The end of the regular season is less than three weeks away, and yet 11 of the 12 teams in the Isuzu UTE A-League can still mathematically make it to the finals.
With spots in the top six at a premium, and with three teams gunning for the Premiers Plate, every game matters between now and the final game of the regular season on May 10.
“I think Central Coast get in above Macarthur,” declared Robbie Cornthwaite, speaking on this week’s The Official A-Leagues Podcast.
“I’m not looking at who plays who, I’m just looking at form and the table at this stage.
“I think the only change at this stage will be Central Coast for Macarthur, in my opinion.”
Listen to the show below, or on your favourite podcast platform.
Melbourne City lead the charge to the Premiership, with Western United and Melbourne Victory making up considerable ground in their hunt for silverware. Adelaide United sit in fourth – presumably safe from the exit door prior to finals.
But from fifth to eighth on the table is where things start to get interesting, with just three points separating four teams trying to squeeze into two.
Below Central Coast Mariners in eighth come Newcastle Jets, Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar, who won’t accept the dream is over until it is.
Here’s how each finals contender can get to where they hope to be by the season’s end – and who stands in their way along the path to the end of the regular season.
THE TABLE – AS IT STANDS
THE RUN HOME
MELBOURNE CITY
- Current position: First
- Remaining games: Two
- Opponents: Perth Glory (away), Wellington Phoenix (home)
After leading the pack for the majority of this season, the fate of the Premiers Plate is currently out of City’s hands. Western United trail City by two points with one game in hand over Patrick Kisnorbo’s side heading into the final stages of the season.
City have a gruelling set of AFC Champions League group-stage fixtures to contend with before returning to Australia in early May for two winnable games against Perth Glory (bottom) and Wellington (fifth).
WESTERN UNITED
- Current position: Second
- Remaining games: Three
- Opponents: Central Coast Mariners (away), Newcastle Jets (away), Adelaide United (away)
Western United’s current form is that of a side worthy of silverware – but a tough run home brings their ability to usurp City on the throne into question.
John Aloisi’s side face Central Coast Mariners in their next fixture, a side buoyant after a 4-0 win over Wellington Phoenix. They will then travel to meet the Jets in Newcastle before taking on a well-rested Adelaide United in the Reds’ third consecutive game at home.
Should Western be in a position where three points against Adelaide is a must to finish first, the Reds will do everything in their power to deny the green and black the club’s first piece of silverware.
MELBOURNE VICTORY
- Current position: Third
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Macarthur FC (away), Brisbane Roar (away), Wellington Phoenix (home), Sydney FC (away)
Melbourne Victory are unbeaten in 11 games and head into their final four fixtures of the season on the club’s longest unbeaten run in A-League Men’s history.
Considering Victory’s decorated past in the league, that is a statistic not to be taken lightly.
Currently eight points behind defending champions City with two games in hand, Victory must target maximum points from their last four games if they are to make a realistic lunge for the Premiers Plate. A Big Blue to round out the regular season is a tantalising prospect considering Victory might have top spot to contend for, and Sydney FC might have a place in the top six to try and salvage.
ADELAIDE UNITED
- Current position: Fourth
- Remaining games: Three
- Opponents: Perth Glory (home), Brisbane Roar (home), Western United (home)
Adelaide United are the team arguably in the best position of any in the top six to come home with a wet sail.
By the time their clash with Perth Glory kicks off this Sunday, it will have been 12 days since their last league fixture. Last-placed Perth are Adelaide’s first opponents on a run of three consecutive home games to end the season. Brisbane Roar (11th) come next, with Western United to cap off the season.
The Reds can finish as high as third, and should they take full advantage of their backlog of home fixtures, could head into the post-season on a run of five straight victories. Watch out for the Reds as a potential dark horse come finals time.
WELLINGTON PHOENIX
- Current position: Fifth
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Western Sydney (home), Melbourne Victory (away), Western Sydney (away), Melbourne City (away)
Instead of acting as a launchpad for the ‘Nix to launch toward the finals, Wellington’s return to New Zealand has been more of a speed bump for the side sat in fifth looking both up and down the table with four games to play.
Ufuk Talay’s team are preparing for their second of two games on home soil this Sunday, after losing 4-0 to the Mariners at Sky Stadium one week prior.
This weekend the ‘Nix travel to Eden Park, the scene of a 2-2 draw against Perth Glory last season in which former captain Ulises Davila missed a penalty in second-half stoppage time. Wellington went on to miss out on the finals by just one point.
Should the Phoenix emerge victorious this time around against Western Sydney, Talay has three more fixtures to navigate to get his side through to the finals for the second time in his three-season tenure. Games against Victory (third) and City (first) pose big challenges for the ‘Nix in the run home.
MACARTHUR FC
- Current position: Sixth
- Remaining games: Three
- Opponents: Melbourne Victory (home), Newcastle Jets (home), Western Sydney (home)
Macarthur FC’s top six hopes are no longer in their control after a midweek loss to Western United. The Mariners are now within striking range of the Bulls, with a game in hand and just two points to make up between now and the end of the season.
Melbourne Victory loom as the toughest opponents in Macarthur’s run home, with Newcastle and the Wanderers both joining Popovic’s side in travelling to Campbelltown to face the Bulls.
If Macarthur are to seal their spot in the top six, having three home games to round out the season will help the cause.
SYDNEY FC
- Current position: Seventh
- Remaining games: Two
- Opponents: Melbourne Victory (home), Brisbane Roar (away)
With just two games left to play – the equal-fewest in the league – Sydney FC will need to bank on other results going their way as Steve Corica’s side play out their AFC Champions League group-stage fixtures in Thailand.
The Sky Blues would be fourth if not for a late collapse against the Reds before their departure for Ho Chi Minh City. Instead they sit seventh, with both Newcastle and Central Coast both capable of jumping over the Sky Blues with games in hand.
Sydney will return to face Victory at home before travelling to play the Roar in the last game of the regular season.
CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
- Current position: Eighth
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Newcastle Jets (away), Western United (home), Brisbane Roar (away), Newcastle (home)
An exciting finish to the season lies ahead for the Mariners, a side regaining momentum after a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Sydney FC on home soil on April 9. Nick Montgomery’s team have since drawn with Western Sydney and thumped the Phoenix to set up a charge to the top six.
Two F3 Derby fixtures await the Mariners in the run home, as does a clash with Western which will test the mettle of the finals hopefuls. Defeat the Jets and Western in succession and Central Coast will head into their last two games of the season with genuine momentum.
NEWCASTLE JETS
- Current position: Ninth
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Central Coast (home), Macarthur FC (away), Western United (home), Central Coast (away)
It’s crunch time for the Jets, who sit seven points outside of the top six with four games to play.
As it does for the Mariners, the F3 Derby takes on added significance for the Jets as the two teams placed eighth and ninth heading into the weekend prepare to tussle for ascendancy in the scrap for sixth.
Should the Jets squeeze into the finals slots, it will be an incredible feat; two games against the Mariners and fixtures against Macarthur (sixth) and Western (second) gives Arthur Papas’ side arguably the most difficult run home of any side in the league.
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
- Current position: 10th
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Wellington Phoenix (away), Perth Glory (away), Wellington (home), Macarthur FC (away)
A 3-2 win over Newcastle on Wednesday night has revived Western Sydney’s ambitious tilt for a spot in the top six.
Mark Rudan’s side sit level on points with the Jets (25) with four games to play. The Wanderers are tasked with travelling to face Wellington in Auckland, the first of two clashes with the ‘Nix to end the season in between visits to Perth and Campbelltown.
BRISBANE ROAR
- Current position: 11th
- Remaining games: Four
- Opponents: Melbourne Victory (home), Adelaide United (away), Central Coast (home), Sydney FC (home)
Never say never.
The Roar have four games left to target a late assault on the top six, with Victory, Adelaide, Central Coast and Sydney FC all stood in their path.
Winless in three games, Brisbane fans will hope for a miracle to see their side surge into the post-season.
LISTEN BELOW: Former A-Leagues marquee player Emile Heskey is our very special guest on this week’s episode of My Football Passport, with James Dodd.
