Dino Kresinger ... can the WSW striker find his best form in Brisbane? Source: AAP
Will Western Sydney Wanderers break their winless and goalless duck this weekend? Well, the short answer, according to Fox Sports Stats, is no.
Well, the short answer, according to Fox Sports Stats, is no. And an unwanted record is looming quickly for Tony Popovic's men.
| P | W | D | L | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Perth | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Newcastle | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Wellington | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | Brisbane | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 6 | Central Coast | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Heart | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| 8 | Sydney | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 9 | Victory | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 3 |
| 10 | Western Sydney | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
If they fail to score on Saturday night then they will equal a long-standing goalless record set by Central Coast Mariners in the 2006-2007 season.
Their challenge is heightened by a visit to Suncorp Stadium to play defending champions Brisbane Roar.
Scoring a goal will be a major stretch this weekend for Wanderers. Grabbing three points needs a downright miracle.
Wanderers have improved markedly from their opening game in a number of possession-based categories.
Balls in the box have risen from 20 to 38 in three weeks, corners have increased from one against the Mariners to 10 against Sydney FC and passing accuracy has jumped from 75 per cent to 81 per cent.
Things are looking up.
But the fact remains that they haven't scored in 270 minutes of football - that's hardly surprising considering their shots on target statistics have dropped from six in week one to three in week two.
The 1-0 loss to Sydney FC last weekend already condemned them to the dubious distinction of becoming the first new team not to score in their first three games. But they do have a fair way to go to match the notoriety of the 2006-2007 New Zealand Knights team that failed to score in the first six matches of the season.
To make matters worse for WSW's strikers, Brisbane have accrued some pretty impressive defensive statistics this season.
The defending champions rate third in tackles with 96, second in tackle success with 68.8 per cent, third in clearance success at 96.1 per cent and third in blocked shots with 10.
But Roar are more renowned for their goalscoring pedigree and Ante Covic, who is currently sitting equal seventh in saves with six, including two penalty saves, can expect a busy night.
Perhaps the most ominous statistic for Wanderers is Roar's total dominance when they score first. They have scored first 90 times in their A-League history and have lost only twice.
Wanderers may be lucky enough not to have to face the injured Besart Berisha, but they still have the threat of Thomas Broich. Roar have only lost once in 28 games with Broich in the team at Suncorp Stadium.
The odds are Wanderers will have a better chance of getting off the mark the following week at home to Melbourne Heart.
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