It was without doubt the most sensible course of action, and with the Socceroos notching an emphatic 5-0 win over Malaysia (in which the highlight was the ref being chopped down from behind with a scything tackle…see) they go into tonight’s clash with a struggling Oman in fine fettle.
(UPDATE - just back from the game, a decent 3-0 win against a side that can play it around nicely but offer very little threat. Sterner tests will surely follow on the long road to Rio)
Unfortunately however, the marquee pair failed to create the fireworks and razzle dazzle that their new employers, the watching 40’000 in Melbourne, and the many more tuning in on Fox Sports, were hoping for. The game was played in a terrific atmosphere, Victory fans have their own take on the Poznan which allows them to actually watch the game at the same time; and there was no shortage of fire on the pitch, with Sydney losing a player in the dying moments after a brawl the likes of which we all love to see (but are supposed to disapprove of). The football itself was not quite so exciting though, sadly.
Moment of the match went to Victory keeper Ante Covic in saving a penalty from Brett Emerton which would have given him first blood in the Marquee-Off. Emerton struck it fairly weakly and it was just too close to the keeper, but the plaudits must go to Covic nonetheless. Later, his counterpart at the other end produced a decent if over-egged save to keep out a Kewell header that was part shoulder, part head, part ego.
Kewell carried himself with the air of one who knew he was the reason most of us were watching – without a shadow of a doubt he is the biggest draw this league has ever had. On the early evidence it was clear that his ability will set him in a class above the vast majority of his opponents and colleagues; the touch, vision, awareness and general quality that shone from him is all too often lacking in the A League. He will need to improve his fitness and probably learn more about the limitations of his teammates, but the early indicators suggest he will be worth the investment for the Victory.
Emerton is never going to show the same flair and razzle dazzle that HK can, but he is likely to be a solid addition for Sydney also. I’ll know more after my first visit to The Cove in too long, this Saturday when Sydney FC face last year’s champions Brisbane Roar who extended their unbeaten run to 29 games with an opening day win over defeated finalists Central Coast.
It is of course very early days for the season and whilst most pundits have picked out Perth, Adelaide, Central Coast, Victory and Brisbane as the main contenders, the thing that really strikes me about this league is going into each season, no-one really knows. The level of player turnover is incredible, most clubs bringing in and/or losing anything up to 11/12 players each Summer. This creates a large element of the unknown about every outfit which I must say I like – a failure of the major European leagues is the predictability with which their top reaches take shape; not so here.
That is not to say the game over here is a perfect model that should be followed – the way it is run leaves much to be desired, both on a macro and micro level, plus the interest is just not there at the levels required to turn it into a really competitive force, yet. But the salary caps and limitations on foreign players definitely make for a more level playing field, and that can only be a good thing. Right?
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