The Roar may hold the upper hand following their 2-0 win in the first leg, but there’s another factor at play here that could decide who hosts the grand final – travel.
Date: Sunday 8 April, 2012
Kick-off: 5.00pm AEST, 5.00pm local
Venue: Bluetongue Stadium
Head-to-head
Played: 27 Wins: Brisbane 14, Central Coast 4, Draws: 9
Previous encounter
Brisbane Roar 2, Central Coast 0, 31 March 2012
History:
The return leg of the major semi-final does not bode well for the hosts, Central Coast. In 12 games at the picturesque Bluetongue Stadium, the Brisbane Roar have never lost.
They’ve even won more (eight) than they’ve drawn (four) in Gosford. Given that remarkable statistic, their 2-0 aggregate lead and the Roar’s mental edge over the Mariners in recent times, Ange Postecoglou’s men will head into this game supremely confident.
Form:
Past five matches:
Central Coast: WDWLD
Brisbane: WDWWD
Summary of form:
Central Coast would have been delighted to have claimed the Premier’s Plate nearly two weeks ago, but their start to the finals campaign left a little to be desired.
It’s advantage Brisbane at their moment, with the Roar taking a clear 2-0 advantage in the first leg. But that loss for the Mariners was their only one out of the past five games – in fact, both Central Coast and Brisbane are proving pretty tough to beat across all competitions.
They both played AFC Champions League ties during the week, with the Gosford side holding Seongnam to a 1-1 draw at home, while a 10-man Roar side battled valiantly to leave Ulsan with a share of the spoils at 1-1.
Match Committee:
Brisbane winger Henrique and stopper Mohamed Adnan didn’t take part in ACL action this week, but they’re both a chance of recovering from their injuries in time for the second leg in Gosford. But that’s where the fitness concerns end for both sides.
Danger men:
John Sutton – Graham Arnold brought the Scottish striker to Australia because he couldn’t find anyone else like him at short notice. Now it’s time for Sutton to return the favour and help the Mariners mount a comeback against their bogey side.
The burly 28-year-old gives the Coast a different element up front and has combined well before with youngster Bernie Ibini in previous games – a partnership which may be Arnold’s best hope of overcoming the Roar.
Nick Fitzgerald – Besart Berisha, Thomas Broich, Mitch Nichols, Henrique – the Roar have an almost endless supply of attacking riches, but if one of them decides to leave for whatever reason at the end of the season, Fitzgerald will step into their shoes seamlessly.
The 20-year-old, who was once on the books at Central Coast, has been nursed into the big time by Ange Postecoglou and if his goals at A-League and ACL level are any indication, he’s ready.
At the end of the day…
The Roar may hold the upper hand following their 2-0 win in the first leg, but there’s another factor at play here that could decide who hosts the grand final – travel.
While the Mariners were afforded the luxury of home ground advantage for their AFC Champions League fixture this week, Brisbane were off to South Korea and will come back battered and bruised after a heroic 1-1 draw in Ulsan.
There’s no way their whole team will be asked to play again, in a cut-throat finals match, just days after that marathon trip. That means it’s going to come down to the Roar’s depth players – the likes of Luke Brattan, George Lambadaridis, James Donachie. They are Brisbane’s generation next.
Together with the potential returns of Henrique and Adnan, then the men in orange might just be fresh enough to get over the line. The Mariners will throw everything at them, but Brisbane’s good record at Bluetongue and their aggregate lead should be enough for them to host a second straight grand final.
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