The A-League’s opening round had a little bit of everything, from controversial VAR calls, to sending offs and goal of the season contenders.
Western United took first blood in a brewing rivalry against Wellington Phoenix in their first game in the A-League, while Western Sydney Wanderers returned to Bankwest Stadium in style.
VAR was once again a talking point and Brisbane Roar snatched a point late on against Perth Glory to close the weekend.
Here is a look at five standout performances from the A-League’s opening round.
Al Hassan Toure
The Adelaide United forward took the pre-season by storm, charging his team into the FFA Cup Final, and he continued his outstanding form for the A-League’s opener against Sydney FC.
The teenager’s first goal came following an intelligently timed run behind the Sky Blues defence and he finished with a composure you’d associate of a far more experienced striker. After a lengthy wait with VAR, it was confirmed he was onside as Paulo Retre was caught sleeping for the offside trap.
What catches your attention about Toure is not only his potent finishing, but also how at only 19, he has all the hallmarks of a great striker. Guinean-born Australian has the spatial awareness to move wide and create space for teammates, he can open up a defence with a through ball and will hold up the play with his back to goal if needs be.
Toure is a breath of fresh air for Adelaide United who have struggled in recent seasons with a reliable forward to produce the goods. If managed correctly by Gertjan Verbeek, Toure could quickly show himself to be one of the league’s best strikers.
Mitchell Duke
It was all going very wrong for Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday evening. A goal down to Central Coast Mariners in what was meant to be a romantic return back to Parramatta.
In comes Mitchell Duke, who first equalised with a glancing header from a corner and lifted the Red and Black Bloc’s mood right up. He didn’t stop there either, as he stepped up to take the crucial penalty that gave his team the lead and dispatched it with ease.
The forward never stopped moving against the Mariners. He buzzed around the field looking to involve himself in play, making a darting run here or chasing a lost ball there. His fitness for the first game was a bit of a surprise considering he got injured in the pre-season and has barely had time to get himself match fit.
The 27 year old wasn’t only helping out in the attacking third, either. He retreated back to support the defence and made a vital intervention on a goal-bound header in the final few minutes to help claim the three points.
Duke was given the responsibility of wearing the armband by Markus Babbel for this season, and he dutifully repaid the trust with a true captain’s performance.
Harrison Delbridge
Delbridge’s performance in the Melbourne derby has had people talking about him a serious contender for the Socceroos. It’s easy to see why as he restrained Ola Toivonen and Andrew Nabbout to help his side to a clean sheet.
The Melbourne City defender always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He marshalled his teammates into line and hardly gave Victory’s forwards a chance to breathe. He also read play well and made a few crucial interceptions that broke up dangerous Victory attacks.
His aerial superiority was key with Victory putting a number of crosses into the box, only for Delbridge to thump it out of danger. The A-League’s website says he made 11 clearances, more than double anyone else on the pitch, highlighting just how much of a presence he was in City’s own box.
After an unspectacular first season in the A-League, Delbridge showed that he might finally be ready to take his team to the next level from a defensive point of view.
Alessandro Diamanti
He may not have scored but boy, did Diamanti live up to the hype in Western United’s opening match against the Wellington Phoenix.
The Italian controlled the game from start to finish as he pinged ball after ball behind the Nix defence, with seemingly no way to stop him. Diamanti’s cultured left foot was pinpoint accurate as he unleashed teammates Connor Pain and Josh Risdon into space on the flanks time and time again.
But Diamanti’s spectacular passing range wasn’t met with the same accuracy when it came to his long range shots, getting a bit too trigger happy when it came to firing a shot from outside the box. Diamanti giveth, and he taketh away.
Still, there is plenty to look forward to for newcomer fans of Western United if Diamanti can continue dominating games like he did on Sunday. The 36 year old will definitely face a sterner test of his quality next week, when they take on last season’s Premiers, Perth Glory.
Chris Ikonomidis
The Young Footballer of the Year winner picked up where he left off last season by opening his account in the first game of the season against Brisbane Roar on Sunday night.
Ikonomidis has gone from strength to strength in recent years and this was just another example as he coolly slotted the ball into the net of a Diego Castro pass. With a tight angle and under pressure from Brisbane defenders, the former Lazio forward made that goal look far easier than it was in reality.
Beyond the goal, Ikonomidis posed a menacing threat against the Roar defence as they struggled to keep up with his movement. His relationship with Castro looks to have grown even further and alongside Fornaroli, they are almost certainly the league’s most dangerous attacking line-up.
Although his feet are firmly on the ground, another season like last year’s and the Australian could be off to Europe for a deserved second crack.
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