It seems like the Grand Final of the Hyundai A-League happened only yesterday… said no-one ever.

From: Sunday, 21 April 2013

To: Friday, 11 October 2013

174 days… or 5 months, 21 days.

As I sit here writing this very piece, the A-League’s Twitter account reminds us all that there are only 26 days left until the highly anticipated curtain-raiser.

And with the start of Season 9 imminent, From The Stands analyses the opening fixtures of the most anticipated A-League season yet.

Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets

Friday 11th October 19:30 AEST

Venue: Allianz Stadium

Average goals per game at venue: 2.68

Head to Head:

Played: 26

Sydney 13 Draw 7 Newcastle 6

The battle of the underachievers from last year looks set to be a cracker, with both clubs looking to fire warning shots to the so called giants of the competition.

Undoubtedly, the opening clash between the Sky Blues and the Jets has the potential to set the tone not only for these clubs, but also for the rest of the A-League campaign. And with this match coinciding with the first free-to-air broadcast of the A-League, SBS will be keen for a good reception.

Sydney FC Game Plan

Expect Sydney FC to take advantage of home support take it to the Jets. It is expected that the Sky Blues will play with high-pressing defence, plenty of overlap on the wings and Alessandro del Piero stalking the space between the Jets midfield and defence. Gameiro will be expected to work with the wingers and fullbacks to supply Del Piero with the necessary services.

Newcastle’s speedy fullbacks distinguished themselves last season, so Sydney need to ensure they are not caught out on the counter attack.

Key Player: Brett Emerton

It would have been easy to say Del Piero, but in truth the former Socceroo is crucial to the team’s on-field successes. Emerton will be asked to run at the Jets defence and help draw attention away from Del Piero, as well as co-ordinating switching play from one wing to another. Farina will be looking for a huge performance from Emerton.

Jets Game Plan

Newcastle’s saving grace last season was its plethora of young, speedy fullbacks. Emile Heskey’s fire burned brightly for a while, then burnt out as teams realised that cutting off his service meant nullifying the towering poacher. With signings like Joey Gibbs and Nathan Burns on loan, Gary van Egmond now has other options, meaning the Jets attack should be more dynamic than last season.

Last year the Jets won their first Allianz encounter by taking advantage of Sydney’s defensive lapses. Expect more of the same, with a pressing midfield and fullbacks itching for the chance to go for a run up and provide crosses for Nathan Burns, Heskey and the two midfielders. Brillante will most likely hang around the edge of the final third, looking to clean up any errant balls and halt Sydney’s counter attacking moves.

Key Player: Joshua Brillante

After distinguishing himself at the recent U20 World Cup, the 20 year old is key to Newcastle applying pressure to Sydney’s untested defensive line. He will need to keep Brett Emerton contained, leaving the back four to handle Del Piero. Brillante cannot afford to get sucked into man-marking Del Piero, otherwise there will be a huge gap in the centre of the park for Emerton and Sydney’s wingers to exploit.

Central Coast Mariners v Western Sydney Wanderers

Saturday 12th October 17:30 AEST Kick Off

Venue: Bluetongue Stadium

Average goals per game at venue: 2.74

Head to Head

Played 4 Central Coast 2 Draw 1 Western Sydney 1

Grand Final rematch. Central Coast Mariners were the only club alongside Sydney FC who frustrated the premiers results-wise, and will be looking to start the season the same way they finished the last one.

The Wanderers, despite assurances to the contrary, will still be smarting after their loss in the Grand Final; falling so close to finishing the job would niggle at anyone’s mind regardless of past achievements. Revenge is a dish best served cold, so after 175 days of waiting, their frenzied fan-base, now at 15,000 members after their fairytale season, will demand nothing less than a win.

Mariners Game Plan

Central Coast Mariners will look to control the midfield, nullifying the attacking power of wingers Youssouf Hersi and Mark Bridge by drying up the supply from the Wanderers back four with a high pressing game. Staying high up the park also brings Flores into play, and his creative talents could come to the fore with the right support keeping the Wanderer’s tough defenders at bay. Shinji Ono will look to exploit any high pressing from the Mariner’s defensive line so Nick Montgomery will have his hands full containing the Japanese playmaker.

Key Player: Marcel Seip

The former Dutch international will have to keep the home fires burning whenever the fullbacks make their runs up the field. With his experience and talent, he alongside Sainsbury and Montgomery will be crucial in holding off the trademark Wanderers blitzkrieg up the flanks if the Mariners lose possession.

Wanderer’s Game Plan

The Wanderers will look to draw the Mariners into their impenetrable defensive array before launching their counter attack. Mooy will look to burst forward with the wingers to assist Ono, who will surely have his hands full with the Mariners stoppers. Tomi Juric will provide the Wanderers with a speedy striking option should they catch the Mariners pressing high up the field, otherwise the impressive wing combination of Hersi and Bridge will cause all sorts of problems by providing service to Ono.

Tony Popovic will see what his squad can do in the first 60 minutes before tinkering too much with the line-up, but there is plenty of room in this formation for Brendon Santalab, Labino Haliti¸ Kwabena Appiah-Kubi and Tahj Minniecon if the Wanderers are pressing for an equaliser or win.

Key Player: Shinji Ono

While the Wanderers are more than just one player, Ono’s presence in the final third will provide a great boost to Juric and the attacking wingers if he can avoid being closed down by the Mariners defence. Expect to see Mooy trying to draw attention away from Ono so the wider players can find him if they cross or pass it in from out wide.

Melbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart

Saturday 12th October 19:30 AEST Kick Off

Venue: Etihad Stadium

Average goals per game at venue: 2.80

Head to Head

Played 9 Victory 3 Draw 3 Heart 3

The first derby of Season 9 promises to be a fiery one as the two Melbourne clubs look to get an early victory over their rivals. As the Head to Head stats show, the teams are dead-even, so whoever wins this match can gain a psychological advantage over the other.

The Heart have had a mixed pre-season, with some promising signings as well as devastating injuries. John Aloisi’s second season may define the rest of his career as Ange Postecoglou seeks a second consecutive Top 6 with the Victory, who themselves have made some astute signings this off-season.

Victory Game Plan

Melbourne have shown since Postecoglou took over that one of their greatest strengths is in their fullbacks. With the departure of big names like Marco Rojas and Marcos Flores, this season will be about two things for the Victory:

– How will the fullbacks do?

– How will Mark Milligan do?

Expect Finkler to slowly ease his way into the competition after recovering from a ruptured ACL, but with hard work from Connor Pain and Mitch Nichols out wide, the Victory should record a win over a Heart side that is being hastily re-assembled following the injury to their marquee Orlando Engelaar.

Key Player: Mark Milligan

Arguably the form Australian player in the A-League right now, Milligan has the potential to make or break the Victory’s season with his performances. His work in the middle of the park with Leigh Broxham will be crucial for the Victory’s attacking moves as they seek to overwhelm the opposition defence.

Heart Game Plan

With Orlando Engelaar potentially out for the season with a broken leg, the Heart have scrambled to sign a replacement player, bringing in Patrick Kisnorbo to provide some support in defence. With the potential signing of Malta international Michael Mifsud as well as the previous signing of Australian football legend Harry Kewell, the Heart have the potential to cause an upset.

Expect the Heart defence to try and absorb the attacking force of Victory in the hopes of catching them on the counter. Harry Kewell will be especially important in this area as his work on the flank or in the centre of midfield will be crucial for Mifsud, Daniel Williams or whomever Aloisi sends up front.

Key Player: Harry Kewell

As well as being an excellent player, Kewell is one of the few players who has the presence and experience to haul the Heart out of the depths they sunk to last season. With Kewell pushing hard for a Socceroos berth in Brazil next year, expect to see Kewell pulling out all the stops to impress Holger Osieck.

Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar

Sunday 13 October 15:00 AEST Kick Off

Venue: Westpac Stadium

Average goals per game at venue: 2.89

Head to Head

Played 18 Wellington 3 Draw 5 Brisbane 11

Brisbane travel across the ditch for their first round of the season, against the Phoenix. They may not be “Roarcelona” any longer but Brisbane still have some potent attacking weapons up front, notably the polarising Besart Berisha. They will be hungry to steal the premiership from the other favourites for the title, while the Phoenix will just be happy to get a win against a team which has demolished them ruthlessly over the years.

Phoenix Game Plan

Ernie Merrick has made some shrew purchases in the off-season, with Carlos Hernandez and Kenny Cunningham coming into the squad to augment Wellington’s attacking stocks. Westpac Stadium is usually a fortress yet the Phoenix do not have a great record against the roar.

Expect to see Hernandez and Cunningham pulling the strings from midfield in an attempt to cut off supply to Berisha. If he gets too close to the Phoenix goal he’ll be unstoppable so the defensive line-up will need to be on their game to stop him. At the other end of the park Jeremy Brockie will be looking to continue his patch of form that saw him nearly win the Golden Boot last season.

Key Player: Jeremy Brockie

One of the most prolific and exciting strikers last season, Brockie will be looking to steal the Golden Boot away from Besart Berisha. He won’t need to reinvent the wheel this season to continue along his goal-scoring ways but the signings of Hernandez and Cunningham should see Brockie, alongside the evergreen Paul Ifill, competing between themselves for goals this season.

Roar Game plan

With a 42% win rate at Westpac Stadium, the Roar would be fancying their chances against the Phoenix despite the lack of home advantage. With Berisha at the tip of the attack the Roar will try to control the midfield so as to keep Hernandez and Cunningham safely contained. If their defence does not keep the Costa Ricans in check they could be in for some long-range strikes… and we all know Hernandez can score those. Otherwise it will be business as usual for the Roar: pass short, pass often, dominate the midfield and get the ball to Berisha.

Key Player: Matt McKay

His experience and presence in midfield will be important when countering the Phoenix’s Costa Rican attacking midfielders. Combined with off-season purchase Liam Miller, Besart Berisha should receive a good amount of service as the Roar seek to start Season 9 off with a win.

Perth Glory v Adelaide United

Sunday 13 October 17:00 AEST Kick Off

Venue: NIB Stadium

Average goals per game at venue: 2.74

Head to Head

Played 24 Perth 8 Draw 5 Loss 11

A club optimistic of a third consecutive finals berth versus a club desperate to move on from turmoil; the clash between the Glory and Adelaide United is one with a lot riding for both teams. Perth Glory has lost some key players like Liam Miller and has replaced them with a swag of young hot-shots such as Ryan Edwards and Daniel de Silva. Adelaide United have tried to put the tumultuous 2012/13 season behind them by signing a new coach (Josep Gombau), a coach from the fabled Barcelona youth system. He has made some key signings this off-season, including two Spanish attacking midfielders, so the “celona” suffix this season must go to “Adelcelona” this year.

Glory Game plan

Expect to see a lot of pace from Perth Glory this year, with some extremely fast young players set to make up the Perth Glory attack. With Adelaide still a squad in transition, this is the perfect game for Perth to take advantage of any miscommunication or misunderstanding of the style of play, both of which are very real fears for Adelaide United. A lot of playing out from the back is the name of the game, in the hopes of feeding the fast outside players who can get behind the Adelaide defence.

Key Player: Jacob Burns

The enforcer of the Perth side, he will be expected to keep Adelaide at bay while starting off attacking movements for players like de Silva, Josh Risdon and Sidnei. However he will need to keep his aggression in check, for if he ends up being sent from the field, the whole setup may collapse in the face of Adelaide United’s short passing game.

United Game plan

With Michael Zullo and Steven Lustica now in the squad alongside Cirio and Isaias, the Adelaide United midfield can make some serious inroads if they can string together their passes. With Gombau bringing with him the Spanish system of passing, the success of United this season largely hinges on their ability to execute what the coach wants.

Expect to see Adelaide trying to retain possession in order to stop any swift counter-attacks from the youthful Perth Glory attack, while at the same time controlling the final third so their new style of passing can be used to split the Perth Glory defence. Jacob Burns and Steve McGarry will do their best to stop Adelaide but Zullo’s pace and experience should still help him exploit any weaknesses in Perth’s defence.

Key Player: Josep Gombau

While not a player, his influence and training is going to be key to Adelaide this season. If he hasn’t recruited well enough or his side hasn’t picked up his style of play in time, then all of his recruitment has been for naught. That being said, expect to see Cassio, Neumann and Zullo influencing this game the most out wide, which is where they will want the ball to remain.

Do you agree? One thing we can agree on is Thank goodness Football is back!

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