aleagues.com.au is your one-stop shop for the best of the pre-weekend media activity ahead of what’s set to be an enthralling Round 19 in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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‘We’re trying to do similar things’
Seeing the success of Central Coast Mariners is motivating F3 Derby rivals Newcastle Jets.
The Mariners are the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League champions, who currently sit second in the standings and are preparing for the AFC Cup Inter Zonal Final – and Central Coast have worked hard to get to this point.
After winning their first Championship in 2012-13 and reaching the semi-finals the following campaign, the Mariners endured a steep decline as they went six consecutive seasons without finals football.
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They finished eighth, 10th, eighth, 10th, 10th and 11th across those seasons before finally returning to the top six in 2020-21.
The youthful Jets hope they are on a similar road ahead of Saturday night’s F3 Derby at McDonald Jones Stadium, where the iconic F3 Derby trophy will be up for grabs.
Since losing to Melbourne Victory in the 2017-18 Grand Final, Newcastle have not qualified for the Finals Series, finishing seventh, eighth, 11th, ninth and 10th. This season, the Jets are 11th and eight points outside of the top six.
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When asked about the Mariners, Newcastle head coach Rob Stanton told reporters: “They are a good team. You have to give credit where credit’s due if they’re doing really well.
“On the back of last year, they’ve built some resilience and strength. Three years ago, they were rock bottom. They’ve built themselves really well and it takes times.
“You have to credit there where they have worked hard and are in a good space.
“We’re trying to do similar things. We’re trying to build strong foundations, consistency, be resilient and strong. I think we’re seeing good signs, we just need to finish games off.”
What would the Premiership mean to Wellington?
Throughout the 2023-24 season, Wellington Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano has remained consistent when asked about the Premiership and Championship.
It is not something neither he nor his squad are entertaining as the surprise league leaders continue to defy pre-season expectations atop the summit.
That did not stop one reporter from asking Italiano about the Premiership and what it would mean to Wellington – who have never finished top of the table or won the Championship – on the eve of the Phoenix’s clash with Adelaide United at Sky Stadium.
“It would be historic. It would build legacy. It would build a sense of excitement, not only for the community but football in general because Wellington hasn’t done that before,” Italiano replied.
“But again, I don’t want to get too side-tracked on what is going to happen in the future. It’s very important to focus on the now and that’s the only thing we can control.
“I’ll keep saying it because it’s what’s working for us. But if we get in a position where there’s a couple of games to go and we can go for top spot, we are going to give it everything we can.”
The Phoenix are three points clear in first space after 18 rounds, and unbeaten in nine matches.
Up next are an Adelaide team 10th in the table and struggling for confidence amid their five-game winless streak, which includes four defeats.
But Italiano told reporters: “There are no easy games.
“… The beautiful thing about the A-League is that on any given day, you even saw with Western United and Melbourne Victory the other day, any team can beat any team… you have to be on in this league.”
‘They’re as good as any team in the competition’
It is a belief amongst most coaches in the Isuzu UTE A-League: Western United’s position in the table does not reflect their performances or quality.
Western are rooted to the bottom of the standings as they sit seven points adrift.
It has been a luckless season at times for John Aloisi’s side, who conceded a pair of stoppage-time goals in their 2-1 loss to Melbourne Victory last month.
They conceded in the 90th minute of their Round 3 defeat away to Macarthur FC, who also snatched a 3-3 draw with a last-minute equaliser in January, while Terry Antonis’ 83rd-minute strike lifted Melbourne City past Western that same month.
Perth Glory are eight points better off than the 2021-22 champions and in an exciting run of form but coach Alen Stajcic is adamant in his view of Saturday’s opponents in Ballarat.
“I have mentioned them nearly every week in a press conference because I just think they’ve been a touch unlucky,” he said.
“Obviously you make your own luck at times and they’re in the same boat we were, where they often give up a soft goal here or there.
“But in terms of game play, they’re as good as any team in the competition.
“When you look at players like (Daniel) Penha and so many other players they have in their squad. You could go across their whole squad and they’re just a complete squad. They’ve played very well against all the top teams.
“I remember the game against Macarthur and that was a 3-3 draw. Victory, they probably should’ve won the game.”
What the Sydney Derby means
The Sydney Derby is more than just a match. Ask Sky Blues boss Ufuk Talay.
Sydney will make the trip across town for Saturday night’s blockbuster against bitter rivals Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium.
The last time the two sides met, the Wanderers came out on top 1-0 in November.
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Since then, Sydney have appointed a new coach and have moved within just one points of Western Sydney in the table.
Talay, a former Sydney midfielder who also played for Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray, is also aware of what is on the line off the pitch.
“The Cove have been fantastic since I’ve come into the role,” he said. “They play a massive part and like I said the Derby is not just about us it’s not just about the players it’s about obviously the club and also the fans.
“What we want to do is we want to entertain the fans and also get the result at the same time and perform well. It’s a bit of a pride thing as well.
“You know when your team wins the derby I think it’s a great week for all the supporters that come out there and and back us.”
‘We really need to get our skates on’
Aurelio Vidmar knows Melbourne City are in a race to secure a spot in the finals.
The three-time reigning premiers are seventh and four points behind Sydney, who occupy the remaining finals berth.
City are winless in their last four games (D2 L2); the last time they recorded a longer winless run was a six-game stretch from January to March in 2019 (D3 L3).
“Looking from where we came from in that Brisbane game and the rebound against Victory and the rebound certainly against Sydney,” head coach Vidmar said ahead of their match with Macarthur in Campbelltown.
“I think Sydney, at this point, are one of the best team’s in the competition. If they continue playing the way they’re playing right now, they’ll come very close (to winning the Championship).
“So to go there and get a pretty strong point for us was very important. Something again we’re needing to build on. We really need to get our skates on.”
