Welcome to A-Leagues life, where KEEPUP brings you all the latest news and goings on at your club. This is how the week is shaping up across the A-Leagues and beyond.
Newcastle United gun & a former Real Madrid star salute Marcelo on game 600
From the Premier League to the A-Leagues, Western Sydney Wanderers captain Marcelo Guedes is feeling the love from a star cast of his former teammates, after eclipsing a monumental career milestone in Round 26 of the Isuzu UTE A-League season.
Marcelo is relishing his first season in Australia; through 22 games in red and black, the Brazilian centre-back helped snap a seven-year finals drought for the Wanderers. In the last round of the regular season, Marcelo played the 600th game of his career.
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The former PSV Eindhoven, Hannover 96, Besiktas, Olympique Lyonnais and Bordeaux defender has won five domestic titles across three European countries, and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals with Lyon in 2020.
After his 600th career game, the Wanderers released multiple videos submitted by his former teammates congratulating him on the achievement, including Newcastle United star Bruno Guimarães.
Marcelo’s career began at Brazilian club Santos, where he played alongside former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich star Zé Roberto. He was one of the many players, including Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen, waiting in line to congratulate the Wanderers skipper.
“Hi Marcelo, how are you my friend?” Guimaraes said.
“I am buzzing here to congratulate for an amazing job, for the professional that you are my friend.
“600 games is not easy, you got it. Congrats my friend, I wish you and your family all the best. See you, I miss you a lot mate.”
Palace star Andersen said: “Hey Marcelo, huge congratulations with playing 600 matches in your career. It is a big, big achievement. (It’s) something that I could only wish for.
“It has been a huge privilege to be able to call you my teammate. I really enjoyed my time with you at Lyon and I hope that you’re doing really well in Australia and I wanted to wish you all the best for the remaining season and the rest of your career.”
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Marcelo will play the 601st game of his career this weekend, in an historic Sydney Derby Elimination Final. It may be Marcelo’s first season in the A-League Men, but he knows all about the rivalry between the Wanderers and Sydney FC having played in all three bitter instalments of the derby this season thus far.
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‘Emotional’ reaction to viral video puts family at the heart of Irankunda’s story
Unhinged living room scenes followed Nestory Irankunda’s late equaliser in a ridiculous 4-4 draw with Perth Glory at HBF Park, with a viral video of his family’s reaction going viral.
The 17-year-old travelled with the Adelaide United squad out west as a surprise inclusion to the Reds squad, after a bout of illness in the lead-up to the Round 25 clash.
But back home in Adelaide, his family gathered, eager to watch the latest instalment of ‘The Late Show’ featuring the prodigious young talent.
Irankunda delivered, sending a living room full of his family into a frenzy.
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Irankunda was present at Tuesday afternoon’s launch of the Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series. The Reds play host to Wellington Phoenix at Coopers Stadium on Friday night, and the 17-year-old is expected to play his usual role off the bench looking to make a late impact in the second half.
At the launch, he confirmed it was a cousin who captured the heartwarming video of his late, late equaliser that reminded him of the “unbelievable” support he receives from his family.
“I didn’t know about the video until I think a day or two after the game,” Irankunda said.
“When I (saw) the video I was really happy. I got kind of emotional about it. I was just really happy that I have a family like that I guess.
“The way they captured it on video was unbelievable.”
From concrete to silverware, Mariners hoping for quick-fire trophy lifts
Less than two weeks ago, Central Coast captain Danny Vukovic held the F3 Derby trophy aloft.
Stood next to the A-League Men Championship trophy at Tuesday’s Finals Series launch, Vukovic admitted lifting the iconic “piece of concrete” was a nice – but he’s determined to go one better by the end of the post-season.
The Mariners’ long-standing rivalry with Newcastle Jets took on another layer this season when the two clubs revealed they would fight for a new trophy each season: a core drill sample of the M1 motorway, formerly known as the F3, that separates the two sides.
The trophy was awarded to the Mariners this season for winning all three games between the two sides. After Central Coast’s 3-1 derby win in Newcastle on April 22, Vukovic held the trophy aloft in front of a bumper travelling crowd of away fans.
“It was nice to hold that bit of concrete. It was pretty heavy!” He said at Tuesday’s Finals Series launch. “But I would much prefer to be holding up this one (the Championship trophy) in a few weeks’ time.”
Vukovic signed for the Mariners in the off-season after a stint abroad. It’s the club where the goalkeeper made his professional debut – and now, he believes it’s “quite fitting that this is where I’m going to end my career, where it all began.”
“I’m super proud of our team, our boys,” he added. “I think it’s well-known we’re the youngest average squad, and we’ve done exceptionally well. I’m proud we’ve put ourselves in a position to finish second, to get the weekend off, sit back and watch the games and see who it is we’ll play.”
Vukovic’s pride in the Mariners’ playing group was echoed by their head coach Nick Montgomery this week, after the club sealed a second-placed finish with an emphatic 4-1 win over Adelaide United on the road in Round 26.
Adelaide began the weekend as firm favourites to seal second spot but were trounced at home, conceding their place in the top two to their opponents on the night.
Three seasons ago, the Mariners were in the abyss, as the club approached the 2020-21 season off the back of three-consecutive wooden spoon finishes.
Former Matildas head coach Alen Stajcic revitalised the club from the coast, guiding the cellar dwellers to the 2021 Finals Series. The club turned to its NPL and Y-League head coach Montgomery to take on the vacant head coach role, and he’s since pushed the club onwards. After a third-place finish under Stajcic, the Mariners have finished fifth and second under Montgomery.
Earning second spot at the end of the current regular season booked the club a spot in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup for 2023-24. It’s the first time the Mariners have qualified for Asian football since 2013-14.
“It’s hard to put down in words how proud I am of all the players and staff at Central Coast Mariners Football Club,” Montgomery wrote in a LinkedIn post. “So many amazing people both players and staff who have worked so hard to help the club achieve all the below whilst faced with many challenges as a club.
“Pre-season started 10 months ago. 178 training sessions, long days, late nights, endless discussions, plenty of ups and downs, big decisions made, and the regular 2022-23 season has come to a close.
“Good people all working together to achieve the same outcome, and even in tough times sticking together and believing in the process and core values is key to a good environment and culture. With automatic finals football secured and a quick reflection on what we have achieved in the league, it’s now time to focus on preparation for the finals.”
