The defending champions cruised to a 2-0 victory in Sydney on Saturday night to post their 30th consecutive match unbeaten.
The defending champions cruised to a 2-0 victory in Sydney on Saturday night to post their 30th consecutive match unbeaten.
Ange Postecoglou-s team has not lost a match since being beaten by Melbourne Victory 2-0 on September 10th 2010, well over a year ago.
Their current run represents the richest vein of form of any professional football team, across all codes, this country has ever seen.
It-s a remarkable achievement made more so by the structure of the Hyundai A-League that has up until now tended to mitigate against the building of football dynasties.
With its tight salary cap and a propensity for a high level of player movement, no club has been able to secure back to back titles. This Brisbane Roar combination looks the most likely candidate to defy that trend.
Saturday-s win over the Sky Blues is hardly likely to be the feature item on an already crowded highlights reel of the Roar-s recent triumphs.
Still, it told us much about just how far ahead of the pack the men in Orange are.
For periods of the game Sydney seemed capable of engaging in an arm wrestle with the champions, enjoying moments when they threatened, but moments are not enough against this team.
Sydney FC were in a combative mood, doing their utmost to disrupt the Roar-s mesmeric fluency. Vitezsalav Lavitcka-s men had racked up half a dozen fouls before the game was quarter of an hour old.
It went some way to frustrate the Roar, but good teams know they-ll wear a few bruises in pursuit of their ultimate goal and are hardened to the physical challenges of being the hunted.
And right now Postecolgou-s men are most definitely the biggest beast in the game park.
They-ve developed a one-touch passing game that demands movement off the ball, rewards intelligent and daring runs and has given players confidence to attempt defence splitting passes that unlock the game at critical moments.
And it makes it damn tough for opposition teams to spend any meaningful time on the ball, building pressure and probing for weaknesses.
That Brisbane Roar enjoyed 59 per cent of possession away from home against a team hoping to challenge for the title speaks volumes about just how big the gap is becoming between the champions and those challenging.
Most crucially, when opportunities are created they are taken with at time breath taking daring. The Roar-s second goal was a showpiece of “Roar ‘ball”.
Mitch Nichols picked up a loose ball, setting Kofi Danning free down the right. The incisive cross into the box, the sublime dummy that wrong footed the defence. Then came the cool, emphatic finish by German star Thomas Broich.
Football – made in Brisbane.
What makes it more remarkable is Postecoglou-s ability to adapt to losing key personnel and being able to not just carry on regardless, but prosper. At the start of last season it was Tommy Oar, Michael Zullo and Adam Sarota.
This season, inspirational captain Matt McKay took off to try his luck with Glasgow Rangers whilst the man who delivered 11 goals in their championship run, Jean Carlos Solorzano headed to Melbourne to hook up with the Victory whilst Kiwi Kosta Barbarouses packed his bags for Russian club FC Alania Vladikavkaz.
Most teams in the A League bleeding talent would soon by on the critical list. Not the Roar. In comes Albanian striker Besart Berishia, Canadian midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran and the show rolls on.
And the coach is certain we haven-t seen the best of Brisbane yet.
“I know that obviously we’ve made some major strides in the last 14 months but for my mind and where we’re at, we’ve only taken the first few steps in what’s achievable.
“Even after you come away from home, you win 2-0 pretty comprehensively against a team I think will be up there challenging but I still feel there’s improvement in us,” Postecoglou said after the match.
It-s a statement that will give opposition teams and coaches and teams nightmares.
Because right now, the Roar are playing the type of football they can only dream about.
