Jump to content
Download the PL Forum App!
** ELO Ratings are now back **

A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm)

Beejayville
 Share

Recommended Posts

Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
Posted

Melbourne Victory v Queensland Roar Date: Friday September 28 Kick-off (local time): 8.00pm Venue: Telstra Dome Radio coverage: SEN1116 (Melbourne) Head-to-head Six league meetings: Melbourne - 3 wins, Queensland - 2 wins, 1 draw Previous meeting Melbourne 1 Queensland 2 (Telstra Dome, Hyundai A-League round 20, January 2007) Past five results Melbourne: Draw - Draw - Draw - Draw - Draw Queensland: Draw - Draw - Loss - Win - Loss Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick is expected to go on the offensive in search of the Victory's first goals at Telstra Dome this season when interstate visitor Queensland Roar arrives for Friday night's encounter. The Victorians, in the midst of an unprecedented run of five straight Hyundai A-League draws, still count their grand final thumping of Adelaide United in February as their last competitive win. But Merrick looks set to ratchet up his forward intensity after an unfamiliar barren start by keeping patience with on loan Brazilian Leandro alongside Archie Thompson and even possibly recalling Daniel Allsopp after he fractured two ribs against the Mariners. Melbourne was also noticeably more fluent going forward after the arrival of international Carlos Hernandez at half-time in last week's draw with the Jets while Leandro supplied the inch-perfect cross for Thompson to begin the Victory's revival. Defensively Merrick must again reshuffle after Matthew Kemp was ruled out because of tightness in his groin while Ljubo Milicevic is still awaiting his first taste of playing at the Telstra Dome after lasting only 32 minutes of Melbourne's season opener at Westpac Stadium before succumbing to a knee injury. Captain Kevin Muscat is named in a 17-man squad despite a reported knee problem but Merrick still drafts in Kaz Patafta and Daniel Vasilevski as cover. The Roar was one of the three teams (Adelaide and Newcastle were the others) which beat Melbourne at the Dome last season when Dario Vidosic scored an injury time winner to keep Queensland in the hunt for a finals place. Frank Farina, who names the same 15-man squad, hinted at changes to his forward structure earlier this week after deploying Ante Milicic, Simon Lynch, Reinaldo and Marcinho to little effect in last Saturday's defeat to Sydney FC Of the quartet only Reinaldo has found the net this season. Both Milicic and Lynch scored freely in pre-season but the Scotsman, who started his Hyundai A-League career with such a bang, hasn't now scored in the league for over a year. Farina might be unable to resist recalling Melbournian Massimo Murdocca to the starting side while fellow Victorian Sasa Ognenovski, an emergency centre forward last week, looks set to return in defence. More width looks like being provided by Farina deploying wing-backs with playmaker Marcinho also likely to be asked to play wider. Only six of the Brazilian's 25 efforts on goal this season have hit the target.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) SQUADS Melbourne Victory Squad: 1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (Captain), 3.Daniel PIORKOWSKI, 6.Steve PANTELIDIS, , 8.Grant BREBNER, 9.Danny ALLSOPP, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.Joseph KEENAN, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 13.Kaz PATAFTA,14.Adrian CACERES, 15.Leandro LOVE, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Daniel VASILEVSKI, 18.Leigh BROXHAM, 20.Eugene GALEKOVIC, 21.Sebastian RYALL. *two to be omitted In: Danny ALLSOPP (returns from injury), Kaz PATAFTA (promoted), Daniel VASILEVSKI (promoted) Out: Matthew KEMP (groin – 2 weeks) Others Unavailable: Ljubo MILICEVIC (knee - 2 weeks) Queensland Roar FC Squad: 1.Liam REDDY (gk), 4.Craig MOORE (Captain), 5.Josh McCLOUGHAN, 7.Michael ZULLO, 8.Massimo MURDOCCA, 9.Simon LYNCH, 10.Ante MILICIC, 11.REINALDO, 14.Ben GRIFFIN, 15.Matt McKAY, 16.Hyuk-Su SEO, 18.Danny TIATTO,19.Sasa OGNENOVSKI, 23.MARCINHO, 30.Griffin McMASTER (gk). In: None Out: None Others Unavailable: Matt Ham (shoulder injury – out for season), Andrew Packer (calf injury – 2 weeks). Impending stats, facts and trivia: Melbourne Victory will equal the longest sequence of drawn matches (6) at national league level in Australia should they notch a draw against the Roar this weekend. After drawing their first five matches of the Hyundai A-League 2006/07 season, the Victory are one more draw away from equaling the record of consecutive draws set in the old NSL by Brisbane Lions in 1980 and St George in 1990/91. The last match Melbourne did not draw in the Hyundai A-League was the comprehensive 6-0 win over Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League 2007 Grand Final.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Allsopp, Muscat unlikely for melbourne Victory Melbourne Victory is likely to be without two of its most experienced players in Friday night's Hyundai A-League clash against Queensland at Telstra Dome. Victory coach Ernie Merrick has conceded that both skipper Kevin Muscat and striker Danny Allsopp are unlikely to play in the match, and the club has named a squad of 17, with Daniel Vasilevski and Kaz Patafta to come on to the bench if both Muscat and Allsopp are ruled out. Muscat failed to get through a full training session on Thursday, as he struggles to overcome a knee injury. Allsopp missed last week's 2-2 draw in Newcastle with a rib injury sustained against the Mariners the previous week. Merrick said the striker had not recovered as quickly as he would have hoped and may need another week on the sidelines. Matthew Kemp has been ruled out with a groin injury which is expected to sideline the former Adelaide United left back for a fortnight. Melbourne goes into the match looking to record its first win of the season after five consecutive draws. While he'd like to have had a win on the board already, Merrick is confident in the style of game the Victory are playing. But after failing to score at home in two games so far this season, Merrick did say he would go with three strikers, likely to be Leandro Love, Archie Thompson and Adrian Caceres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ads25

ads25

Posted
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Melbourne vs Queensland Hard to see anything other than a home victory here. Despite having five straight draws, Melbourne have been playing some decent footy and now they are getting players back from injury i expect them to become a force again. Melbournes main problem is that they cant convert chances, they set up so many goals but they just lack that finishing touch. With Thompson and Allsopp, and possibly Leo Love all starting, Melbourne will be all out to attack to rectify this issue. Queens have a similar issue, they too struggle to convert chances. They have lost their past 2, but have been playing ok. But i have to admit i really fancy the home win and ill be heading to the game in little over an hour and expect a big crowd on hand. I'll report back after the match to share some thoughts. Pick Melbourne Win at $2.10 - Centrebet

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Head to Head

Melbourne P7-W3-L2-D2 (Home: P4-W1-D1-L2)

12-Jan-07

Melb. Victory

1 - 2

 Queensland Roar

17-Nov-06

Queensland Roar

0 - 2

 Melb. Victory

1-Oct-06

Melb. Victory

4 - 1

 Queensland Roar

11-Aug-06

Melb. Victory

P 0 - 0 P

 Queensland Roar

15-Jan-06

Queensland Roar

0 - 1

 Melb. Victory

4-Nov-05

Melb. Victory

0 - 1

 Queensland Roar

18-Sep-05

Queensland Roar

1 - 1

 Melb. Victory

Queensland have a fair record against Melbourne and I was at Telstra Dome last year when Queensland served it up to the Victory.

Melbourne are the likely victors if they can convert, but the away side are also a big chance if they can convert. Queensland are out to $3-50 on Sportingbet which is massive overs in my view. The Roar with an asian handicap bet is definitely worth a punt, although I am opting for a draw here tonight.

Do not have time for any other input but I believe this has all the makings of another Melbourne draw.

Melbourne/Queensland to DRAW @ $3-30 (Sportingbet)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ads25

ads25

Posted
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Planned to go down to the game but missed the train by 5 mins so ended up watching the game in Ballarat. Melbourne looked pretty good, but Queensland still dominated for large parts of the game. Melbourne are starting to get their act together now though and are starting to look dangerous every time they go into attack, they are looking very ominous and will certainly be in the playoffs this season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Melbourne Victory 2 - 0 Queensland Roar 67m Muscat (penalty) 85m Thompson Melbourne Victory has secured its first win of the 2007/08 Hyundai A-League season, with a Kevin Muscat penalty and a late Archie Thompson special giving the champions a 2-0 success over Queensland Roar at Telstra Dome. The Victory had managed five draws before this match and a record-equalling sixth was on the cards before Leandro Love earned a penalty which the Victory skipper converted on 67 minutes. The Brazilian also had a hand in the second, lobbing the Roar defenders for Thompson squeeze the ball past an unlucky Liam Reddy on 85 minutes. Queensland again showed plenty of enthusiasm and was the better side for much of the match, but was ultimately let down by its execution. It now has one win, two draws and three loses to show from its first six games. Queensland coach Frank Farina felt the scoreline was not an accurate reflection of how the game panned out, but that the lack of finish was a major concern. It was a subdued opening 20 minutes from both sides with nothing to seriously trouble the keepers. Matthew McKay delivered a well-taken free kick which forced the Victory custodian Michael Theoklitos off his line. Reddy charged off his line soon after to hack a long ball to safety with Thompson lurking. The Victory's first clear chance came on 29 minutes from a miscued pass which found Love in acres of space on the right. The Brazilian picked out Danny Allsopp, with the striker's cute shot narrowly wide. The attacking thrusts looked more cohesive as the half wore on, but the quality chances weren't being created. Love, the liveliest player on the pitch, spoilt an excellent chance set up by Leigh Broxham with a rigid first touch and then shot wide after Thompson burst from inside the defensive half and delivered the ball to him on the edge of the box. In a late heart flutter for Theoklitos, he was forced to back-peddle and deflect Marcinho's cross over the bar to preserve the stalemate at half time. Early in the second half, Pantelidis pulled of an excellent challenge to thwart Simon Lynch as he burst clear on goal, while soon after Grant Brebner joined Danny Tiatto in Ben Williams' book. Daniel Piorkowski was the third player cautioned on 55 minutes. Bu the end of the game, seven players had received yellow cards. Rody Vargas produced a stunning goal-line clearance on the hour mark after Craig Moore crept forward and had beaten Theoklitos with his shot. Wrong-footed, Vargas raised his left leg to knock the ball clear. The game's first goal was created by Thompson, who received a long ball, ducked around his marker and crashed the ball into the bar. It deflected to Leandro, who was brought down by Sasa Ogenenovski, and Williams pointed to the spot. Muscat took his stunning run of penalty takes to a perfect 13 from 13 in the Hyundai A-League, smashing the ball into the top of the net. The Victory, energised by their first goal at home this season, pressed forward immediately sensing a second. But Thompson, clear in the box, headed wide. Michael Zullo came on for Lynch, and got under the home side's guard, almost equalising after hitting the post with his header and directing a shot from the rebound across the face. But the game was sealed when Love found space down the right, chipped the ball over to Thompson, who had no trouble slotting home goal number two for the season from a tight angle. The Qantas Socceroo could have had another but for McKay's desperate challenge. The Roar were not to be denied, and were unlucky not to get a goal when Theoklitos spilled from a goalmouth scramble, only for the ball to roll wide. The visitors laid siege to the Melbourne goal late on, but couldn't get through the Victory defence. Crowd: 25,622

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Beejayville

Beejayville

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Re: A league - Round 6 - Melbourne vs Queensland (Fri 28 Sep - 8pm) Great work AJ and Ads on tipping the Melbourne win at reasonable odds :ok The A League this season is basically down to who takes their chances. Roar should have had the opening goal but missed a sitter that a 10 year old could have got home. Queensland have more shots that anybody and last night they had more shots than Melbourne and they were the away team. If you could magically work out which side was going to convert on a given night then this league would be easy. Having said that, Central Coast and Melbourne appear the strongest sides quite easily, followed closely by the Jets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...