The A-League is back in session and vital competition points will be on the line in five matches in Round 2.
Following the first-up bye, the Newcastle Jets will officially launch their campaign, and they will have their hands full with F3 Derby rivals the Central Coast Mariners.
The Victory remain at home and will be eager to record their first win of the season over the Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night.
It was a typically tough first-up assignment for the new-look Victory, who were held to a goalless draw by crosstown rivals City. Given it was their first real competitive match with Marco Kurtz at the helm, I have little doubt they’ll improve from the effort and will be hard to beat this week.
The Wanderers contested their first match at the new ‘Wanderland’ and were troubled consistently by last season’s cellar-dwellers the Central Coast. It’s obviously extremely difficult to line up Week 1 form, but the Wanderers well and truly got out of jail as the result of a penalty and they face a big step up in class this week.
Betting suggests that the most one-sided fixture in Week 2 of the A-League will play out between Sydney FC and the Wellington Phoenix, at the home of the former of Friday night.
Sydney strode out to an early lead over Adelaide United and while they did concede a couple of goals, they ultimately weathered what was a spirited fightback successfully. They enter this match full of running and eager to build on the win.
Wellington suffered a disappointing loss first-up and will forever be remembered as the club that first lost a competitive fixture to Western United. They face an even tougher task this week and it is tough imagining them making enough of an improvement to compete.
Western United will step out at home for the first time in their existence but will need to be at their best to contain last season’s Grand Finalists, the Perth Glory.
It was a perfect start for the A-League’s newest franchise, who got the win over a credible Wellington Phoenix outfit. Fittingly, it was one of the league’s greatest ever marksmen in Besart Berisha who netted the franchise’s first goal.
Perth looked to have it all sewn up in the nation’s west until Brisbane slotted a contentious, though ultimately legal goal in the final throws of the match. They will undoubtedly feel like they should be carrying winning form into this contest and will be eager to respond with three competition points. I think they will.
Saturday evening takes us to Gosford and the first F3 Derby of the season. Regardless of form, this is generally always a good contest and this early in the season, I think we could be treated to something.
For a side that finished comfortably at the bottom of the table last season, the Mariners actually looked pretty good in Week 1 and were unlucky not to take anything from their match with the Wanderers. Milan Duric’s 36th minute strike was all class and if that is a sign of things to come, it could be a very competitive campaign for the Mariners.
The Jets had the bye in Week 1, and this will be the first time that we see them in action. I’ll be eager to see them in action before making any predictions on what might lay ahead.
The Mariners are over the odds in head to head betting.
Round 2 of the A-League will end in Melbourne on Sunday evening when City host Adelaide United.
City contested an extremely boring goalless draw with crosstown rivals the Victory last week and will need to be a lot better this week. I think that they will improve from that hit-out, but they come up against a well-drilled side that is clearly hungry to win.
Adelaide were desperately unlucky not to take anything from their match with Sydney FC, and I think they’ll be quietly confident of responding with a win, against what is an easier opposition (albeit away from home).
Happy to take the value on offer for the Reds this early in the season.