Entries from January 2008 ↓

Since I first posted about Lucas Pantelis potentially signing with Melbourne Victory, a few more potential new recruits have been mentioned in the press:

• Sasa Ognenovski: Simon Hill mentioned this one during the match on Saturday night. Could the Queensland Roar defender be on his way down to Melbourne? The chance to play in the Asian Champions League will undoubtedly sweeten the deal.

• Stuart Musialik: Great defender, but how will he get along with Rodrigo Vargas, whom he called a “black monkey” earlier this season? Another player for whom the Champions League could prove a drawcard.

• Nathan Burns: Doesn’t seem like this is a very likely prospect, but from the sounds of it, Melbourne has made an offer. An excellent striker whose presence in the squad would definitely put more pressure on Danny Allsopp and Archie Thompson to perform.

Steven Pace has also had his contract extended. I think he’s going to struggle for a place in the starting line-up, but he has definitely proved his worth in what little game time he’s had.

Meanwhile, I’ve written an article about the problem of Australia’s representation at the Asian Champions League over on Newsvine. In the article, I discuss the problems with having last year’s Australian champions playing in this year’s ACL – a problem highlighted by the fact that both Adelaide and Melbourne are unlikely to reach this year’s A-League finals.

You can read the full article here:  The Problem with the Asian Champions League.

Queensland Roar 1, Melbourne Victory 2

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExEGDlajGJ0[/youtube]

Talk of the town is that Lucas Pantelis has been discussing his options with the Melbourne Victory recently.

The 25-year old midfielder, who has been with Adelaide United since the start of the A-League, may be after a change of scenery when his contract runs out with Adelaide in January.

If he is signed, Pantelis would be a great boost for the Melbourne midfield. Left-footed and dangerous in attack, some Victory fans will remember the goal he scored against us in round 8 (if not, watch the video here – it’s the last goal). It hurts to get strikes like that against you, but it sure would be nice having a player capable of that on your side.

The Melbourne Victory meets the first placed team for the second week in a row on Saturday night. Queensland Roar hit the top of the ladder after beating Perth 4 – 1 and watching the Victory wreak havoc on the Central Coast Mariners.

The Roar may be first, but they’re far from secure. Goal difference is all that sets them above the Mariners, who meet the Perth Glory this weekend. Meanwhile, Sydney FC is trailing by just three points.

Queensland need to come away from Saturday’s match with full points.

But they’ll have to deal with the Victory, who came alive on Monday in a confidence-building performance against Central Coast. Continue reading →

Matthew Trott must be the unluckiest goalkeeper in the country. When Danny Vukovic was sent off against Sydney FC, Trott came on to defend the Mariners 2 – 0 lead.

By the end of the game, he’d let through five.

And then it happened again. Four Melbourne Victory goals in the first half and a fifth in the second. After spending 16 rounds at the top of the league this season, the Central Coast Mariners have relinquished first place in spectacular fashion. Continue reading →

Pim Verbeek announced his 22-man selection for a Socceroos training camp next week. Among them are Melbourne Victory’s Archie Thompson, Kevin Muscat and Rodrigo Vargas.

Only A-League players were picked for the training camp, though Verbeek insists there’s no guarantee that he’ll pick exclusively A-League players for the opening World Cup qualifier against Qatar on February 6.

On his perception of the A-League, Verbeek said:

“I enjoyed every game I’ve seen, the stadiums are fantastic, the crowds are unbelievable.”

“I saw great goals, but I saw also unbelievable mistakes.”

“It’s up to me to find out if the players make that same mistake too many times because then I cannot use them.” (The World Game) Continue reading →

Central Coast Mariners 2, Melbourne Victory 5

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moQklwIsfuk[/youtube]

When my friend called me on Monday evening and asked whether Melbourne had won, he was astonished: “5-2?! You’re kidding me!”

After only winning three games all season, an overwhelming victory against the league leaders was surprising – to put it lightly.

This week’s poll: What made the difference? 

I’ve come up with four possible explanations:

1. Nick Ward’s introduction to the squad.
2. Luck.
3. A poor performance by the Mariners.
4. Lack of pressure, with a finals berth all but impossible.

Which one of these best explains how the Melbourne Victory was able to surge to a 5-2 win over the Central Coast Mariners? Or was it something else altogether?

Vote in the sidebar and leave your comments below! You can pick more than one answer.