Counter-Attack Worth A Crack
Since Adelaide officials decided they couldn’t waste Rini Coolen’s youth-nurturing skills in a measly head coaching role and John Kosmina stepped in, the Reds have – with reasonable success – reverted back to their counter-attacking type. The amount of teams in the league now putting a premium on possession and pressing high suggest one who could master the opposite – and Adelaide have had the most time to coordinate such a plan – could become an unfamiliar danger. Evidence of ACL specialists harnessing the quality to exploit these opportunities came to the fore on Friday when the man with arguably the league’s fullest lips, Jeronimo Neumann, kissed the winner beyond Ante Covic. The goal would have been of even greater annoyance for Tony Popovic to see as his wingers – including Youssouf Hersi, who was as useful as someone in the back of a similarly-named vehicle, and The Running Man Mark Bridge – were central to the Wanderers’ attacking impotence. Adelaide could use pace and verve in the attacking third to punish, while Western Sydney must soon find where they exist within the squad.

The Tough Part Is Upon Us
The glamour of that free-kick was glorious, seizing on the building buzz just as David Beckham did when he took his place over the dead ball in that first, fun, Australian visit. “Carpe Diem,” Del Piero must have thought. And he did. Well, for that moment at least. Though as everybody of course lapped up the poetry of Sydney’s marquee stroking his side into temporary parity, the resilience, both physically and mentally, to shrug off a crunching Tiago Calvano tackle, focus his energy on goal and deliver with ease was equally warming. It was a crucial sign because the Italian and his teammates have much improvement required both in attack and defence; positions in which Jason Culina can only help so much. Resilience, though, appears a quality which Gary van Egmond has done well to instil in his young Jets outfit. They were challenged throughout the fixture and handled the contest with a maturity that needed to be proved could match their individual talents. Craig Goodwin’s infectious confidence in particular is a preview as to what those talents could achieve with a collective consistency.

What’s Done Is Done
All that had been simmering through the off-season and the week prior to Brisbane’s hosting of Melbourne Victory came to a boil in Saturday night’s showpiece and, by full-time, to a heated end. Roar supporters had their say, Brisbane players corrected what they said, and Ange Postecoglou came to the conclusion that none of it mattered to him. Some could say the two-time championship-winning coach was rude in his post-match conduct but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say Postecoglou was merely fixing his full attention to the shortcomings of his side. Thus, exactly as he should, and evidently must, do. The match was to some degree one of revenge – not dissimilar to a fixture in Perth a week earlier – and the closing of a chapter that was left abruptly unfinished. Now both parties, Ange Postecoglou and Brisbane Roar, can get on with doing what they do best: winning football matches.

Heart Are A Tease
If we weren’t too busy watching football, we would insert some long-winded, emotionally-driven and no doubt awkward story masking as an analogy for Melbourne Heart’s propensity to be a football tease, but since we always have been, we’ll stick to the game! Matt Thompson’s immaculate finish of a flowing counter-attack was yet another glimpse of what the Red and White are capable: an attacking full-back penetrating deep into the opposition’s half, the most advanced, creative midfielder assisting the chance from within the penalty area, and the box-to-box workhorse getting on the end of the move. It was the perfect execution of these roles that says John Aloisi might not have been promoted to senior coach as prematurely as speculated. Hayden Foxe might be unaware that Bathurst and the time for dressing as team racing support is over, but the A-League’s Don Draper seems more canny and will hopefully turn Heart from the teases they currently are into providing an output as consistently sharp as he looks.

We’re Okay With The Direct Pass
Do you ever feel like Craig Foster has wholly consumed Australian football? Or is on the brink of doing so? Or is at least trying to do so? We’re know that’s what you think, we’ve read it on our forums! And well might you – the Barcelona marketing plant has … no, that’s too harsh. What we will say is that the former Socceroo’s passionate pleas for the game in this country to be played ‘the right way’ are from a good place and with long-term benefits in mind. If the panic attacks suffered by junior coaches who always taught us not to play across our own goal are any indication, the A-League is just the tip of a high-risk, possession-based iceberg piercing the Australian football waters. For a moment, though, beginning in Brisbane and ending with Trent Sainsbury’s perfectly-weighted pass for Daniel McBreen, the lofted pass – read: not long ball – was at the very least an interesting sight which, if it assists goals, deserves celebration. Note to Central Coast fans: don’t tie this in-jest assessment to some anti-Mariners propaganda. Also, lose the mid-match pep rally and be more loud.