Melbourne Victory

Last Season: 6th

This Season: 2nd

Kevin Muscat’s men were a whisker away from winning their fourth A-League Championship, only to lose 4-2 on penalties to Sydney FC in a riveting Grand Final.

If James Troisi’s effort in extra time had hit the back of the net rather than the inside of the post before bouncing across goal, things could have been very different.

Victory took the game to Graham Arnold’s side from the first minute at the Allianz Stadium, taking the lead through Besart Berisha before Rhyan Grant equalised to force extra time.

In the league, Muscat’s men were unable to stay in touch with a relentless Sydney side, however they were comfortably the second best team in the division.

Highlight

Round 18’s derby day triumph over Melbourne City at the Etihad Stadium saw Victory claim revenge over their local rivals, following multiple defeats to City earlier in the campaign.

Besart Berisha missed the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot on 63 minutes, after the striker’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis.

City took the lead seven minutes later when Neil Kilkenny’s shot deflected into the net off defender Alan Baro, however two late goals in the space of three manic minutes swung the match in Victory’s favour.

First Berisha made amends, converting Marco Rojas’ cut back five minutes from time.

Moments later, Victory scored again when Manny Muscat turned Jason Geria’s cross into his own net, sending the home fans into raptures.

Lowlight

The Grand Final defeat will obviously hurt for a while, yet the 4-1 thrashing against local rivals Melbourne City was arguably the lowest point of the season.

Victory were outplayed in the Round Two fixture, as a wonder goal from Tim Cahill and a close-range header from  Bruno Fornaroli gave City a 2-0 half time lead.

Luke Brattan and Fernando Brandan also registered on the scoresheet on a night to forget for Muscat’s men.

Star Player(s)

Besart Berisha’s 21 league goals, which made him the division’s top scorer, can’t be overlooked, however a rejuvenated James Troisi was often the man who made Victory tick.

The 28-year-old, who earned a recall to the Socceroo’s squad earlier this year, was influential for Victory in the number 10 position behind the striker, creating a total of 50 chances over the course of the campaign.

New Zealand international Marco Rojas was also a key component for Victory, scoring 12 goals and registering 11 assists.