IT WAS a disappointing night.

More than 14,000 of us turned up at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday evening to witness a game that never quite got going. The Reds against Queensland; pre-game it promised so much but like a postman away on sick leave, it delivered very little.

As a football purist I can easily appreciate and enjoy watching a 0-0 draw. The individual flashes of skill, the chess-like passing of the ball, the knife-edge saves of the keepers, the way the ball boys sometimes get distracted and forget where they are and what they’re supposed to be doing. It can all be enthralling.

In the wider context of the A-League though and in the building of the game, we need scoreless draws about as much as a man with no legs needs bowling shoes.
In terms of match entertainment (read ‘goals’ in the minds of the great unwashed newcomers) we need strikes not gutter balls.

But enough of the bowling analogies. This blog is about jigsaw puzzles.

There is nothing more frustrating that nearing the end of a 500 word jigsaw puzzle only to find that a piece or two is missing. It brings with it a sense of injustice.

This has been a mighty season for the Reds. Their achievements in both the ACL and the World Club Cup have been beyond all expectations.

Their results in the A-League, to date, have also been impressive. Overall it’s a very spectacular jigsaw of ‘Season 2008/09’ that is taking shape.

My fear though is that the Reds might just be one piece short. Winning the A-League title would be a fitting finale to the club’s efforts this year but their chances may well rest on one defining factor.

The missing piece, certainly at the moment, is Diego. They miss his creativity.

In the last few weeks the Reds have tried, without success, to unlock the defences of two of their three biggest rivals for the title this year, Melbourne and Queensland. In both matches they were unable to score and on both occasions, Diego was out injured.

If the missing piece can be found (ie. Diego recovers from injury) and assuming other factors are equal, I’ll wager that the Reds win the title. If Diego can’t play his part then the incomplete puzzle might just end up looking a bit ugly.

Urgent message to Viddie; make sure you check behind the couch.