Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 season continued with plenty of entertainment and drama over the weekend.
Round 15 saw multiple players get more than one goal in what was an action-packed round of fixtures but it was Perth Glory gun Jaiden Kucharski who ultimately earned top billing after his game-changing cameo against Auckland FC.
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*Editor’s Note: The Team of the Week features matches played from Monday to Sunday – some teams may play more than once.
Team of the Week
Joining Kucharski in attack this week are Wellington Phoenix striker Ifeanyi Eze and Newcastle Jets’ Lachie Rose, both of whom lead the way in the race for the Golden Boot this season with seven goals after scoring braces at the weekend.
Sydney FC duo Akol Akon and Thiago Quintal were unfortunate to miss out on this week’s team but Melbourne Victory maestro Juan Mata earns a spot after his hat-trick of assists in last Monday’s Big Blue win over Sydney FC – a fixture that counted towards this week’s tally.
Also joining Mata in midfield is teammate Clerismario Santos, who scored a double in the same game, whilst Newcastle’s Lachlan Bayliss earns selection in the side once again after another scintillating display.
Similar to Mata and Santos’ inclusions, Melbourne Victory defenders Sebastian Esposito and Josh Rawlins earn their spots in the side after accumulating high scores having played twice in the space of a week. Central Coast Mariners stopper James Donachie and Sydney FC’s Marcel Tisserand feature in the heart of defence.
Finally, Mariners shot-stopper Andrew Redmayne is back between the sticks after an inspired performance that saw his side defeat Melbourne Victory 1-0 on Sunday, even with 10 men!
Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
