Head-to-head

Brisbane Roar 5, Sydney FC 5, Draws 7

Previous Meeting
Brisbane Roar 1, Sydney FC 0, Suncorp Stadium, Round 25, January 2010

History
It's difficult to put too much weight into the past history between these sides considering the Roar squad has undergone so many changes since last season. For what it's worth, the Sky Blues don't like playing Brisbane too much. Roar produced two wins over Sydney last season, both victories coming through late goals to the now departed Sergio van Dijk deep into the second half. Sydney did defeat Roar 2-1 in Round 12 through goals to Alex Brosque and Karol Kisel but that was the only time the Sky Blues have taken the three points in the last 10 games between these sides.

Season So Far
Brisbane Roar: D
Sydney FC: DL

Match Committee
Massive, massive, massive blow for Sydney on Thursday morning, when Alex Brosque injured his ankle in training. The wily striker is meant to miss just a week with the injury but this means that both himself and his partner-in-crime Mark Bridge (hamstring) will miss this game, leaving Sydney very light on for firepower. Only Hirofumi Moriyasu and Matt Jurman have been added to the squad for this week's game.

Massimo Mudocca is the only player to come out of Roar squad after their impressive draw with Gold Coast United on the opening day. Mudocca has a quad strain and is due back next week. His place in an extended squad has been taken by new signing Rocky Visconte and striker Reinaldo.

Danger men
Brisbane Roar: Although we've only seen Roar play once so far this season, Thomas Broich has impressed with his vision and creativity with the ball. The 29-year-old used to play with German club Borussia Monchengladbach and if he can impress their reportedly difficult supporters, he's doing something right. On top of Broich, youngster Visconte may slip under the guard down the left wing. The 20-year-old was signed by Scottish Premier League club Hearts as a 16-year-old and has played for their first team after developing as a junior at Gorgie Road. He actually knocked back a new contract at Hearts in order to return to Australia, possibly as a result of being robbed at knife point over there in April this year.

Sydney FC: Like Broich, Nick Carle is a quality playmaker who enjoyed a productive time in London with Crystal Palace. Carle hasn't quite set the world on fire after returning to the A-League but with a few more games under his belt we imagine he'll soon settle in to the role that Steve Corica played so well for Sydney last season. Carle has also been heavily marked by his opponents but he's vowed to respond and use his superior fitness to run opposition players off the park.

At the end of the day…. 

This is a really difficult one to pick as we haven't seen a huge amount of the new-look Roar so far this season, considering they had the bye in Round 2. The week off, however, may really work in Brisbane's favour as they'll be well rested after the Gold Coast match and have been able to work on their systems free from the camera's glare. Added to this, the Sky Blues have endured a tough game against Melbourne first up before making the long road-trip to Townsville for their second game. Another road trip is hardly ideal, even if it's just to Brisbane, and as a result, Sydney may be found wanting in this encounter.

This really is shaping up as a tough clash for Vitezslav Lavicka's side, who will be happy to earn a point from it, one suspects. There's no Bridge or Brosque, while the reliable figures of Kisel and John Aloisi from past seasons have gone as well. The Sky Blues really look light on for strikers and one imagines they would be regretting letting Chris Payne go to North Queensland. That being said, maybe this is the encounter when a player like Kofi Danning will really stamp his class on proceedings.

With the forwards area weak, Sydney will be relying on Carle to step up, aided by veteran Stuart Musialik and the combative Scott Jamieson, who scored last week for the Sky Blues. Jamieson's such a pain, he could drive the Dalai Lama to violence and his efforts could be used to unsettle the young Roar side and put them off their game.

But Jamieson will require plenty of help from his team-mates, who will need to produce a committed defensive effort in order to avoid letting Brisbane's dangerous forwards, led by Reinaldo, Henrique and Kosta Barbarouses anywhere near the ball. If they can't tie Broich down, then the Roar forwards could really expose Sydney's defence. I suspect this one may be a Roar win, but only just as the Sky Blues dismal start to their double defence continues.

TEAMS: 
Brisbane Roar Squad: 1. Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2. Matt SMITH, 3. Luke DEVERE, 4. Shane STEFANUTTO, 5. Ivan Franjic, 6. Erik PAARTALU, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10. HENRIQUE, 11. REINALDO, 12. Matt MUNDY, 14. Rocky VICSCONTE, 15. Matt McKAY (c), 17. Mitch NICHOLS, 18. Luke BRATTAN, 20, Andrew REDMAYNE, 21. James MEYER, 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Milan SUSAK

*three to be omitted*

In: 14. Rocky VISCONTE (returns from injury), 11. REINALDO (returns from injury)
Out: 8. Massimo MURDOCCA (quad strain – 1 week)
Unavailable: 9. Jean Carlo SOLORZANO (conditioning)

Sydney FC squad: 1. Liam REDDY (gk), 2. Sebastian RYALL 3. Stephan KELLER, 5. Hayden FOXE, 6. Hirofumi MORIYASU, 7. Brendan GAN, 8. Stuart MUSIALIK, 10. Nick CARLE, 11. Kofi DANNING, 12. Shannon COLE, 13. Antony GOLEC, 15. Terry MCFLYNN (c), 17. Matthew JURMAN, 20. Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 21. Scott JAMIESON, 22. Sung-Hwan BYUN, 23. Rhyan GRANT
*one to be omitted*

In: Hirofumi MORIYASU (promoted), Matthew JURMAN (promoted)
Out: Alex BROSQUE (Ankle – 1 week)
Unavailable: Mark BRIDGE (hamstring – 1 week)