Here’s what we learned from an abbreviated weekend …

1. Big Blue’s A Winning Draw
A-League fans might remember January 26, 2011 as the day Brisbane Roar defeated Wellington Phoenix 2-0 on the Gold Coast and Melbourne Victory cruised to a 3-0 away win over North Queensland Fury. Most probably don’t, though, as neither fixture was particularly memorable, given the respective matchups’ lack of prominence in the A-League calendar. Fast forward 12 months to Australia Day 2012 and football might have found a contest capable of wriggling into a beer-bloated national consciousness. If not, FFA has at least found drawcard capable of pulling fans away from music countdowns and into A-League arenas. While the Big Blue itself ended in a 2-2 stalemate, an annual Australia Day encounter between the country’s two largest cities, and arguably its biggest clubs, can become a winning spectacle. You know it makes sense.

2. Don’t Get So Down
Invincible warriors at the beginning of the season and believed to be verging on a revival following their mid-season slump, Brisbane Roar’s loss to struggling Newcastle illustrated their status as one of the league’s ‘down’ teams. It’s no cause for panic, however, as the A-League always evens out. Indeed, a single Jobe Wheelhouse finish was enough to delay the Jets’ wooden spoon fears, revive the possibility of a finals campaign and elevate the Hunter-based club to ‘up’ territory. The reach of the league’s peculiar nature – enhanced, obviously, by a congested table – extends beyond the clubs, too. Mitch Nichols, for one, has been a shadow of the creative force who earned a Socceroos call-up in November last year; alternatively, Ben Kantarovski was superb in Newcastle’s unlikely win, has pressed his claims to anchor the Olyroos midfield, and is now sniggering at a recent ‘Five Things’ column which suggested a spell in the National Youth League would be required to rebuild his confidence. Seinfeld plots aside (Central Coast are assuming the role of Even Steven in this narrative), it was the reversal of individual form – not least for Tiago Calvano, Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Tarek Elrich – which reinvigorated the collective for Newcastle on Saturday night.

3. It Can’t All Be Perfect
Wellington’s 3-1 win over rivals Melbourne Heart on Sunday was so nearly a perfect afternoon for the Kiwi club. A Paul Ifill brace for the ‘Nix was a familiar scene at Westpac Stadium; their standing on the A-League ladder at the conclusion of the match was certainly not. In the knowledge that second place was up for grabs and with last week’s ‘Five Things’ words undoubtedly fresh in the mind, Ricki Herbert’s patched together squad of misfits, rejects and New Zealand internationals accepted the challenge by stifling a now ailing Heart. And if having to travel to another country every other round wasn’t enough of an obstacle in Wellington’s pursuit for greatness, they may now have to do it without the King of the Cross, Leo Bertos. Fortunately for Phoenix fans, Herbert is probably capable of motivating even himself to put in a decent shift on the right wing in Bertos’ absence.

4. Reds’ Attack Most Rich
So, Adelaide failed to score and indeed spurned several clear goalscoring opportunities, including two gilt-edged misses by Bruce Djite, and what did we learn? The Reds’ attacking triumvirate of Sergio van Dijk, Dario Vidosic and, yes, even Djite, is the most talented in the competition. No, this conclusion is not one borne out of fear for criticising a team coached by John Kosmina, but rather a result of the slick combinations regularly created amongst the trio in their eventual 3-0 loss to Perth on Sunday. While probably spitting out his coffee at the manner in which Adelaide transpired to concede the first two goals, Kosmina can take solace in the blossoming rapport his front three are beginning to share. A failure to capitalise early against Perth means a top six finish is greatly unlikely for Adelaide but, with an Asian Champions League campaign in the near future, the Reds can be confident of troubling even the most stable of Asia’s finest.

5. It Might Just Be The Best
For quality of football, the 2010/2011 A-League season will be hard to match. The early rounds of this 2011/2012 were, in truth, uninspiring, and did little to suggest a continued improvement in on-field standards. It seemed then as though no challenger would emerge to adequately test Brisbane Roar in their quest for back-to-back titles. Since the reigning champions’ record undefeated streak was snapped and Graham Arnold’s Mariners have clicked into a ruthless sprint to the Premiership, however, normal A-League service has resumed, with tipsters across the country begging for a second coming of Paul the Octopus. With places in the top two, top four and top six all remaining excitingly undecided, there is every possibility the third and final leg of the 2011/2012 regular season can be prove to be the most intriguing yet.