Entries from July 2008 ↓

Grant Brebner may be fit and ready by the third round of the new A-League season. The Scotsman struggled with a groin injury all of last season, and hasn’t played for the Victory since December.

A report in the Herald Sun today says that Brebner is focused on being back in action for Melbourne as soon as possible.

“Last year was personally one of the worst I’ve had in terms of how I felt,” he said.

“There was probably only two games where I felt 100 per cent and we . . . were hoping and praying it was going to get better through work off the park. But it got to the stage where it was obvious I needed to take an enforced break.

“I just couldn’t give my best (so) how long do you want to go on with it? Do you want to get it right or spend the rest of your career an 80 per cent player?”

Source: The Herald Sun

Brebner’s return would certainly give Ernie Merrick an interesting selection headache, with José Luis López, Leigh Broxham and Brebner all playing a similar defensive midfield role. And those aren’t even the only options available: Steve Pantelidis, Steven Pace and Kevin Muscat have all slotted into that position.

It’s an exciting prospect, really. Especially when you consider the plethora of attacking options around. Me thinks we’re in with a pretty good chance this year.

Melbourne Victory beat the Whittlesea Zebras last night with a comfortable 2-0 win. From the sounds of it, Melbourne delivered a stronger performance than last week’s effort against Green Gully.

The Victory started with a stronger line-up: Theo in goals; Thwaite, Vargas, Muscat and Kemp in defence; Ryall, Elasi, Ward and Pondeljak in midfield; and Allsopp and Fabiano up front.

Goals from Ney Fabiano and Nick Ward ensured a victory, while Mitch Langerak did well to stop a penalty in the second half.

The Melbourne Victory has officially announced what the Costa Rican press and many Victory fans have known for months: José Luis López has signed a 2-year loan deal with Melbourne.

Joe Keenan makes way for the Costa Rican international, ensuring Melbourne doesn’t spill over its quota of 4 visa players. Keenan is yet to sign a deal elsewhere, but trialled with the Newcastle Jets in May and has been passing around his resumé in the UK.

“Pupy” López, a holding midfielder, has been a regular starter in Costa Rica’s leading club, Deportivo Saprissa. He was also the captain of Costa Rica’s Olympic squad in 2004.

Ernie Merrick on the signing:

“We were always aiming to add another creative, holding midfielder and the job description really meant that we wanted someone with good experience.”

The Sydney Morning Herald

Signing a holding midfielder has been on Merrick’s to-do list for a while now, and López certainly seems like good value. At 27, he adds experience to a midfield stuffed with Olyroos. And if Carlos Hernández is anything to go by, a talented Costa Rican certainly has the potential to create headaches for A-League opposition.

But there’s something ominous about Merrick’s insistence on the need for another holding midfielder. This is a coach who, if you’ll remember, played three defensive midfielders for half of last season. Talk all you like about delivering attacking football, but when you stick Leigh Broxham, Kevin Muscat and Grant Brebner in the centre of the park, you have to wonder where that attacking spirit is going to come from.

Of course, that threesome was eventually dismantled, as Grant Brebner dropped out injured and Kevin Muscat was pulled back into defence.

With López, Merrick once again has the luxury of stacking his midfield with defensive players. Especially if Grant Brebner ever recovers from his groin injury.

Two holding midfielders is bearable. But please Ernie, please don’t put on three! I beg you.

There’s a new kid on the block of Australian football sites: The 84th Minute. Neil Zimmerman, who’s also responsible for Victory in Melbourne, is behind the new site, which is set to cover the latest football analysis, interviews with bloggers, and news about the local game.

To get the site rolling, there’s a few articles already:

• Will the dark horse finally come out into the light? by Neil Zimmerman. A look at Uzbekistan, the Socceroos’ first opponent in the next stage of World Cup Qualifiers.
• Job done, hopefully with more to come by Tony Tannous. An evaluation of the Socceroos’ efforts in their first stage of qualifiers.
• Melbourne’s ACL experience by yours truly. I take a look at the Victory’s efforts in the ACL.
• Max Power FC by Neil Zimmerman. Getting local with Max Power FC, Neil’s indoor soccer team that’s gone an entire season without a win.
• The Nearpost’s Eamonn Flanagan Exposed. An interview with Eamonn Flanagan, who blogs over on the Near Post.

The Melbourne Victory’s first pre-season match against Green Gully ended in a 3-1 loss last night. It was a forgettable match for Michael Thwaite and Ney Fabiano, both of whom were making their debút for the Victory.

Matthew Kemp scored Melbourne’s only goal from a penalty. But it was Green Gully, currently placed second in the Foxtel Cup, who made the biggest impression. Kristijan Ivesi, John Adam and Ryan Ollerton scored for Green Gully.

Melbourne had two players red-carded, the VIS’ Fabio Dilizia and Evan Berger, who picked up two yellows. Green Gully’s Emanuel Muscat also received a red card.

Melbourne was missing a host of players, including Archie Thompson, Carlos Hernández, Rodrigo Vargas, Nick Ward, Sebastian Ryall and Billy Celeski. It started the game with Danny Allsopp, Ney Fabiano, Tom Pondeljak, Leigh Broxham, Evan Berger, Michael Thwaite, Kevin Muscat, Steven Pace, Matthew Kemp, Michael Theoklitos and Steve Pantelidis. The bench consisted of a slew of VIS youngsters.

Aaron Healy was coach in Ernie Merrick’s absence.

The Victory have one more friendly before they play Adelaide United in Launceston on July 20 for the Pre-Season Cup. They play the Whittlesea Zebras on July 15 at Epping Soccer Stadium.