked out). You’ll get a good view there although you’re sitting in the core members block – but I’m not expecting many to rock up now this seasons done.
Eat/Drink before the game – Caxton Street is good, do too Park Road and Railway Terrace. Plenty of craft breweries in the immediate areas.
Im thinking of the Football Lounge ..apparently $90..sb MORE members tho, hope they appreciate my Sydney gear!
ps Roar has hoem games and lower teams to play not sure you’re done yet! ..maybe only half cooked ;-0 thanks for the info, likely I wont go anyway
My seats in 338 were good – just get them in a higher row. I caught the train and walked from Roma Street Station – about 20 minutes. You could stay in Southbank and get a taxi, if walking is not your choice. Where’s Lionheart, Waz. 339, etc to give advice?
I see some are still here, but I didn’t look ahead.
I was going to this game, but will be in Melbourne to see the Socceroos v Curacao.
I’d rather watch football at AAMI than the Olympic Stadium and this is actually the farewell match.
Nix, Newcastle (Hope I’m wrong), Sydney, Auckland
Where is Grem?
No idea. The website crash has destroyed the wonderful vibe we all had!
at least we have some poms watching now..Harry Maguire and Bruno wacthing at least!!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1418796868749022/posts/2008804319748271/
Great game tonight..Sydney shouldve won really, played some nice stuff but after being 2 nil down I’ll take the draw
We can still
Make Magic Mrl – remember that night we had … (best not to let everyone know). The others may be jealous.
About to go see our mighty Matildas at the Olympic Stadium. Hope they win well. Tomorrow I’ll be at the North Korea v China game – should be interesting.
Here right now. Good vibes.
Looking into my crystal ball – I see draws. Adelaide and Wellington 1-1, Auckland and Perth 2-2, Sydney and Victory 2-2 (with a Juan Mata special), Newcastle 2- Wanderers 1, CCM 3 v Bulls 1. Sorry – a bit late.
Awwww, you must be psychic with those predictions
(Insert clapping emoji’s here)
In another amazing act of physic prediction … I predict you support at least half of those teams 😁
Hey Waz – if our A Leagues was a stronger competition I think I could just follow Sydney and enjoy seeing Victory, City, the Roar etc having bad periods and being smashed by Sydney. Because our competition isn’t that strong we need all teams to be strong and be able to compete and win. That’s the main reason why I enjoy seeing other teams and their successes and the fact that some teams are just good to watch – Newcastle (this season), Adelaide (usually), I’ve enjoyed watching Auckland at home (their support), the Roar ( who doesn’t like a bit of buffoon), etc. Hope you and the other Roar football people are all well.
Massive crowd at the Matildas game Grem. About 57,000 more than at the women’s cricket match same day.
And I do remember that night…it was wonderful.