Welcome to Made With Mitre Moments, where aleagues.com.au brings you all the biggest talking points from each round of the 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League season.
An action-packed Round 1 saw Auckland FC enter the league in style before a blockbuster Sydney Derby ended in favour of Sydney FC on Wanderers territory. There was a Grand Final rematch, three red cards, an own goal set to go down in history and so much more as season 2024-25 kicked off in style.
Read on for all the Made With Mitre Moments from Round 1.
Auckland fans steal the show in special debut sell-out
After nearly two decades without a local professional football club to support, Auckland fans now have almost 25,000 reasons to smile.
REACTION: Football’s ‘new dawn’ in Auckland – what sell-out showcase meant for NZ & the A-Leagues
A sell-out crowd packed into Go Media Stadium for Auckland FC’s inaugural Isuzu UTE A-League fixture on Saturday afternoon and the club’s first foray into competitive football couldn’t have gone any better, as the Black Knights won 2-0 against Brisbane Roar.
But as impressive as Auckland’s on-field performance was, it was the scenes in the stands and the atmosphere created by the 24,492 fans in the house that will leave a lasting memory.
The near-25,000-strong crowd was the second-highest in A-Leagues history for a club’s first-ever home game, falling just short of Sydney FC’s record figure of 25,208 recorded when the Sky Blues hosted Melbourne Victory in Round 1 of the very first season in Isuzu UTE A-League history.
Isuzu UTE A-League, record home debut crowds
Figures sourced via Ultimate A-League
- 25,208: Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory (2005-06)
- 24,492: Auckland FC 2-0 Brisbane Roar (2024-25)
- 20,725: Queensland Roar 2-0 New Zealand Knights (2005-06)
- 17,960: Melbourne Victory 2-2 Perth Glory (2005-06)
- 14,421: Wellington Phoenix 2-2 Melbourne Victory (2007-08)
- 13,160: Newcastle Jets 0-1 Adelaide United (2005-06)
REACTION: Football’s ‘new dawn’ in Auckland – what sell-out showcase meant for NZ & the A-Leagues
How Sydney FC’s off-season strategy unlocked Joe Lolley’s full potential
Sydney FC boss Ufuk Talay is hoping the club’s off-season transfer strategy will not only ease the creative burden on Joe Lolley but also help the club challenge for major honours.
Making his debut alongside Brazilian superstar Douglas Costa, Klimala was part of an attack-minded line-up at CommBank Stadium which also featured new signings Anas Ouahim and Leo Sena.
However, while all eyes were trained on Sydney’s new cohort of stars, it was the ever-present Lolley who was equally as impressive for the Sky Blues.
Opening his account for the season in the 17th minute, the Englishman was a constant thorn in the Wanderers’ side and looks set for another stand-out campaign for Sydney FC after bagging 12 goals and 7 assists last term.
“I think it takes away the pressure of Joe actually trying to do everything with the ball and without the ball,” said Talay when asked what impact signings such as Costa and Ouahim will have on Lolley’s game.
“We’ve got those players that can hurt you and we still have Joe that’s very influential in what he does.
“I thought he had a great game tonight. Probably could have got a couple more if he didn’t slip on that last one in the second half.
“We sat down at the end of last season and thought through and went through the process of what we believe could create a team that could challenge for the title. And that’s the type of players we tried to bring in.”
Post-game, Lolley could hardly hide his delight as he spoke of his new teammates and the greater sense of freedom he’s experiencing on the pitch due to the quality brought through the doors at the club in the off-season.
“We’ve got some really top-quality players, and you can see how dangerous we are,” Lolley told Network 10.
“We’ve got some incredible players, and it’s great for me. To add quality to the team, but it’s still my job to create – that’s why I’m paid to play, to score and try and do what I can for the team.
“But to have this frontline, I think it’s a worry for most A-League teams.”
MATCH REPORT: Clinical Klimala fires 10-man Sky Blues to victory in star-studded Sydney Derby
When will Juan Mata make his Wanderers starting debut?
Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic says a tactical decision was made to use star signing Juan Mata as a substitute, and not from the start, in Saturday night’s Sydney Derby defeat to Sydney FC.
Unfortunately for the Wanderers, Mata’s introduction to the contest at 1-1 came only seconds before Sydney FC scored their second goal of the game; the Sky Blues held the 2-1 lead to full-time as Western Sydney’s season began with a defeat to their bitter rivals.
Post-game, Stajcic explained his decision to bench Mata for Round 1 and was asked whether the 2010 World Cup winner would be content for a starting role in the Wanderers’ Round 2 trip to face Western Unite in Tarneit.
“We knew it was going to be a derby, and high tempo – especially at the beginning of the game – and two highly energetic teams on top of that,” Stajcic said.
“I just didn’t really want to waste his (Mata’s) energy in the first 15 minutes, half an hour when I knew the game would be at its highest tempo – and I think it was at that period. We really needed his quality to shine in crucial moments in the game and it was a flip of the coin to start him or not.
“I think he does have the fitness to play longer, he definitely came in with a decent base but it’s going to take him some time to get used to playing match minutes and regular match minute again.
“But he’s a world-class player, we saw some of his touches there – just like Douglas Costa and so many other players on the pitch as well – if we’re talking about the foreigners. But (Anthony) Caceres was exceptional in moments, (Brandon) Borrello was exceptional in moments, let’s not discount some of the local players who had exceptional games and actions as well in the game.
“As to who will play next week? We’ll assess that. It’s horses for courses in terms of opposition and what the style of game might be as well. We’ll assess that during the week and make a decision on whether he starts or not.”
‘Amateur mistake’ costs Jets dearly in ‘disappointing’ season opener
After one of the longest off-seasons in world football, it took just two minutes for Newcastle Jets to come unstuck in their first game of 2024-25 – and the sluggish start proved costly in a 1-0 loss to Melbourne City in Round 1.
The Jets welcomed City to McDonald Jones Stadium for the season opener but conceded inside two minutes to Socceroo Marco Tilio – and the early goal was all City needed as Aurelio Vidmar’s side won 1-0 on the road.
Jets head coach Rob Stanton was understandably vexed post-game, frustrated by his side’s application from the kick-off.
“At the start of the game, I think we didn’t match the intensity from the first whistle and found ourselves behind after two minutes,” Stanton told Network 10.
“To be honest, it’s an amateur mistake to be fair. I know they’re young, but we’re fully aware of this, I don’t think we were ready to go from the first whistle which is disappointing.
“After that I think we composed ourselves and started to get into the game, get control (and) a little bit of possession… but again, you’ve got to win the game and we didn’t do that today.”
In his post-match press conference, Stanton added: “I think we started with not the right mindset from the kick-off.
“I think there was a bit of sloppy focus and concentration levels were a little bit poor. We didn’t match their intensity, they started pressing and we turned the ball over, and before we knew it we were picking the ball out of the back of the net.
“That really disappointed me, I was quite cranky. We prepared for this in the off-season, to be able to deal with aggressive teams and I was disappointed, in the end that made the difference.
“On reflection, when you look at that it’s a big moment and in the first two minutes, we should’ve been the freshest and most focused, so that disappoints me greatly in the playing group.”
BIG SELECTION CALL: City coach explains decision that paved the way for 21yo’s best-on-ground debut
City veteran set for reduced role this season after coach’s admission
Melbourne City fans, get ready to see plenty more of young goalkeepers Patrick Beach and Jamies Nieuwenhuizen this season – and a whole lot less of A-Leagues great Jamie Young.
Eyebrows were raised when Beach was selected ahead of Young in City’s staring lineup for Round 1, but the 21-year-old impressed on his Isuzu UTE A-League debut, keeping a clean sheet in the 1-0 win away from home.
Young joined City last season and made 28 league appearances for his new club but after beating the Jets in Round 1, City head coach Aurelio Vidmar conceded the 39-year-old had dropped behind Beach and Nieuwenhuizen in the goalkeeping pecking order after the club’s decision to prioritise getting minutes into their young custodians.
City head coach Aurelio Vidmar gave an Isuzu UTE A-League debut to Beach in his side’s 1-0 win over Newcastle Jets on Saturday afternoon admission that the emerging duo have jumped ahead of veteran gloveman Jamie Young in the pecking order.
“Jamie was excellent for us last year and he potentially may play some part this season, you just don’t know,” Vidmar said.
“But as I said, we decided we had to make a decision about what are we doing with our second and third goalkeepers, him (Beach) and Jamies Nieuwenhuizen: we either go with Jamie Young again, what is safe, or we take a punt and move forward with the two new young goalkeepers – and that’s what we decided to do.
“But they’re still learning, they still have to do a lot of work but he’s (Beach) made a really nice progression over the last six weeks, and at the end the proof is always in the pudding. We work pretty hard. Our goalkeeper coach has done a fair bit of work with him and it was nice that he got a nice reward tonight.”
“He (Beach) was very, very good,” Vidmar added. “Everyone was good tonight. Patrick (played) his first game with us, and we’ve got a couple of nice young goalkeepers, him and James Nieuwenhuizen.
“We decided to make a conscious decision to get one of those two to step up and Beachy’s done pretty well, so pleased for him that he’s had a great game tonight.”
HE’S A KEEPER: City coach explains big selection call that paved the way for 21yo’s best-on-ground debut
Central Coast’s GK battle and Jacko’s big expectation for injured young star
In the words of Central Coast Mariners head coach Mark Jackson, “there is no number one one as yet”.
But teenage debutant Dylan Peraic-Cullen staked his claim with an impressive performance in Friday night’s 0-0 draw with Melbourne Victory in a Grand Final rematch which saw Roderick Miranda sent off for the visitors in the second half after Bruno Fornaroli missed a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
HISTORY, DEBUTS, DRAMA & A RED: The Isuzu UTE A-League is back after Grand Final rematch!
New signing Adam Pavlesic had started both of Central Coast’s first two AFC Champions League Elite fixtures but after his red card in the continental defeat to Buriram United earlier this month, the two-time reigning champions turned to highly-rated Peraic-Cullen.
The 18-year-old did not disappoint in his professional bow, keeping a clean sheet in wet conditions at Industree Group Stadium.
Central Coast lost captain Danny Vukovic to retirement in the off-season; they now boast Pavlesic and fellow Olyroo Jack Warshawsky in a youthful keeping brigade that also features 16-year-old Jai Ajanovic and Peraic-Cullen.
After the 2024-25 curtain-raiser, Jackson was asked about Peraic-Cullen and the goalkeeping situation in Gosford, where Pavlesic dropped out of the matchday squad as Warshawsky sat on the bench.
“Dylan got the nod tonight and I spoke to the other two goalkeepers,” Jackson told reporters.
“There’s not much between them but I just felt in the lead-up to the game, his performances in training and certain games gave him the edge on the other two.
“We have three young goalkeepers there who are performing and pushing each other in training. That’s what we want, that’s healthy.
“But there’s no number one as yet. If you want to put a label on it, Dylan started tonight so he’s taken that mantle. He had a clean sheet and showed lots of positive things in the game, which can move forward.
“It showed, as a whole, we’re continuing with how we want to do things at the Mariners. Making his debut in goals, (Haine) Eames coming on too, Nico Duarte is a young player, (Bailey) Brandtman is a young player.
“All these players who are coming through. It’s important we nurture them, we give them the experiences and the knowledge and capabilities to go out there and perform.”
REMEMBER THE NAME: ‘Exceptional talent’ makes professional debut amid ‘rapid’ rise
One player who did not feature on Friday but is set to play a key role for the Mariners this season is Miguel Di Pizio.
The 18-year-old scored in the Grand Final triumph over Victory but is currently sidelined after picking up an injury while on international duty with the Subway Young Socceroos.
Jackson and the Mariners don’t expect Di Pizio to be out of action for “too long”.
“He is a player who we will, even though at his tender age, he can be a real player for us this season,” said Jackson.
“He showed what he can do last season, particularly in the Grand Final and how he impacted the games.
“We’re expecting a lot from this young player.”
Meanwhile, Nishan Velupillay and Jason Geria were both in the starting XI for Victory after their international exploits with the Subway Socceroos, but all eyes were on talisman Fornaroli.
In Victory’s four matches leading into the season opener, including the Australia Cup final loss to Macarthur FC, new boss Patrick Kisnorbo opted for Nikos Vergos in the line-up at the expense of Fornaroli.
But veteran Fornaroli – who was the club’s leading goalscorer in 2023-24 – started for Victory against the Mariners, while Vergos was a second-half substitute.
INJURY NEWS: Mariners captain & Socceroo gives ‘freak’ injury update after operation
“I’ve always been honest and open and said we want a competitive team,” Kisnorbo said in his press conference after Fornaroli saw his penalty hit the post in first-half stoppage time.
“Competition is very healthy. I chose to go with Bruno for the first game. Obviously next week is a different game.
“I choose what I think is going to be the best starting XI and Bruno was on the pitch today.”
Western United’s academy players impress Aussie great
The future is here for Western United following their 1-1 draw away to last season’s Semi-Finalists Wellington Phoenix.
Angus Thurgate’s fantastic long-range strike, which cancelled out Kosta Barbarouses’ first-half opener, earned a point at Sky Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Thurgate, 24, ensured Western snapped a three-game losing streak against the Phoenix in a match that saw seven academy graduates feature for the visitors.
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Matt Grimaldi, Oli Lavale and Charbel Shamoon started for John Aloisi’s side, while Jake Najdovski, Abel Walatee, Rhys Bozinovski and Dylan Leonard came off the bench.
Leonard became the club’s youngest ever Isuzu UTE A-League debutant at the age of 17.
“Very happy. Happy the way we finished the game. I thought the second half we played well, we started to get on top, we started to really push and create chances,” Aloisi told reporters.
“All in all, we know it’s a tough place. They’re a very good team. I know they’ve made some changes but the players they’ve brought in – exceptional players who have good experience.
“What I’m most pleased about is we had seven of our academy players who played today.
“Towards the end, they gave us energy. That was really pleasing.”
New captain Ben Garuccio missed the trip to Wellington through injury but it opened the door for 20-year-old Shamoon to start at full-back.
Shamoon signed his first professional contract in the off-season and the Iraq youth international impressed against the ‘Nix.
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“He will be out for a couple of weeks at least,” Aloisi said when asked about Garuccio.
“Unfortunate for him, right at the end of training he took a free-kick and felt his groin a bit. It’s one of those things it can happen… right as we were about to leave.
“I thought Charbel Shamoon did really well. He’s normally a right-back but played on the left side.
“I thought he was outstanding. It’s not easy when you’re thrusted in. The first game, everyone’s a little bit anxious because it’s the first competitive game in four months. You don’t know really where you’re at.
“We felt we were in a good space but until that game starts, you don’t know so the nerves can be ab it more than normal but he handled it really well.”
Barnstorming Bulls playing exactly the way Sterjovski wants
Win, lose or draw Macarthur FC head coach Mile Sterjovski doesn’t usually allow himself to get too carried away after games and that was true once again following their 6-1 demolition of Perth Glory.
The Bulls blew their opponents off the park in a brilliant first half display of football at Campbelltown Sports Stadium which saw them leading 5-0 at the break.
“Very pleased, especially in the first half,” said Sterjovski when speaking in his post-match press conference.”
“I thought we played some outstanding football and took our chances, or most of our chances, so very pleased with that.
“I thought in the second half we took the foot off the pedal a little bit – that could have been (because of) some of the changes we made or the score line but overall very pleased to start the season this way.”
REPORT: ‘Rampant’ Macarthur kick off season with their biggest A-Leagues win EVER as 23yo reaches new level
Leading 5-0 at half time is the stuff of dreams for a head coach, especially given the way Macarthur were able to ruthlessly exploit an ‘underdone’ Glory side.
But a poor showing from Perth Glory or not, Sterjovski says that opening 30-minute display from the Bulls is exactly the type of football they’ve been working towards playing.
“We can’t get carried away, it’s only the first game of the season. But in terms of the way we want to play – the first half-an-hour was exactly that.
“It’s my job and the team’s job to try and replicate that for 90 minutes.”
New signing Marin Jakolis bagged two goals and an assist, the ever-impressive Jake Hollman had one goal and two assists while captain Valere Germain also opened his account for the season.
But it was 21-year-old winger Jed Drew who received praise from Sterjovski at full time following his impressive one goal, one assist display.
“We’ve always said Jed’s got the potential, right. He’s got a lot of great qualities. I think in the past we’ve said that he needs consistency but I think that just comes from experience and playing more games.
“He showed today the qualities that he has. He made great decisions on the ball in the final third and we were very dangerous.”
‘Underdone’ Glory need to learn and learn quickly, according to Zdrilic
As for the opposition, it was certainly a day to forget for new Glory head coach David Zdrilic.
“I just think that there was a culmination, a lot of things just went (wrong) in that first 45. At no point in the pre-season did we really have issues like that,” said the Perth boss.
“There (were) other things: like Luis Canga at the back, that’s his first game. He came late (in the transfer window) and clearly, we knew the risk of some players going in underdone, but it is what it is, we had to take that risk – and obviously he doesn’t speak the language as well.
“In the end we just got caught out and found out with some of the players that were underdone and also in the first 10 minutes (Macarthur) just went bang bang and then a little bit of nervousness crept into it.
As a result of having several ‘underdone’ players the knock-on effect was felt all over the park according to Zdrilic.
“Today we were a yard off, always a yard off, yard off. Even when we had periods of possession or when we won the ball we gave it back straight away.
“If you get into that sort of mismatch and you’re second best in basically winning the duels against a team like this that’s very good on the counter… for us we were just a yard off all the time.”
GLORY ANALYSIS: ‘A big learning experience’: How new Glory boss reacted to sobering Round 1 defeat
But while its hard to put a positive spin on a 6-1 scoreline, Zdrilic believes there were still positives to take from their difficult afternoon in Sydney’s South West.
“The going forward part and the creating chances and scoring goals for me is not an issue,” he said.
“We scored a goal, Taggs (Adam Taggart) had two disallowed, a couple from the set-pieces could have easily gone our way so there are good chances in the game.
“It’s the other end that was obviously concerning and not being able to constantly put pressure on the ball… something that we haven’t had an issue with up until today.
He added: “For us, it’s a lot of learning. A lot of young guys in the squad, they’re going to learn from this – they’ve had pretty much positive results up until now.
“So this is something they’re going to learn from, we’re all going to learn from, and make sure we correct it… very quickly.”
