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.
Unite Round was a memorable weekend in Sydney, where Auckland FC created more history, Sydney FC claimed bragging rights once again in a blockbuster derby, Adelaide United maintained their unbeaten start while Wellington Phoenix exacted some revenge on Melbourne Victory – and there was so much more as season 2024-25 continued.
Read on for all the biggest talking points from Round 5, thanks to Mitre.
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Chiefy explains tactical switch: ‘This is going to be a long answer’
When Giancarlo Italiano speaks, you listen.
Kosta Barbarouses came back to haunt his former side Victory, where he won two Championships among other honours, with an 82nd-minute winner at Allianz Stadium, where Wellington handed the 2023-24 Grand Finalists their first loss of the season.
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At half-time, Italiano changed his defensive shape to a back four and the Phoenix boss was asked about the switch in his post-game press conference.
“Oh, this is going to be a long answer,” Italiano said.
“I’ll give context. So I planned to play with a four this week and then (Sam Sutton) Sutts picked up a niggle so he was out. I needed to work out two big things – how I was going to exploit their high full-backs so I felt, alright I’ll put two fast young players as full-backs and we’ve played a 5-3-2 all season.
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“What ended happening in that first 20-25 minutes, we kind of got pinned a little bit. It was probably a mixture of both the nines not working down as much and us stepping out with the wing-backs.
“I didn’t mind carrying on like that, I just felt we weren’t going to create a lot. So in the second half, I was like alright, if I go to a four, we’re going to have more balance, we will have a wider player ready to win the ball.
“Against the Mariners, we had three players countering as opposed to when you do a 5-3-2, it’s really the two but most of the times they’re getting blocked.
“I changed it. To be fair, I think Corbs (Corban Piper) did really well at right-back. He was very aggressive, on the front foot. It was really hard for (Daniel) Arzani.
“To be fair that’s really his first game.
“I felt going to a 4-4-2 in the second half we were able to block their sixes coming out, push them wider, making it harder for them to pick us off especially with their nine off the line. I thought it worked well.
“Again, you can have all the best tactics and formations, if the intent of the players is not there and the willing to run and work hard, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Italiano, whose 2023-24 Semi-Finalists have beaten the two-time reigning champions and Grand Finalists in back-to-back games, added: “You need an outlet.
“Especially if you want to hurt teams who want to play expansive. They build up in a 3-2-4-1 for large part and then sometimes the second six steps in and they’re a 3-1-5-1 almost, which if you can catch them, they’re only resting with four players.
“If you can put some wide players for example on the opposite side, you can really hurt teams.”
‘People think he’s left footed but he is actually right footed because he just so comfortable’
If you thought Dylan Leonard was a left-footer, think again after the Western United youngster’s record-setting exploits against Perth Glory.
Leonard – already the youngest debutant for the Tarneit-based outfit – became Western’s youngest ever goalscorer in the Isuzu UTE A-League as the club celebrated their first win of the season by defeating lowly Perth Glory 3-1 at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.
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At 17 years and 192 days, Leonard made history when he drew his side level at 1-1 following Trent Ostler’s opener, eclipsing the record previously held by Oliver Lavale at 19 years and 16 days.
Hiroshi Ibusuki then scored a second-half double before Leonard was sent off in the closing stages of the contest – the teenager becoming the youngest player in Isuzu UTE A-League history to both score and receive a red card.
Aside from the red card which will see him suspended for the showdown against Melbourne Victory, Leonard continued his rapid rise in 2024-25.
“It’s the more confidence he gets. He is very good on the ball. He makes good decisions a lot of the time. We’ve seen it now for other a year for our NPL side,” Western head coach John Aloisi told reporters.
“People think he’s left footed but he is actually right footed because he just so comfortable on both feet.
“He is calm on the ball. He doesn’t panic when he gets pressed, he makes good decisions. They were trying to stop us going central so he was able to play around with Ben Garuccio and then when they blocked that, he turns out the other side. It’s just calm.
“Waiting for the right time to play through lines. I thought he played really well tonight.”
For Perth Glory, it continued their winless start to the season with the 2023-24 wooden-spooners managing one point from their five matches to date.
It was a promising start for the Glory in Sydney, where Perth led through Ostler’s first goal since March 2023 before it quickly unravelled for David Zdrilic’s men.
It is a new-look Glory this season, with new owners, a new head coach and new faces and Zdrilic has a message for Perth supporters post-match.
“It’s clear we’re in a transitional phase. We’ve brought a lot of players. Obviously we wanted to season the start a different way,” the Glory head coach said in his post-match press conference.
“We’re trying to fix things. I think this team will end up a lot different to where it is now but at this moment it has to be patience. We’re working hard to make sure we get the right mix.
“In the future it’s going to keep changing and evolving. In the background, the owners and the club are doing a lot of things I guess the fans don’t see. A lot of work has gone on in the background and it’s still going on. Those things cannot be seen, you only see what’s on the park.
“A lot of those changes cause a little bit of instability in terms of getting a good structure on the field and off the field. That’s just part of the change but the changes in the background are very good. There’s a lot of good moves happening and coming.
“Unfortunately you just look at the results but there’s a lot more to it. I can assure the fans the future is going to look a lot, lot better. I know this period and results if you just look at it now it’s disappointing but the future is going to be a lot different, I can guarantee that.”
Jacko’s response to ‘pressure’ question
Were Mark Jackson and Central Coast Mariners feeling the pressure prior to Friday night’s F3 Derby?
Heading into the derby showdown against Newcastle Jets, two-time reigning champions the Mariners were winless with three points from four games to start their title defence.
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It was similar to last season when Central Coast lost their opening four matches before going on to claim an historic treble.
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After overcoming the Jets 2-1 in Sydney, where two goals in the space of nine minutes saw the Mariners conquer their F3 rivals, it was put to head coach Jackson whether he felt any pressure heading into the Round 5 fixture.
“Me, personally?,” Jackson replied.
“No, there’s no pressure it’s only four games. If anyone looks back in the history books, what happened last year? so where would the pressure come from?
“External people who watch it and support us might feel it a little bit and might want to make a story out of that. But us internally know what we do day in, day out and how we work, what our processes are, what a good bunch of young men I have in that dressing room.
“I wasn’t concerned. I was more apprehensive for them to get the win because I see the work the boys put in on a daily basis on the training ground. At times they didn’t get what they deserved but they will get pushing and as long as they keep pushing that attitude for us, we will be okay.”
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Meanwhile, Jets counterpart Rob Stanton watched his youthful side suffer a second straight defeat and third of the season.
Thomas Aquilina’s first A-Leagues goal gave the Jets the lead just past the hour mark, however, the Mariners rallied to down the Jets.
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After the game, head coach Stanton told reporters: “The pressure is on me and I accept the pressure. I accept the defeat on behalf of the players.
“It’s my job to make them win but before I can make them win, I have to make them top players and a top team. The only way to do that is to expose them.
“So I’m suffering. How long do I get? Who knows. I’m not worried about it to be honest. It’s what I like doing. I’ll do it as long as they tell me I can’t do it anymore and you need to go somewhere else.
“We don’t have the money to spend big on players, so we have to develop and do a really good job of it. You have to work hard everyday.”
Adelaide’s hard work paying off as young gun stars
Archie Goodwin has lift-off for Adelaide United after his match-winning exploits from the bench during Unite Round.
The highly-rated 20-year-old swapped Newcastle Jets for Adelaide in the off-season and on Saturday night, struck in the 62nd minute to ensure the Reds stayed unbeaten this term, on the back of goals from Stefan Mauk and Zach Clough.
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Adelaide have taken their time with Goodwin, who has endured some fitness issues in recent seasons and they now are beginning to reap the benefits.
“I think we saw tonight, we’ve taken our time with him to get him to a position where he can play big minutes,” said Adelaide head coach Carl Veart.
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“Tonight he was dangerous, he caused them a lot of issues with his directness that he brings. Great that he got his goal. Something for him to build on.
“He’s shown now he’s got 45 minutes, so we will build on his time.”
Veart added: “Archie is a natural number nine. We don’t have too many number nines that are very deadly in and around the box. His movement was excellent.
“He will take a lot of belief out of that. He’s done a lot of work since coming to the club. He has got a lot stronger. We’ve spent a lot of time getting his body right. You saw that tonight – he looks a lot different player now than he was last season.”
Sydney star ‘pushing’ for Socceroos call-up
Is Jordan Courtney-Perkins on the cusp of Socceroos selection? Sydney FC head coach Ufuk Talay certainly hopes so.
It was the 22-year-old’s first goal of the season, continuing his fine start to 2024-25.
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Asked if he believed Courtney-Perkins was close to a Subway Socceroos call-up, Talay said: “For me, I’d love him to be selected for the national team but that will come down to what he needs and requires.
“But I think he is pushing for it.”
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Talay added: “Jordy is my 100er, he will run through a brick wall. He will not stop.
“It’s always a competition at training, they always look at their numbers and data, and JCP is always the highest one who has done the most running.
“For us, JCP is important. We play with width on one side and gives us the width on the other side, and he has good moments. But he is still young, I think we forget he is still young and he will improve every game he plays.”
The key to Auckland’s Championship quest
Defence, through Steve Corica’s experience, is the key to winning Championships and that is how the A-Leagues legend has built his record-breaking Auckland FC team.
The Black Knights ticked off more records thanks to Sunday’s 1-0 win over Macarthur Bulls, where Guillermo May was the hero.
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“We brought players to suit the way we want to play. Defensively, it’s a big part of that,” head coach Corica said.
“I’ve been around the A-League for a long time now and I know if it’s not the best defensive record, it’s one of the best defensive records that wins the league.
“We are working towards that. We’re working hard. We haven’t conceded a goal.
“For me, one goal is good enough right now because we’re defending so well.”
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Newcomers Auckland are top of the table after five rounds, two points clear atop the table with a game in hand.
“I think a lot of people would think that, our aim was to be up near the top or top,” Corica said when asked if he was surprised by Auckland’s historic start.
“We have high standards and the owner has high standards. He wants to win straight away and we’re trying to do that.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. Working hard for each other. There’s areas obviously we need to improve on. Right now, they’re doing a great job.”
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