Welcome to A-Leagues Alumni: A weekly piece that keeps you up to date with the best stories from our products flying the flag abroad. The acronyms of the A-Leagues club(s) each player has represented are in brackets after their name.
Postecoglou’s big day at the Theatre of Dreams
Ange Postecoglou (BRI, MVC) loves facing Manchester United, doesn’t he?
Postecoglou heaped further misery on under-fire United head coach Erik ten Hag after his Tottenham outclassed the embattled Red Devils 3-0 at Old Trafford on Monday (AEST).
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The A-Leagues legend has taken more points from his first three league matches against United (seven) than another Tottenham manager in Premier League history, per Squawka.
Tottenham showed no mercy as they registered 4.67 expected goals (xG) which was not only the record in Spurs’ top-flight history, but the most United have ever conceded at home in a Premier League match, according to Opta.
“The lads were outstanding,” the Australian trailblazer – who has Mile Jedinak (CCM), Nick Montgomery (CCM) and Sergio Raimundo (CCM) as part of his coaching staff – told reporters afterwards in Manchester.
“I thought we showed real belief and conviction in our football today and were really aggressive in everything, aggressive without the ball, aggressive with the ball, really positive in our intent and a fantastic all-round performance.”
Spurs have now won four straight games across all competitions following the 1-0 North London derby loss to Arsenal.
Tottenham are eighth in the Premier League with 10 points from six matches, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
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Asked if Tottenham made a statement with the manner of their result at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Postecoglou replied: “I’ve got no idea, mate. I’m befuddled by the whole process.
“I guess people don’t see what I see, which is, it’s fair enough. I mean, everyone’s got their own sort of view of things, but like I said, I don’t think there’s been a game this year in the Premier League… I mean, if you really watched us and I suspect a lot of people don’t watch, where we’ve been outplayed or we’ve looked all at sea. It’s just that we haven’t killed off games like we should have.
“Now we’ve got Dom in the team now, he’s finding some fitness and form and Brennan, but even guys like Madders now and Deki are really giving us some real edge in that front third. But for us, nothing changes.
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. There’s still a lot of improvement to do in many areas, but the good thing about the group is they want to keep improving.”
Former Mariners star makes his long-awaited debut
Finally, after months of waiting, Jacob Farrell (CCM) played his first match for Portsmouth in the EFL Championship.
It was a baptism of fire for the former Central Coast Mariners star, with a season-best crowd of 20,330 fans packed into Fratton Park to watch the 0-0 draw with Sheffield United.
A treble winner with Central Coast last season, the A-Leagues product arrived at Portsmouth in July but a knee problem meant the Aussie full-back had to wait until the weekend to make his bow.
It was almost the perfect debut for Farrell, who nearly scored the winning goal at the death.
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“It was a good debut for me and I was really happy to get it and be able to play in front of all the fans,” Farrell said.
“I thought it was a good result for us in the end, although we could have come away with the whole three points.
“Their winger probably had the better of me in the first half, but I grew into the game as it went along.
“Now it’s about recovery and getting the body right because we have to be ready to go again on Wednesday.”
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Farrell added: “Everyone’s been really helpful and welcoming to me. I had a little injury and have come back stronger from that.
“Now I just want to play as much as I can and have to fight it out with Connor (Ogilvie), who’s a very good defender.
“Any competition can only be a healthy thing for me and the team because it helps you grow as a player.”
Former Mariners teammate and fellow Australian Sammy Silvera (NEW, CCM) also started for Portsmouth, with Kusini Yengi (ADL, WSW) sidelined due to injury.
“Jacob’s come over from the A-League, which is completely different from the Championship, and dealt with the challenge,” said Portsmouth head coach Joh Mousinho.
“He will be disappointed that he didn’t score right at the end and could have done better with the header, but I was pleased with how he grew into the game.”
Elsewhere in the Championship, Riley McGree (ADL, NEW, MCY) made his first start since August 10 for Middlesbrough in their 2-0 win over Stoke City, and supplied an assist in the victory.
Daniel Bennie (PER) came off the bench for QPR in their 2-0 loss at Blackburn Rovers.
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In the Scottish Premiership, Kye Rowles (BRI, CCM) and Cam Devlin (SYD, WEL, NEW) both started for Hearts in their 1-1 draw with Ross County. Josh Nisbet (CCM) played the entire match for Ross County.
Lewis Miller (CCM) and Nectar Triantis (WSW, CCM) were in the starting XI as Hibernian lost 1-0 to Scottish giants Rangers, while Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (ADL, WUN, NEW) came off the bench in Motherwell’s 2-1 success against St Mirren.
A-Leagues great stays perfect at European juggernaut
Two games and two big wins. That is the result for Joe Montemurro (MVC, MCY) in his start to life at French champions Lyon.
After beginning his tenure in charge of Lyon’s history-making women’s side with a 6-2 demolition of Fleury, the 2023-24 A-Leagues All Stars Women’s head coach backed that up with a 6-0 humbling of Strasbourg over the weekend.
CommBank Matildas star Ellie Carpenter (WSW, CBR, MCY) provided an assist in the comprehensive victory as Montemurro had a home debut to remember with the record eight-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winners.
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Only Reynald Pedros (7-0 against Rodez in September 2017) won his first home match with Lyon by a wider margin than Montemurro.
“We played in front of our fans, I think they enjoyed the game,” Montemurro said. “We scored goals with different players, it’s an indication of what we’re trying to put in place.
“It’s important to continue like this with everyone participating, attacking and defending. We did it well today. We had a few situations where the team defended very well collectively and where the players made the effort to supplement their teammates.
“We always try to have the right balance between attack and defence.”
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Montemurro is supported by another Australian on his coaching staff – former Melbourne Victory youth boss Joe Palatsides (MCY, MVC) in 2024-25.
Lyon are gearing up for their Champions League campaign, which will see them come up against Wolfsburg, Roma and Galatasaray in Group A.
Sarah Hunter (WSW, SYD) started for Paris FC in their 8-0 mauling of Le Havre.
Montemurro’s former side Arsenal are in Group C, along with another of his ex-employers Juventus, Bayern Munich and Valerenga.
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Arsenal claimed their first win of the Women’s Super League (WSL) season by edging Leicester City 1-0 away from home.
CommBank Matildas stars Caitlin Foord (CCM, SYD, PER) and Kyra Cooney-Cross (WSW, MVC) both started for the Gunners against Leicester, who had Courtney Nevin (WSW, MVC) introduced off the bench.
Arsenal have four points from two matches to be two points behind defending champions Chelsea and Manchester United.
Tottenham and Manchester City are also on four points.
CommBank Matildas duo Clare Hunt (WSW) and Hayley Raso (CBR, BRI, MVC) started for Tottenham in their thrilling 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa. Charli Grant (ADL) was an unused sub for Spurs.
City, who will face Barcelona, St Polten and Hammarby in Champions League Group D, edged Dario Vidosic‘s (BRI, ADL, WSW, WEL, MCY) Brighton and Hove Albion 1-0.
Mary Fowler (ADL) came off the bench for City, while Alanna Kennedy (SYD, NEW, WSW, PER, MCY) was on the bench as the home side handed Vidosic his first defeat as head coach since arriving from Ninja A-League premiers Melbourne City.
Katrina Gorry (MVC, ADL, BRI) and West Ham played out a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
In the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Emily van Egmond (NEW, CBR, WSW, MCY) and Kaitlyn Torpey (BRI, MCY) got the better of Matildas teammate Mackenzie Arnold (PER, CBR, WSW, BRI) after San Diego Wave defeated Portland Thorns 2-0.
It was Torpey’s first minutes since the Paris Olympic Games due to a lower leg injury.
Cortnee Vine (BRI, NEW, WSW, SYD) and Charlotte McLean (SYD) were both absent from North Carolina Courage’s 3-1 success against Chicago Red Stars.
Elsewhere abroad…
It was a weekend to remember for Jackson Irvine (MVC) and Connor Metcalfe (MCY) as St Pauli won their first Bundesliga match since 2011.
After one point from four matches, promoted St Pauli were too good for Freiburg 3-0 with Irvine starting while Metcalfe came off the bench.
“Everything was right today,” said Irvine. “There was also a bit of good fortune to it, but that’s something you have to earn for yourself.
“You saw today and against Leipzig the changed mentality. Elias and Dapo were outstanding today, both in transition and when defending. Niko saves a penalty and our back line fends everything off. We were very compact and didn’t give Freiburg any space.”
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In Germany, Nestory Irankunda (ADL) scored for Bayern Munich’s youth team in a 3-2 loss to SV Buchbach.
Kevin Muscat (MVC) and his Shanghai Port took another step towards the Chinese Super League (CSL) trophy with a 2-1 victory against Qingdao West Coast.
During the weekend, Port overcame city rivals Shanghai Shenhua to reach the Chinese FA Cup final as they eye their first title.
On Saturday, Port stayed two points clear atop the CSL standings with three rounds remaining.
In Japan, Peter Cklamovski’s (ADL, PER, MVC) FC Tokyo blitzed Yokohama F.Marinos 3-1 in a drought-ending victory at Nissan Stadium.
FC Tokyo celebrated their first win over F.Marinos since 2020 when Postecoglou was at the helm of the Yokohama-based club.
Cklamovski’s side have now won three straight matches and have earned 15 points from losing positions – tying them for the most points in the J1 League this season.
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“The players gave everything and played aggressively and with high intensity,” said Cklamovski.
For Marinos, who have A-Leagues great John Hutchinson (CCM) as interim coach, have now lost five of their last six matches across all competitions.
Former Melbourne City star Tolgay Arslan (MCY) is closing in on the J1 League crown with Sanfrecce Hiroshima after they conquered Mitch Duke‘s (CCM, WSW) Machida Zelvia in a top-of-the-table showdown.
Sanfrecce won 2-0 to move a point clear atop the summit.
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Incoming Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Mitch Langerak (MVC) kept a clean sheet for Nagoya Grampus in their 2-0 triumph at home to Jubilo Iwata.
Thomas Deng (MVC) played the entire 90 minutes as Albirex Niigata lost 5-1 versus Kawasaki Frontale.
In Sweden’s top flight, Clare Polkinghorne (BRI) scored for Kristianstads DFF in a 2-0 victory against Brommapojkarna. Remy Siemsen (SYD, WSW) also started for Kristianstads.
Parma and the Subway Socceroos have been dealt a major blow after Alessandro Circati (PER) suffered a season-ending knee injury.
A player who could replace Circati in the national team is Gianni Stensness (CCM, WEL), who was in the starting line-up as Viking FK trounced Lillestrom in Norway’s top flight.
In the Danish Superligaen, Paul Izzo (ADL, CCM, MVC) started in Randers’ 2-2 draw at AGF. Mohamed Toure (ADL) came off the bench.
Over in Belgium’s First Division A, Aiden O’Neill‘s (BRI, CCM and MCY) Standard Liege went down to Westerlo.
Joe Gauci (ADL) and Mat Ryan (CCM) were both unused substitutes as Aston Villa drew 2-2 at Ipswich Town in the Premier League, while Serie A’s Roma beat Venezia 2-1.
Ben Old (WEL) started for Saint-Etienne, who overturned a 2-0 deficit to earn a 2-2 draw away to Nantes in France’s Ligue 1.
In the Dutch Eredivisie, Max Balard (CCM) and NAC Breda succumbed to a 1-0 loss at FC Twente.
In MLS, Lachlan Brook (ADL, WSW) came off the bench in Real Salt Lake’s 2-2 draw at Austin FC while Jake Girdwood-Reich (SYD) also came off the bench as St Louis City defeated Sporting KC 3-1.
Over in the Indian Super League (ISL), Mohun Bagan were upstaged by Bengaluru 3-0. Dimitri Petratos (BRI, NEW) and Jason Cummings (CCM) started for Mohun, while Jamie Maclaren (PER, BRI, MCY) was a second-half substitute.
