A-League Finals: Week 1 Summary

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Weekend Wrap The two semi finals are still very evenly poised after the first weekend of finals, with predicting a winner in either semi final too hard to call. Sydney FC goes into the return leg of their minor semi final against Newcastle, holding a goal to the good advantage, but the Jets scored a valuable away goal. The major semi final was a typical finals encounter, with no quarter given and no goals scored either. The return legs in Newcastle and Melbourne respectively, are expected to be played in front of near capacity crowds, which should make for a pulsating weekend of football. Results SYDNEY FC 2 beat Newcastle Jets 1 Adelaide United 0 drew Melbourne Victory 0 Game Wraps It was a tale of two halves at Aussie Stadium, with Sydney eventually prevailing 2-1 against a plucky Newcastle Jets. Sydney came out on fire and soon had the Jets under pressure. With Terry McFlynn giving Jets playmaker Nick Carle no room, Sydney took full advantage and went ahead in just the 14th minute, when Nikolai Topor-Stanley’s header back into the goalmouth saw Alex Brosque get in between Jade North and Paul Okon and loop his header over a stranded Ante Covic. The lead was doubled on the half hour, when Steve Corica’s perfect cross was met by Mark Milligan, who powered his header past Covic. However in what may have proved a turning point on the match, McFlynn injured his groin with virtually the last play of the first half and the forced reshuffle had an unsettling effect on the home side in the second half. Newcastle and Carle in particular finally had some space in the middle of the park, as they pushed forward looking for at least one away goal to take back to Newcastle with them. The arrival of Milton Rodriguez, proved to be the boost the Jets needed and he several shots on goal, before brilliantly scoring in the 70th minute. Getting the ball from Carle, Rodriguez confused Mark Rudan, before dancing his way past Iain Fyfe and unleashing a powerful shot that gave Clint Bolton no chance. Both sides had chances as play opened up, but the score remained 2-1 and sets up a titanic clash at EnergyAustralia Stadium. The major semi final to decide which team will host the 2007 Grand Final is still no nearer to being decided after a 0-0 draw between Adelaide and premiers Melbourne Victory. Chances were few and far between in a match where both defences excelled and rarely let their opponents a sight on goal. Adelaide had the better of the opening half, with Nathan Burns shaving the post with a header, while Fernando also hit the woodwork with a header. Adelaide continued being the aggressor in the second half, with Victory content to soak up the pressure and contain Adelaide’s attack and hopefully get lucky on a counter. Several times they caused some anxious moments in the Adelaide defence, however they stood firm. Chances were even rarer in the second half, as Melbourne kept Adelaide scoreless and set up a mouth-watering return leg at the Telstra Dome in front of a crowd expected to be near capacity of around 50,000. Highlights Finals football lifts another notch from normal club matches and the intensity in both matches among players and fans was evident. With traveling fans increasing in numbers at finals matches, the atmosphere at both weekend matches was electric. Weekend Goals Tally: 3 Card Count: 8 yellows – 0 reds Attendance/Average: 36,687 / 18,344 Goal of the Week He has become somewhat of a cult figure to Jets fans and it’s not hard to understand why Milton Rodriguez is treated in this manner after his goal against Sydney. His shimmy to first get past Mark Rudan and quick little steps to get past Iain Fyfe onto his favoured left foot was simply something that can’t be taught. His finish was first class too, his shot giving Clint Bolton no chance. Player of the Week The major semi final was not your classic match, but it was hard and tough and nobody epitomised the determination to get the opposition out then Adelaide defender Angelo Costanzo. He was one of the main reasons why Melbourne’s dangerous frontline barely raised a shot on goal, with several telling desperation tackles. Player to Watch Qantas Young Socceroo striker Bruce Djite is big, strong, quick and skilful and is definitely a player of the future. Like his youth international strike partner Nathan Burns at Adelaide United, Djite could not be getting a better grounding in the art of forward play then from his coach John Kosmina, who was one of Australia’s greatest strikers. Used off the bench, Djite could be a big impact player in the finals.

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Re: A-League Finals: Week 1 Summary Sydney FC poised Sydney FC coach Terry Butcher believes his side is in the driving seat in the Hyundai A-League minor semi-final despite Newcastle Jets grabbing an away goal late in the first leg. Sydney led 2-0 at half-time on Friday before substitute Milton Rodriguez gave the Jets hope of turning the tie around by pulling a goal back in the 70th minute. Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond reckons that strike makes the tie "50-50" heading into the second leg as the away goal means the Jets only need a 1-0 win to progress. However, Newcastle have beaten Sydney just once in their previous nine meetings - their first-ever A-League clash at EnergyAustralia Stadium in September 2005 - and Butcher feels Sydney is better-equipped to get the result it needs. "Gary can say what he wants," said Butcher. "In the six matches we've played against Newcastle this season, including pre-season, we've won four and drawn two. "We won this game and we're still in a good position to go up there and get through, but it's still very tight. "If you look at the game last week, that was very much a high-pressure game up at Queensland, and the lads went up there and knocked the ball around very well. "We can be a good footballing side, but at the same time, in the second half (against Newcastle) it needed brave hearts again and nerves of steel to try to defend. "Once again we go into a high-pressure situation, which we've been in all season," he added. "Every game for us is a cup final, and Friday will be no different. "The players have responded to every challenge that's been put in front of them very, very well, and with the limited squad that we have, we'll go up there and give it everything we possibly can." With Sydney holding the best defensive record in the A-League, Van Egmond is expecting the reigning champion to sit back and try to defend its one-goal lead in Newcastle on Friday. Butcher, though, insists Sydney will try to repeat the same enterprising performance it produced on its last visit to EnergyAustralia Stadium in Round 18, having 20 efforts on goal to Newcastle's six and coming away with a 2-0 win. "The plan is to go up there and play as we did on New Year's Day and win 2-0. We want to go up there and be positive," said Butcher. "We know that Newcastle are a good side and there'll be a great atmosphere, it'll be immense, but these are the games that the players love to play in. Hopefully we can knock the ball about and get the result that will take us through." Stand-in midfielder Mark Milligan, who claimed his first A-League goal in the first leg, shares his coach's optimism. "We won the game and I'm very confident going to Newcastle," he added. "We've travelled well all year so I don't see why it should be any different."

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Re: A-League Finals: Week 1 Summary Kosmina confident Adelaide United coach John Kosmina is confident his side can upset Melbourne Victory in the second leg of the semi-finals but has urged his players to be "hungrier" when they take to the Telstra Dome next week. Kosmina was full of praise for his players' performance in the nil-all draw at Hindmarsh Stadium but wants them to make more of their opportunities in attack. The Reds entered the penalty area 27 times to the Victory's 11 but could only manage four shots on target. "We probably need to be a little bit hungrier in front of goals, take a bit of a chance," he said. "We had a good opportunity in the first half when Jason (Spagnuolo) could've had a shot and then laid it off to Ross (Aloisi) and then Ross could've had a dig." "They're the chances you've got to take; you've got to take responsibility in those areas." Kosmina said Melbourne were under pressure and believes they would be worried about their form which has left them without a victory in 2007. He said United's strong performance at home will also be a concern for the Victorian side. "They know we can play football, they are going to go out there next week with that in the back of their minds." "If they want to start throwing bodies forward then maybe they'll be at risk." Melbourne Victory will also be looking to increase its attacking focus after achieving its goal of keeping a clean sheet at Hindmarsh Stadium. Victory coach Ernie Merrick said he had plenty of options in the personnel department and felt strong support from a home crowd would get his side over the line. "I'm not sure how they'll play …we'll play attacking football with even more attacking play," Merrick said. Kevin Muscat agreed with his coach, believing supporters will see a different side next week. "We'll probably try to create a lot more next week, going forward, it didn't really happen for us too much today," Muscat said. "It's not panic stations, obviously at home we'll throw a lot more bodies forward and there is no doubt we'll create one or two more chances next week."

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Re: A-League Finals: Week 1 Summary Stalemate Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory have played out a nil-all draw in the first leg of their semifinal series at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday. The Reds were the better side throughout the contest but were unable to find the winner despite numerous attempts over the 90 minutes. The Victory went into defensive mode early in the second half but had their own chances to score against the tide of play thanks to some quick breaks from the back during the dying moments. United dominated the first half and were unlucky to find a winner - the Reds earned five corners and hit the woodwork twice. At 38 minutes Richie Alagich crossed the ball to Nathan Burns whose header grazed the left hand post of the goal. Just five minutes later a Matthew Kemp cross from the other side of the pitch was headed by Fernando but the deflection lobbed onto the crossbar. Earlier, it had been Bobby Petta's precision touch and movement in attack that got the home side off to a good start. But he sustained a foot injury and went to the bench before he'd really had a chance to do any damage. His replacement Jason Spagnuolo added some zip and was brimming with enthusiasm but got carried away and received a yellow card for a late tackle on Grant Brebner. Adelaide's change in personnel gave the Victory a chance to work their way into the contest and they made a couple of promising pushes forward. Fred and Archie Thompson joined forces and gave Adelaide a scare but the Reds managed to clear the ball before they could get a shot on goal. Daniel Allsopp also looked to score but was stopped by Ang Costanzo before he had a chance to get a kick away. Costanzo was a key player in the Reds first half - he along with Alagich and Michael Valkanis calmly cleared the ball from danger on a number of occasions. But the visitors good play was overshadowed by Adelaide's hunger and attacking play. United controlled possession and could've easily had a half time lead if its execution near goals was better. Travis Dodd ensured the momentum stayed with the Reds after the break - he put in two dangerous crosses in as many minutes and had a solid shot on goal. With the Reds continuing to press forward Melbourne's approach to the game changed - the Victory's focus was on keeping their opposition out rather than creating their own scoring opportunities. It made for life difficult for the home side and coach John Kosmina looked for a spark off the bench - at the 66th minute he substituted Nathan Burns for Bruce Djite. Djite was a real competitor but the Victory's defence remained firm. As the minutes ticked away, the pressure started to mount on an Adelaide line-up desperate to score and equally desperate not to concede to a less convincing Melbourne. When the Victory did turn the ball over and charged towards goal they threatened to convert opportunities. Allsopp and Kevin Muscat picked up some dangerous touches and there were some nervous times for the Reds' defence. Allsopp blazed away during injury time, hoping to score an unlikely winner, but the ball flew to the right of his target. Ross Aloisi also tried to break the deadlock in the dying moments but his crossing kick curled over the goal. Adelaide United coach John Kosmina said he was satisfied with the result and added it would've been "awfully cruel" if his side had lost the game. "No goals against, which is positive and the way we played was even more positive - it was a fantastic performance," Kosmina said. "They rely a lot on Archie (Thompson) and Fred and Danny Allsopp and when you stop one, the service to them, and when they if do get it you stop them from playing they tend to struggle a bit." "After today's performance we've got to be confident going there (Telstra Dome) next week." Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick said he was pleased with the team's defensive effort which ensured they returned home with a clean sheet. "They threw everything at us and couldn't score," he said. "It's a tough gig coming to Adelaide, an away game and getting a result." "We wanted a return leg at Telstra Dome with no disadvantage, we've got 50,000 people at home, and that's what we got." The sides will go head to head in Melbourne next weekend. Adelaide United 0 Melbourne Victory 0 @ Hindmarsh Stadium. Crowd: 15,575