A-League football headed to the Apple Isle midweek, over 5,000 people would see Gold Coast United steal a late equaliser against Melbourne Victory. Harry Kewell would put Victory ahead on the 64th minute with a sneaky free-kick, until Gold Coast defender Michael Thwaite would barge through the Victory defence to equalise with seconds remaining.

Melbourne Victory

1. Same old story…
Again, Victory would concede their lead to drop a win that wasn’t far away. This has been the case for most of the season and I’m sick of it happening. It was refreshing hearing Harry Kewell call the result “disgusting” post-game, which I agreed whole-heartedly with. You can talk about tactics, formations etc but if you have players that can’t play for 90 minutes, I know where I’ll look first.

2. No pressure late in the game
Rather than go after the Gold Coast’s jugular late in the game, Victory looked pretty content to just absorb and hit on the counter. The problem was playing too deep in their own half, and when the ball got to the other end the forwards looked to just waste time. Let me finish with this question: Brebner, Broxham and Kewell were the last line of defence when Michael Thwaite scored, where were Franjic, Milligan and Leijer?

3. The case of Carlos
The playmaker wasn’t included in the starting XI, as Magilton opted for Jean-Carlos Solorzano to start up front with Archie Thompson. I agreed with the move, Hernandez didn’t look right or like he wanted to be out there against Sydney. Hernandez needs to prove whether he wants to do the hard work, or else he may continue to find himsef on the bench.

He went unused for the 90 minutes, which I thought was an error. Hernandez is a player that can change a game any minute, the perfect time to bring him on was after the Kewell goal. Try and kill the game that way.

4. Archie Thompson’s form
This is the second game in a row where Thompson has failed to fire and put away chances. His late miss would come back to hurt Victory, Michael Thwaite would equalise shortly after. I hope it isn’t the start of a slide for Thompson, who would nail those goals he missed nine times out of ten. There is no one better to watch in full flight than the Victory no.10

5. Some positives
And that was the performances of Marco Rojas, Jean-Carlo Solorzano and Ante Covic. Rojas is a talented upcoming star, and it was great seeing him play with confidence. He linked up well with Solorzano in particular, on that right side. It was good to see Solorzano start as well, but he will need time to form a partnership up front with Thompson. Covic also stood up, making huge saves after his struggle against Sydney. However, too often he is relied on to keep teams out.

 

Gold Coast United

1. Draw a fair result
I don’t think either side did enough to win the game at the end of it. Gold Coast had the majority of the ball in the last 20 minutes and had chances throughout, but didn’t take them. They lost James Brown early and that was a set back, as I think his pace would have been a key in the 90 minutes. All in all, it was dramatic but a point at least was what Gold Coast deserved out of the game.

2. Better in midfield
This is where they had the better of Victory for the night. Salley and Jungschlager were in midfield, and offered more than the Victory pairing of Brebner and Broxham. Jungschlager is better used in midfield, rather than defence as he was used earlier in the season. Salley is solid if unspectacular, which is what they need.

3. Michael Thwaite’s goal
The ex-Victory defender and Gold Coast leader got his side a point with a barging run through the centre of the Victory defence. His face said it all as he scored his first A-League goal. The club has lost plenty of personnel between now and the end of last season, he has been a constant for the them. He is their most important player and is the type that Victory are missing.

4. Talented, unlucky, mixed side
It is a credit to Miron Bleiberg’s work at the glitter strip that the side is in contention for finals, albeit a slim one. It has been on the back of a mixed squad of youth and experience, as well as Miron’s “lizard” system. The young players are leading and are key.

Brown, Halloran, Harold, Rozic are exciting prospects and are a boon for the struggling club. I feel they are unlucky to be last, as they have been entertaining to watch and just haven’t converted draws to wins. I don’t think they’ll play finals, but can be positive for their on-field future.

5. Thoughts are with Paul Beekmans
Gold Coast lost a player this week when Paul Beekmans was released from his contract to head home to Holland to be with a very ill family member. Having to look after a very ill relative is never easy and heartbreaking, I wish him and his family all the best in a very tough time.