March 25, 2013, 11 p.m.
AS we suspected it might months ago, the make-up of the A-League play-offs will go down to at least the second-last match of the regular season, and the minor premiers will not be known until at least Friday night, possibly Saturday, in the final weekend of league fixtures.
I've made my feelings very clear over a number of seasons that all final round matches should start simultaneously. Mariners coach Graham Arnold was a touch more vociferous on Sunday, even though his team is placed to advantage by the final round schedule.
There seems to be a little confusion about his post-match comments after the Mariners kept their Premiers Plate hopes alive with a 2-0 win at Adelaide.
Arnold quiet rightly emphasised that no team should have an advantage knowing what they need to do in the last round after others have played.
He then went on to say that should the Wanderers secure the minor premiership on Friday night by getting at least a point against the Jets, he would play the youth team on Saturday against Melbourne Heart with a view to resting players for their ACL commitment the following Wednesday.
Believe me, if the Jets roll the Wanderers, then Arnold will play his best side, and the Mariners will beat the Heart and take out the minor premiership.
He will then play a young side in the ACL match, and many of us in this neck of the woods will recognise the irony of the Jets helping the Mariners to win the minor premiership!
In truth - and this in no way detracts from the magnificent efforts of the Wanderers in the maiden season - that would probably be a fair outcome, because prior to the heavy physical toll exacted by ACL commitments, the Mariners were well in control of the league.
But I'm getting ahead of myself again. Two weeks ago I wrote that the league's governing body was probably lucky that the Brisbane Roar-Sydney FC match was scheduled first, not last, in the final round.
How right that has proven to be. Can you imagine if that fixture was scheduled for Sunday, both Newcastle and Perth draw at best (not too likely), and Brisbane and Sydney then need only not to lose to maintain their exact same positions in the top six. How would you approach that game?
Could we really be indignant and critical if the teams played a tepid, no-risk draw? I think not.
As it is, the powers that be can argue that we have potentially huge excitement scheduled for three out of the four days of the long weekend, and the TV ratings should be fantastic.
I take that on board in a still somewhat fledgling competition, but caution it's a fine line between great theatre and prospective farce.
As the fixture list sits for this round, the Mariners, Adelaide and Melbourne Victory all have the advantage of playing "wait and see" before finalising their line-ups for their matches.
Ange Postecogolou, whose Victory team plays away to Wellington in the last game on Sunday, already has the luxury of hosting a home semi-final and will know by then who has finished fifth and sixth.
He will know how many points Adelaide have, and could in theory, should Adelaide win, rest some key players and finish fourth if he liked the match-up against the fifth-placed side better than the sixth.
I'm not suggesting he would do that - he seems the most honourable of men, concerned only with his own side's development - but whilst ever we leave the opportunities in place by staggering the last round fixtures, we leave room for speculation.
If Adelaide United coach Michael Valkanis, a former tough centre half educated in the modern coaching vernacular but with honours in hard-nosed old school practicalities, so chooses he can have a huge say in who finishes in the top six.
If he fancies the match-up with Perth in a semi-final showdown, rather than Brisbane, Sydney or the Jets, he can influence that by his approach and team selection on Saturday night.
Again I am not suggesting this will happen, but let's imagine Brisbane and Sydney draw, and the Jets win. Valkanis can then afford to play a largely second-string side.
Adelaide rested and fresh, would then play a physically disadvantaged Perth, while eliminating fairly dangerous opponents in Sydney and Brisbane.
You may be thinking "that's a little far-fetched Lowey", but if you were a coach wouldn't you consider it?
I would have hated to play a Sydney City or Brunswick Juventus in the 80s given that scenario!
Surely it would be commonsense to remove all possible innuendo by starting all last round games simultaneously?
I'm guessing that logistically it would be very difficult to provide the normal top notch TV coverage on five games at once. Perhaps the upcoming partnership with SBS will assist with that alternative.
Can the Jets beat the Wanderers and make the play-offs? Yes they can, but I must admit I would have been more confident had the Wanderers already secured the Premiers Plate.
Instead of a relaxed, relieved opponent, the Jets will face a team on the brink of a massive achievement - a premiership in their first season.
The Wanderers need only a point to take the Premiers Plate and have proven very hard to break down this season, conceding 21 goals in 26 matches.
They will press high and pressure the Jets when it suits but are happy to concede possession and remain compact defensively when that is required.
The Jets will be fresh and full of running, and have beaten the Wanderers already this season.
I think the Jets will have the lion's share of the ball, but must be wary of over-committing and being stung on the counter.
Jets fans will be praying for a draw in the Brisbane-Sydney clash on Thursday night, which would ensure a play-off spot for the Jets if they could then secure three points on Good Friday.
Should be a great atmosphere, and a thrilling match.
No comments:
Post a Comment