AuthorJeffEyesRimmer The 12th iteration of the A League regular season has finished and the finals are upon us. It’s been a fantastic season and the finals are probably the most competitive in the leagues history. The regular season saw Sydney FC break the total point’s record with 65 points and Besart Berisha became the all-time greatest goal scorer in the Leagues history. The Melbourne Victory striker now has 100 goals to his name and he’s the first to get there too. The preliminary finals start tonight, with Brisbane Roar up against Western Sydney Wanderers and then on Sunday its Perth Glory versus Melbourne City. Below is a rundown of who I think will go all the way to the grand final. Sydney FC
A tremendous season for Sydney FC, Minor Premiers and with only one loss in the entire season, they are the team to beat in the finals. With that solitary loss it really is hard to look past them. We said at the beginning of the season they were in with a chance and that’s been proven. A total of 20 wins out of 27 is as an impressive season as you get and the goals have been spread through the team, only 12 goals conceded too. They just are the team to beat and I think they will be the grand final winners. Melbourne Victory A great season and never really in doubt for second place in the end the Victory cannot be ignored in the finals. They have pedigree over recent season in the finals and in Berisha have the league’s top ever goal scorer and has 19 goals to his name this season too. I think they will end up playing Brisbane in the semi-final and with the home advantage I am tipping them to make the grand final. I think the grand final will be against their big time rivals Sydney FC but they haven’t beaten them this season and I can’t seem them doing it in the final either. I think its runners up in the final as well as the regular season for Melbourne Victory. Brisbane Roar In Jamie Maclaren they have the joint top league scorer and they have the home advantage in the first preliminary finals. I think they will have learnt from last season’s heartbreaking finals loss to Western Sydney Wanderers (again tonight opponents) and will not capitulate like last time. I can’t see another 5-4 game (unfortunately) and foresee a more tight game, a game that I think the Roar will come out on top of this time. If they make it through then they will be up against Melbourne Victory. The week break is a massive advantage and with it being in Melbourne as well I can’t see them beating the Victory. I think they will bow out at the semi-final stage. Melbourne City Another 4th position on the ladder, City just can’t seem to break into that top four. On paper they probably have the strongest squad but while they have looked irresistible going forward this season their defence has looked shaky. Bruno Fornaroli is always going to be a threat, as his 17 goals this season shows, but at the back they can go missing. I can see Perth capitalising on this and knocking them out in the preliminaries. Perth Glory We said it might it be a fun season for the team out west and so it proved, they finished 5th again. They have had a decent season this year, with both Castro and Keogh scoring 12 goals each, so they do have serious threat going forward. If those two players are firing then I can see Perth beating City and going onto the semi-finals. They have scored plenty of goals this season but the Glory has a leaky defence and this may prove the undoing for them. Both games against Melbourne City this season have yielded goals and with both teams defences having shown to buckle under pressure I expect some goals in this one. They would have to play Sydney FC in the semi-final and I just cant see them not conceding against the best attack in the league and so I think they will bow out in the semis. Western Sydney Wanderers Too many draws and not enough goals has meant 6th place for Western Sydney this season. They do have the third best defence in the league and go into tonight’s preliminary final against Brisbane as one of the form teams but I can’t see them beating Brisbane in Queensland. I think it will be a close game though due to WSW defence being strong. I think it will come down to a single goal in this one but not for WSW. How do you think the finals will go? Do you agree with me that Sydney FC will win it all? Previous Article: http://footballoutcasts.weebly.com/articles/a-league-preview |
AuthorsJust Some Fans Writing About Football. Archives
June 2018
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