Entries from February 2008 ↓

This post continues our series of team profiles ahead of the Asian Champions League. Last week, we took an in-depth look at the Melbourne Victory. This week, we have a slightly less in-depth look at the Chunnam Dragons, the Victory’s first opponent in the ACL.

Chunnam Dragons:
City: Gwangyang, South Korea
Stadium: Gwang-Yang Stadium, capacity 14,284
Coach: Park hang-Seo

The Chunnam Dragons come into the 2008 Asian Champions League hoping to do better than in the 2007 ACL, when they crashed out at the group stage. Like last year, they qualified for the Asian Champions League by winning the Korean FA Cup. The FA Cup has been their only arena of success so far, having never won the K-League (the closest they ever came was runner-up way back in 1997). Last year, they finished 10th – very poor, considering it’s a 14-team competition.

So Chunnam are inconsistent but capable, beat-able but dangerous. I’m glad we have Chunnam in our group – not K-League champions the Pohang Steelers – but the Dragons should certainly not be underestimated. Continue reading →

A few weeks ago, Melbourne Victory CEO Geoff Miles promised fans change. On Monday, he delivered:

“Following consultation with our supporter groups, meetings with Telstra Dome and approval from Football Federation Australia, we’re pleased to announce several changes at Telstra Dome for our three AFC Champions League home matches.”

The changes certainly suggest that Telstra Dome will be easing up in its treatment of fans. Nothing, however, is said of Level 3; presumably, fans will still not be permitted to stand there. Continue reading →

Tickets for Melbourne Victory’s home games in the Asian Champions League group stage go on sale for general admission members tomorrow morning at 9am (Wednesday). Members with reserved seats were able to buy tickets today. Everyone else can start buying tickets on Friday.

Order tickets by calling 136 100, visiting a Ticketmaster outlet, or online through ticketmaster.com.au.

The Melbourne Victory worked their way to a 3-1 victory over the Whittlesea Zebras last night. Stefan Moore, the former Queens Park Rangers striker who is currently on a 2-week trial in Melbourne, scored twice – undoubtedly going a long way to securing a contract with the Victory. Archie Thompson scored the other goal.

Nick Ward, Joe Keenan, Ljubo Milicevic, Grant Brebner and Steven Pace were all absent due to injury. Billy Celeski and Nathan Elasi both featured in the match, the former instrumental in one of Melbourne’s goals.

Since I didn’t make it along to the game, I can’t offer much personal analysis. Anyone else go? What did you think of the Victory’s performance?

Read more: The Herald Sun

Provisional squad lists for the Asian Champions League were handed in on Monday, answering a few questions and raising a whole bunch of others.

Any players signed over the coming weeks or months will not be available for the Melbourne Victory during the group stage of the ACL.

Joe Keenan is the unlucky foreign visa player to be left out, with Ernie Merrick preferring Carlos Hernández, Leandro Love and Grant Brebner to the English left back. According to the club, however, it is able to recall Keenan in case one of its other three visa players is injured prior to the start of the ACL. Given Brebner’s current groin problems, the possibility of that happening is by no means improbable.

Other than Keenan, the entire roster of Victory players is on the provisional squad list for the Asian Champions League, including Adrian Caceres.

Over the next few weeks, I will be looking in detail at the Chunnam Dragons, Chonburi FC and Gamba Osaka. For today, I want to take a closer look the strengths and weaknesses of the Victory’s Asian Champions League squad. Continue reading →

The Melbourne Victory are set to play in Thailand in March, Japan in April and South Korea in May. Are you going to any of those matches?

Since Jetstar have some pretty cheap flights to Thailand, I’m guessing that’s the most likely option for most people. And considering it’s the week before Easter, it’s a great chance to get away for a while.

Then again, maybe some of you are going the distance and flying to Japan or South Korea.

Or maybe you’re all just going to the local pub to watch the games on Foxtel:)

Anyone going to Melbourne’s away games in the ACL?

The Herald Sun indicated last week that the Central Coast’s Tom Pondeljak is currently in negotiations with the Melbourne Victory.

Responses on the Melbourne Victory forum have been quite mixed. Pondeljak is a technically gifted player, but one who, at 32, is in the twilight of his career. In short, signing him would be risky and potentially wasteful if he should succumb to injury.

Sydney FC signed 34-year old Juninho but were unable to reap the benefits of their investment for much of the season. And Pondeljak is no Juninho.

On the other hand, if Pondeljak were to avoid injury, he would certainly be a valuable asset for the Victory. Granted, he has some competition in the attacking midfielder role, but with Kaz Patafta and Nick Ward both doubtful members of the squad for next season, Pondeljak may be a useful player to have on hand.

How do you rate Tom Pondeljak? Should the Victory sign him?

Valentine’s Day is this Thursday, which I’m sure means that all of you will be busy taking someone special out for dinner.

Or, for the slightly less romantic option, you could take them to Epping Stadium to watch the Melbourne Victory take on Victorian Premier League side the Whittlesea Zebras.

The game kicks off at 7pm and is free entry. With the friendlies against Adelaide set to be played behind closed doors, this friendly may be one of the only chances to see Melbourne before the Asian Champions League gets going next month.

One midfielder in, another one out.

But is Billy Celeski a same-for-same replacement of Adrian Caceres? It would appear not. Celeski is an attacking midfielder, but one who is best played in the centre of the park. It seems the wide position played by Caceres will still need filling.

After the Perth Glory’s 4-2 win over Sydney FC in December, in which Celeski scored a hat-trick, Glory coach Dave Mitchell said:

“Billy Celeski is technically a very good player.

“It’s very hard to play him in the line up sometimes and where you want to play him is in behind the front two because that’s probably his best position.”

Source: FourFourTwo

If Mitchell had problems fitting him into the Perth line-up, Celeski is going to have an even harder time securing a regular spot in the starting line-up at the Melbourne Victory. Nick Ward, Kaz Patafta and Carlos Hernández are three other attacking midfielders Ernie Merrick could use behind the strikers. Continue reading →

Thank you to everyone who voted in the MVFC Awards!

Voting is now closed. In two of the categories, clear winners emerged, but in the third, it was a very tight race.

Without further ado, here’s who you voted the best Melbourne Victory players in 2007/08:

Continue reading →