Entries from March 2008 ↓

Matthew Kemp hasn’t had the greatest run with Victory fans since moving to Melbourne. His excellent form in the ACL has probably won him a few more admirers, but I think a little creativity from the sidelines could turn the bald-headed fullback into a crowd favourite: try this, Kempy.

The calf injury Archie Thompson picked up in the Socceroo’s World Cup qualifier with China earlier this week could keep him on the sidelines for the next six weeks.

At the very least, Archie will not be available for the Melbourne Victory’s April 9 Asian Champions League match against Gamba Osaka, considered by many to be the favourite of Group G. But he is likely to miss more than that, with Ernie Merrick suggesting the Victory may be without its marquee man for up to 8 weeks Continue reading →

The Socceroos side held China to a draw last night, keeping them at the top of the ladder in Group A of Asia’s 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Qatar, who beat Iraq 2-0, rise to 2nd place, a point behind Australia.

The Socceroos had almost everything go against them: a spate of injuries, a tough environment to play in, minimal preparation time. Ten minutes into the game, things started looking even worse, as Pim Verbeek was forced to sub Archie Thompson off after he picked up a calf injury. Continue reading →

The Socceroos meet China tonight in the second round of World Cup qualifiers, and it seems everything is stacked against them. Not only must they play China in Kunming, at the lofty height of 1900 metres above sea level, but they must also do so without several key players.

Players have been dropping like flies: Tim Cahill, Josh Kennedy, Scott McDonald, Brett Emerton, Mile Sterjovski, Bruce Djite. John Aloisi was not added to the squad, apparently due to a knee injury. Not was Mark Viduka, who must have pen poised to sign his international retirement. Continue reading →

Chonburi FC 3, Melbourne Victory 1

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8×8Eb3l4Pzg[/youtube]

Continue reading →

Well that wasn’t expected.

Chonburi FC wreaked havoc on the Melbourne Victory last night, trumping the Aussies with a 3-1 victory that put them at the top of Group G.

While Melbourne’s performance against the Chunnam Dragons mirrored the type of football they were playing towards the end of the A-League season, last night regurgitated memories of the first half of the season: long balls, wasted chances, poor passes. It was painful to watch the Victory slip into its old ways. Continue reading →

Chonburi FC hosts the Melbourne Victory tomorrow night in Bangkok. It may not be their home stadium, but the Thai champions will be hoping that the heat and humidity of Bangkok will give them an edge over the Victory.

Both teams enter the match on the back of a good result: Melbourne downed the Chunnam Dragons with a clinical 2 – 0 win, while Chonburi FC came away with a point from their match with Gamba Osaka. Both will take confidence from their performance, but last week’s results will also make them wary of this week’s opponent. Continue reading →

The FFA is considering the implementation of an FA Cup style domestic competition.

Ben Buckley and FFA board member Phil Wolanski met with a group of former Socceroos to discuss a range of issues, including the possibility of bringing in a knock-out competition. The competition would pit teams from the state leagues against A-League teams.

According to Alex Tobin, one of the Socceroos at the informal forum, there are logistical and geographical problems:

“Any talk about cup competitions in Australia has difficulties, obviously with the travel and a small club in NSW probably can’t resource itself to be able to play a small club in Perth, that’s the reality of it.”.

“So any cup competition may have to come with a notion of a regionalised system.

“Maybe A-League clubs and NSW Premier League and Victorian Premier League clubs can come in at a later stage, something of that nature.

“To give all clubs an opportunity of playing an A-League opponent is a great sort of fairytale story that you would love to see happen.

“It’s not easy, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s something at least we can put on the drawing board and maybe have a think about it and if it’s possible then it would be great to see and I’m sure the general public would get behind it.”

Source: NineMSN.

Neither the North Queensland Thunder nor the Gold Coast Galaxy will join the A-League in 2008/09. The A-League will remain an 8-team competition for another season.

While the Galaxy’s bid to join looked promising, North Queensland’s efforts at securing a place next season started to crack last week. The Thunder lost the financial backing of Millissa Fischer, without whom their bid just didn’t float. So they were out.

For the Galaxy, who had players and a coach ready to go, the FFA’s decision to scrap expansion for the time being will be disappointing. It will also be disappointing for A-League fans looking forward to a longer season. Continue reading →

Melbourne Victory vs. Chunnam Dragons, 2 – 0

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APZrK2BDRvA[/youtube] Continue reading →