Inconsistencies: Week 4 A-League Preview | Thebigtip

It’s a slightly shorter preview this week, with no introduction and associated ramblings. So let’s get straight into it with the marquee matchup of the round; Brisbane v Adelaide on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.

Brisbane v Adelaide

Date: Friday 28th October
Time: 8:00pm EDT
Location: Suncorp Stadium
Coverage: From 7:30 EDT on Fox Sports 1
Referee: Strebre Delovski

Sportsbet Odds

Brisbane: $1.60
Draw: $3.65
Adelaide: $5.75

Squads

Brisbane

1. Michael Theoklitos (gk), 2. Matt Smith (C), 3. Shane Stefanutto, 4. Matt Jurman, 5. Ivan Franjic, 6. Erik Paartalu, 7. Besart Berisha, 8. Massimo Murdocca, 9. Kofi Danning, 10. Henrique, 11. Issey Nakajima-Farran, 16. Mohamed Adnan, 17. Mitch Nichols, 19. Jack Hingert, 20. Andrew Redmayne (gk), 21. James Meyer, 22. Thomas Broich

In: James Meyer (Promoted), Jack Hingert (Promoted)
Out: Nil

Unavailable: Matt Mundy (Knee Injury – 1 Week), Rocky Visconte (Hamstring Strain – 1 Week)

Adelaide

1.Eugene Galekovic (Gk), 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard, 4.Jon McKain, 5.Daniel Mullen, 6.Cassio, 7.Zenon Caravella, 8.Evgeniy Levchenko, 9.Sergio Van Dijk, 10.Dario Vidosic, 14.Cameron Watson, 16.Spase Dilevski, 17.Iain Ramsay, 20.Mark Birighitti (Gk), 21.Francisco Usucar, 22.Milan Susak, 23.Andy Slory

In: Evgeniy Levchenko (Returns From Injury), Nigel Boogaard (Returns From Injury)
Out: Nil

Unavailable: Bruce Djite (Groin – 1-2 Weeks)

Key for Brisbane: Do they even have to have a key? At this point isn’t it all about what they can handle from other sides giving them all they can muster until their legs fall off?

The interest in watching Brisbane play at the moment is how they thwart this so-called blueprint that’s been thrown up on how to beat them in the last two weeks. It’s all very well to press Brisbane high up the park and attempt to stop the defenders playing the ball out; there’s just the matter of scoring against them that still has to be solved.

If a team is playing in the manner of Gold Coast and Sydney in the last two weeks and manages to go a goal up in the early stages, then it will be fascinating to see how the story of the match pans out. Could it happen against Adelaide? Considering the form line Adelaide has adopted in the first three weeks of the season, they’re due for a good performance at Suncorp against the home team.

Key for Adelaide: With Brisbane having no equivalent of Jamie Coyne, Adelaide doesn’t have to worry about conceding in the same manner two weeks running. Maybe if it was three seasons ago Mitch Nichols would be a candidate, but now he’s a quality player (albeit with the same dodgy technique) so he’s not eligible.

Instead it’s avoiding the same fate that’s befallen Brisbane’s last two opponents and having enough legs to last the entire 90 minutes. Both Sydney and Gold Coast were able to stick with Brisbane for roughly the first hour until the Roar decided to kick into another gear that their opponents didn’t have. Adelaide – wildly inconsistent performances so far this season aside – are a better side than both of those teams (no need to bring up last week).

The X-Factor: Adelaide’s central defensive pairing. Boogaard’s inclusion in the squad for the game could mean he’s rushed straight back into a starting role, while Susak has been afflicted with the same disease from the rest of the team with great performances followed by average matches. Whatever the final decision is (cliché alert, cliché alert), both starting defenders will have to be on the top of their game to stop Brisbane.

Tip: Brisbane (1-0)

Central Coast v Perth

Date: Saturday 29th October
Time: 5:30pm EDT
Location: Bluetongue Stadium
Coverage: From 5:00pm EDT on Fox Sports 1
Referee: Ryan Shepheard

Sportsbet Odds

Central Coast: $2.35
Draw: $3.30
Perth: $2.90

Squads

Central Coast

1. Mathew Ryan (Gk), 2. Daniel McBreen, 3. Joshua Rose, 4. Pedj Bojic, 5. Brad Porter, 6. Patrick Zwaanswijk, 8. Rostyn Griffiths, 9. Bernie Ibini, 10. Adriano Pellegrino, 11. Oliver Bozanic, 12. Troy Hearfield, 14. Michael McGlinchey, 15. Brad McDonald, 16. Trent Sainsbury, 17. Michael Baird, 19. Matt Simon, 20. Justin Pasfield (Gk), 21. Sam Gallagher, 23. Adam Kwasnik

In: Brad McDonald, Trent Sainsbury, Michael Baird, Sam Gallagher (All Promoted)
Out: Nil

Unavailable: John Hutchinson (On Loan), Stuart Musialik (Adductor – 2 weeks), Alex Wilkinson (Forearm – 1 week), Mustafa Amini (Groin – 2 weeks)

Perth

1.Danny Vukovic (Gk), 2.Josh Mitchell, 3.Bas Van Den Brink, 4.Billy Mehmet, 5.Steve Pantelidis, 6.Chris Coyne, 7.Jacob Burns (C), 8.Adam Hughes, 9.Shane Smeltz, 10.Liam Miller, 12.Scott Neville, 13.Travis Dodd, 14.Steven McGarry, 15.Tommy Amphlett, 16.Evan Berger, 17.Todd Howarth, 19.Josh Risdon, 21.Mile Sterjovski, 27.Andrezinho, 30. Lewis Italiano (Gk)

In: Steve Pantelidis, Adam Hughes, Evan Berger, Josh Risdon, Mile Sterjovski
Out: Neil Young (Abdominal Injury)

Unavailable: Victor Sikora (Hip – Long Term Injury List), Neil Young (Abdominal Injury), Jesse Makarounas, Adam Taggart (Both with Young Socceroos)

Key for Central Coast: Given the rut the Mariners have started the season in, Saturday afternoon could be a perfect opportunity to introduce some fresh blood into the team. Once you get past the fact that sentence looks moderately creepy when it’s bolded it’s a good idea. The likes of Baird, Hearfield and Ibini all should be given either extended game time or starts. Going by the same old, same old hasn’t cut it so far in the first three games.

Key for Perth: It’s the start of an eight week stretch for Perth where they only see their home of nib Stadium twice in that period. Needless to say it’s a season defining period for the Glory; if they have the same deficiencies of seasons past they’ll be exposed by the time they return home for successive games against the Heart and Central Coast just before Christmas.

That being said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Glory set up in a defensive manner, therefore they need to make sure they aren’t sloppy in their time on the ball. Despite their perfect start through three weeks of the season, there have been moments in each game when Perth has looked very shaky. Coming up against a side smarting from a derby loss isn’t the best time to continue those habits.

The X-Factor: Graham Arnold and how he decides to set the Mariners up. So far he’s rigidly stuck to the diamond midfield and while that may work out fine with Amini in the side, the problem is without him there is minimal attacking power. It might be time for a temporary change in the formation; perhaps playing three strikers is the way to go?

Tip: Draw (1-1)

Melbourne Heart v Sydney

Date: Saturday 29th October
Time: 7:45pm EDT
Location: AAMI Park
Coverage: From 7:30pm EDT on Fox Sports 1
Referee: Chris Beath

Sportsbet Odds

Heart: $2.55
Draw: $3.30
Sydney: $2.65

Squads

Heart

1. Clint Bolton, 2. Michael Marrone, 3. Brendan Hamill, 4. Simon Colosimo, 6. Matt Thompson, 7. Rutger Worm, 8. Kristian Sarkies, 9. Maycon, 10. Wayne Srhoj, 11. Alex Terra, 13. Jonatan Germano, 15. David Williams, 16. Aziz Behich, 17. Jason Hoffman, 18. Curtis Good, 19. Eli Babalj, 22. Nick Kalmar, 23. Mate Dugandzic, 30. Sebastian Mattei (gk)

In: Rutger Worm, Kristian Sarkies, Eli Babalj, Nick Kalmar

Unavailable: Adrian Zahra (Knee – indefinite), Kamal Ibrahim (Ankle – four weeks), Kliment Taseski (Foot – long term injury list), Fred (Hamstring – three weeks)

Sydney

1. Liam Reddy, 2. Sebastian Ryall, 3. Jamie Coyne, 4. Pascal Bosschaart, 5. Michael Beauchamp, 7. Brett Emerton, 8. Karol Kisel, 9. Bruno Cazarine, 10. Nick Carle, 11. Dimi Petratos, 15. Terry McFlynn (c), 17. Terry Antonis, 19. Mark Bridge, 20. Ivan Necevski, 21. Scott Jamieson, 23. Rhyan Grant

In: Mark Bridge (returns from suspension), Liam Reddy (returns from injury)
Out: Hirofumi Moriyasu, Ryan Norval

Unavailable: Juho Makela (quad, 3 weeks), Shannon Cole (calf, 1 week).
 
Key for Heart: It’s always a common theme throughout these previews as the season progresses (consider yourself warned) but how the Heart react to the derby will be their major sticking point. The longer the game dragged on last week – dragged being the operative word – the more assured the Heart looked as they pushed deeper and deeper into Victory territory.

Sometimes a finish like that to a game is a bit of a false mirage due to how inept the opposition were. However, on other occasions it serves as a great springboard into a positive performance. Good luck deciphering which one it will be.

Key for Sydney: Just because there’s no big key for Sydney, let’s take a look at some comments made by Michael Beauchamp centring around his error for the Adelaide goal last week.

"Tezza (Terry McFlynn) came straight up to me and told me 'you're better than that ... you've just got to try and forget it', and I did.

"Credit to the other boys who got right behind me straight away and that's the team unity we have here in Sydney."

The bolded is my personal emphasis because it seems like such an odd thing to say; it almost seems like he’s gone out of his way to mention it mere moments after commenting that he had nothing to prove against his former club. Maybe it’s a case of 2 + 2 = 5; then again maybe he departed in acrimonious circumstances and Saturday night’s match could offer a sneak peek into some of the relationships between him and his former club.

The X-Factor: Terry ‘better than Rosicky’ Antonis. Well if Lavicka compares the two, it’s only fair to go right over the top and take it about three steps too far. Anyway, in what might be his only full season as a starter in the A-League, Antonis has been excellent. Despite the general hype that has always surrounded him, this week has seen the first instances of the media specifically focusing on individual performances. How is he going to handle it?

Tip: Sydney (1-0)