Adelaide are virtually nothing without Burns and Djite, Perth are no better even with a new coach, Victory's season's slipping away, Muscat can't resist getting a red and Phoenix can't buy a win even against 10-men.

Jardel impressed for the Jets, Sydney need Juninho to add spark upfront, Zdrilic - why?, Roar's Zullo/Kruse combo is no surprise any more, and Mariners still lead the way in heavy duty tackling.

Dull, dull, dull. You don't need goals for a great game - but it sure as hell would have helped this weekend.

So - nobody lost, nobody won, everyone stays the same. Wake me up when someone wants to go out and claim the Premiership.

As Frank Farina said after the Sydney game: "It was a nothing weekend." There's not much more we can add.

At least the debut women's game added some sparkle...more of that, less of this please.

This week's memo to the FFA: Offer to host a Commonwealth Nations Tournament this winter.

No UK teams in Euro 2008, Australia want to play friendlies, England wants to play Scotland and vice versa - but everyone's terrified of crowd violence...so let them play in Oz. Problem solved.

Invite the five UK home nations, us, the Kiwis, and maybe South Africa for two groups of four played out at the A-League stadiums (or whatever's available) - bingo.

We land ourselves a showpiece spectacle that will appeal to all the ex-pats out here, TV rights overseas - and prove our ability to run a World Cup style event.

Next week: Our cure for cancer.


versus
Adelaide United 1 (Richie Alagich 41’)
Perth Glory 1 (Jamie Harnwell 69’

Friday 23 November 2007
Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Referee: Peter O’Leary
Crowd: 10,678

Adelaide United:
50.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk) 2.Richie ALAGICH, 3.Milan SUSAK, 4.Angelo COSTANZO, 7.Lucas PANTELIS, 9.Paul AGOSTINO (Captain), 13.Travis DODD, 14.Shaun ONTONG (26.Fabian BARBIERO 83’), 18.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 23.Dez GIRALDI, 24.Tomi MILARDOVIC (17.Isyan ERDOGAN 84’).

Substitutes Not Used: 15.Jonas SALLEY, 20.Robert BAJIC (gk)

Yellow Cards: Cornthwaite 14’, Costanzo 21’.

Red Cards: Nil

Perth Glory:
50.Tommi TOMICH (gk), 4.Simon COLOSIMO, 5.Jamie HARNWELL, 6.Dino DJULBIC, 14.Jamie COYNE, 15.Mitchell PRENTICE, 17.Jimmy DOWNEY, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI (12.Leo BERTOS 57’), 21.James ROBINSON, 26.Mark LEE, 27.Ante KOVACEVIC (13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA 40’).

Substitutes Not Used: 8.David MICEVSKI, 20.Danny MILOSEVIC (gk).

Yellow Cards: Prentice 26’, Robinson 65’, Bertos 88’.

Red Cards: Nil



versus
Melbourne Victory 1 (Danny Allsopp 42')
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Vince Lia 58')

Saturday 24 November 2007
Telstra Dome, Melbourne


Melbourne Victory:
1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (Captain), 6.Steve PANTELIDIS, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER (19.Evan BERGER 85’), 9.Danny ALLSOPP, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 14.Adrian CACERES (18.Leigh BROXHAM 43’), 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ (15.Leandro LOVE 80’), 17.Daniel VASILEVSKI

Substitutes Not Used: 30. Mitchell LANGERAK

Yellow Cards: Kevin Muscat 34’, Leigh Broxham 62’, Archie Thompson 62’

Red Cards: Kevin Muscat 35’

Wellington Phoenix:
20.Glen MOSS (gk), 3.Tony LOCHHEAD, 5.Karl DODD, 6.Tim BROWN, 9.Shane SMELTZ, 10.Michael FERRANTE, 11.DANIEL (2.Jeremy CHRISTIE 88’), 16.Kristian REES, 17.Vince LIA (8.Vaughn COVENY 80’), 18.Ahmad ELRICH, 21.FELIPE

Substitutes Not Used: 1.Mark PASTON (gk), 14.Steven O’DOR

Yellow Cards: Michael Ferrante 42’

Red Cards: Nil



versus
Newcastle Jets 0
Central Coast Mariners 0

Sunday 25 November 2007
EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle


Newcastle Jets:
1. Ante Covic (gk), 2. Adam Griffiths, 3. Jade North, 5. Stuart Musialik, 8. Matt Thompson, 9. Joel Griffiths, 10. Denni, 11. Tarek Elrich, 14. Jobe Wheelhouse, 21. Mario Jardel (23. Jason Hoffman 58’ (18. Noel Spencer 79’)), 27. Stephen Laybutt (6. Andrew Durante 71’)

Substitutes Not Used: Ben KENNEDY (GK).

Yellow Cards: Laybutt 18’

Red Cards: Nil

Central Coast Mariners:
20. Danny Vukovic (gk), 5. Bradley Porter (19. Adam Kwasnik 59’), 7. John Hutchinson, 8. Dean Heffernan, 12. Greg Owens, 13. Tony Vidmar (11. Damien Brown 84’), 15. Andrew Clark, 16. Nigel Boogaard, 18. Alex Wilkinson, 22. Sasho Petrovski (2. Matt Simon 68’), 25. John Aloisi

Substitutes Not Used: 1. Matthew Trott (gk)

Yellow Cards: Petrovski 15’, Hutchinson 26’

Red Cards: Nil.


versus
Sydney FC 0
Queensland Roar 0

Sunday 25 November 2007
Sydney Football Stadium
Crowd: 16,590

Queensland Roar:
1.Liam REDDY (gk), 2.Andrew PACKER, 4.Craig MOORE [Capt] (Tiatto 75), 6.Stuart McLAREN, 7.Michael ZULLO (Marcinho 52), 8.Massimo MURDOCCA, 11.REINALDO (Lynch 70), 15.Matt McKAY, 16.Hyuk-Su SEO, 19.Sasa Ognenovski, 22.Robbie KRUSE

Substitutes Not Used: 30.Griffin McMASTER.

Yellow Cards: McLaren 17’, Reddy 23’, Packer 42’/82’.

Red Cards: Packer 82

Sydney FC:
1.Clint BOLTON (gk), 2.Iain FYFE, 4.Mark RUDAN, (Capt), 7.Robbie MIDDLEBY, 8.Ruben ZADKOVICH (Juninho 74), 9.David ZDRILIC (Biddle 69), 10.Steve CORICA, 14.Alex BROSQUE, 16.Mark MILLIGAN, 23.Ufuk TALAY, 28.Michael BRIDGES.

Substitutes Not Used: 20.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 3.Nikolas TSATTALIOS

Yellow Cards: Bridges 39’

Red Cards: Nil