A-League Round 3

[Andy]

Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory
Friday 7 September 2007
Kick-Off pm 7.30pm ACST (10:00pm NZST, 8:00pm AEST, 6:00pm AWST)
Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide

Adelaide United Squad: 1.Daniel BELTRAME,(gk), 2.Richie ALAGICH, 4.Angelo COSTANZO, 5.Michael VALKANIS (capt.), 6.CASSIO, 9.Paul AGOSTINO, 10.Nathan BURNS, 13.Travis DODD, 15.Jonas SALLEY, 16.Bobby PETTA, 17.Isyan ERDOGAN, 18.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 20.Robert BAJIC (gk), 21.Jason SPAGNUOLO, 22.DIEGO.

In: Jason Spagnuolo (promoted), Diego (promoted), Daniel Beltrame (returns from injury)
Out: Bruce Djite (National Team Duty), Lucas Pantelis (omitted), Scott Higgins (gk) (loan period completed)

Others Unavailable: Kristian Sarkies (National Team Duty), Dez Giraldi (quad – 2 weeks), Milan Susak (hamstring – 2 weeks)

Melbourne Victory Squad: 1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (Captain), 3.Daniel PIORKOWSKI, 6.Steve PANTELIDIS, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER, 9.Daniel ALLSOPP, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 13.Kaz PATAFTA, 14.Adrian CACERES, 15.Leandro LOVE, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Daniel VASILEVSKI, 19.Evan BERGER, 20.Eugene GALEKOVIC, 21.Sebastian RYALL *one to be omitted

In: Daniel Vasilevski, Evan Berger (both promoted), Sebastian Ryall (new signing)
Out:Archie Thompson (National Team Duty), Joseph Keenan (hamstring - 1 week), Leigh Broxham (National Team Duty).

Others Unavailable: Ljubo Milicevic (knee - 2 weeks)

Impending stats, facts and trivia Adelaide United pair Michael Valkanis and Travis Dodd are both set to become the historic first 50 Hyundai A-League appearance-makers against Melbourne Victory. Current club captain (Valkanis) and vice-captain (Dodd) have both missed just two Hyundai A-League matches since the competition's inception, with Adelaide United playing the most matches of any team in the first two seasons, 49, including seven finals series games. This match - featuring last season's two Grand Final teams - also marks the first time two teams have met on ten occasions in the Hyundai A-League. Their head-to-head record could not be and closer, both having won four matches to date (with one draw).

Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Kick-Off 5:00pm NZST (3:00pm AEST, 2:30pm ACST, 1:00pm AWST)
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington Phoenix squad: 20. Glen MOSS (gk), 2. Jeremy CHRISTIE, 3. Tony LOCHHEAD, 4. CLEBERSON, 5. Karl DODD, 6. Tim BROWN, 7. Ross ALOISI (Captain), 8. Vaughan COVENY, 9. Shane SMELTZ, 10. Michael FERRANTE, 11. DANIEL, 12. Richard JOHNSON, 13. Steven OLD, 14. Steven O’DOR, 21. Felipe CAMPOS, 22. Royce BROWNLIE, 30. Jacob SPOONLEY (gk).*two to be omitted

In: Steven Old (return from illness), Tim Brown (promoted))
Out: George Paladini (omitted)

Others Unavailable: Vince Lia (thigh – 1 week), Mark Paston (gk) (concussion – 1 week)

Newcastle Jets Squad:

In: Jorge Drovandi (promoted), Tarek Elrich (promoted)
Out: Stuart Musialik (National Team Duty – 1 week), Mark Bridge (National Team Duty -1 week)

Others Unavailable: Andrew Durante (injured), Craig Deans (injured), Ben Kennedy (GK) (injured).

Impending stats, facts and trivia Following the Hyundai A-League's first two anticipated half-century appearances in the Adelaide-Melbourne match, two other players are set to reach the 50 Hyundai A-League appearance milestone when the Phoenix take on the Jets, with Ross Aloisi (Wellington) and Matt Thompson (Newcastle) both set to play their 50th league match. Aloisi (then with Adelaide United) and Thompson squared off against each other in the historic first Hyundai A-League encounter in August 2005.

Perth Glory v Sydney FC
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Kick-Off 3:00pm AWST (7:00pm NZST, 5:00pm AEST, 4:30pm ACST)
Members Equity Stadium, Perth

Perth Glory Squad: 50.Tommi TOMICH (gk), 5.Jamie HARNWELL, 6.Dino DJULBIC, 7.Anthony DANZE, 9.Mate DRAGICEVIC, 12.Leo BERTOS, 13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA, 14.Jamie COYNE, 15.Mitchell PRENTICE, 16.Nick RIZZO, 17.Jimmy DOWNEY, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI, 24.Jordan SIMPSON, 25. Tyler SIMPSON

In: Jimmy Downey (promoted), Jordan Simpson (Replacement player – waiting on clearance), Tyler Simpson (Replacement Player)
Out: Nikolai Topor-Stanley (National Team Duty), Simon Colosimo (National Team Duty), Billy Celeski (National Team Duty), Tando Velaphi (National Team Duty).

Others Unavailable: David Tarka (hamstring – season), Jason Petkovic (leg – 7 weeks), David Micevski (International Duty), Stan Lazaridis (suspended), Hayden Foxe (knee – 7 weeks), James Robinson (thigh – 1 week).

Sydney FC squad: 30. Matthew NASH (gk), 2. Iain FYFE, 4. Mark RUDAN, 6. Tony POPOVIC (captain), 7. Robbie MIDDLEBY, 9. David ZDRILIC, 10. Steve CORICA, 12. PATRICK, 15. Terry McFLYNN, 18. Adam CASEY, 19. Michael ENFIELD, 23. Ufuk TALAY, 24. Robbie CATTANACH, 25. Matthew JURMAN, 40. Michael HERBERT (gk)

In: Adam Casey (return from injury), Robbie Cattanach (new signing), Matthew Jurman (new signing), Michael Herbert (new signing)
Out: Clint Bolton (National Team Duty duty), Ruben Zadkovich (National Team Duty duty), Brendon Santalab (foot - 1 week), Alex Brosque (National Team Duty duty), Juninho (shoulder - 4 weeks).

Others Unavailable: Ben Vidaic (thigh - one week), Mark Milligan (National Team Duty), Jacob Timpano (thigh - 3 weeks), Ivan Necevski (ankle - 4 weeks), Adam Biddle (omitted)

Impending stats, facts and trivia Sydney FC's Clint Bolton was set to make his 50th Hyundai A-League appearance against the Glory. The Sydney FC custodian has the distinction of being the only player who has not missed a minute of action for his club (excluding newcomers Wellington Phoenix) in the Hyundai A-League since the league kicked-off in August 2005. In fact, Bolton had not missed a match for his club at national league level in Australia since February 2000 (Round 22 of the 1999/2000 NSL season, when he was with Brisbane Strikers) which put his streak of consecutive national league matches at 183. The all-time record of consecutive matches in the old NSL is 214, set by Bobby Russell (Adelaide City, South Melbourne) between August 1980 and May 1988.

Hyundai A-League stats, facts and trivia
The Hyundai A-League is set to record its 500th goal this weekend. At the conclusion of Round 2 of the current Hyundai A-League season, 496 goals had been scored in the 188 matches, meaning that the fourth goal scored in Round 3 will be the historic 500th goal. The Hyundai A-League's first ever goal was scored by Carl Veart (now retired), for Adelaide United against Newcastle Jets on 26 August 2005.

N.B. Squads subject to change

[Andy]

My predictions for the rest of the round:
Adelaide 1-0 Melbourne. (EDIT- Agostino to get the goal in the absence of Djite)
Wellington 1-0 Scum. (Smeltz)
Perth 0-0 Sydney.

[thesandman]

What a surprise to see the victorians bring flares........

[nutmeg]

good to see a broken arm doesn't stop muscat from being a thug

[thesandman]

I'm surprised he hasn't clobbered anybody with that plastic cast thing yet....although there is still 45min remaining

Also quite surprised he's allowed to wear it on the field......

[serious14]

F*cking Melbourne fans - good to hear Simon Hill pay out on them bigtime. Now that their hero has publicly wailed on them for being giant arse dickheads, will they stop??

No doubt they'll be congratulating each other on their forums - *wanders off and checks*

"Cloud of orange smoke... haha Flare!"

"Lol fireworks!? Wtf. More flares lol. WE LOVE EM"

"Melbourne Flare Ole"

And as I suspected, that's the sort of mentality they adopt towards the situation. Raging cockspanks the lot of them.

[Adz]

draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw draw ... ummmmm

[Andy]

All of Cassio's free-kicks have been shithouse so far!!!!

How is Muscat still on the field?

[Andy]

1-0 Melbourne after 80 minutes.

Roddy Vargas gets on the end of an Adrian Caceres free-kick.

[LeedsMariner#4]

Penalty to adelaide- Vargas handball!

[LeedsMariner#4]

Travis Dodd- 1-1

[Andy]

Just like Alagich last week, minutes after scoring Roddy Vargas has conceded a penalty for handball.

Stand-in skipper Travis Dodd to take it......

1-1!!!!!!!

[thesandman]

COME ON DRAW!!!!!!

[LeedsMariner#4]

andyj said:

Just like Alagich last week, minutes after scoring Roddy Vargas has conceded a penalty for handball.

Stand-in skipper Travis Dodd to take it......

1-1!!!!!!!

a bit slow andy

[LeedsMariner#4]

thesandman said:

COME ON DRAW!!!!!!

(2)

[Andy]

davejackson10 said:

andyj said:

Just like Alagich last week, minutes after scoring Roddy Vargas has conceded a penalty for handball.

Stand-in skipper Travis Dodd to take it......

1-1!!!!!!!

a bit slow andy

Only seconds in it!!!!

Would love to have this finish a draw. To go to the Dome next weekend, being 6 points clear of both Melbourne and Adelaide would be brilliant!

[Andy]

Burns rattles the crossbar with his free header after Theoklitos misses the ball.

Should have scored!

[LeedsMariner#4]

Adelaide just hit the bar through Burns and Dodd sent a header wide. They are finishing the stronger of the two teams

[Adz]

saved by wood

[LeedsMariner#4]

Draw!!!!