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.
Read on for all the biggest talking points from Round 29, thanks to Mitre.
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‘Omens’ key for Aloisi as Western tune up for finals with statement win
Western United head into the first week of the Finals Series in fine form having just knocked off Premiers Auckland FC for the second time this season.
Goals from Michael Ruhs, Noah Botic, Angus Thurgate and Oli Lavale saw Western defeat the Black Knights 4-2 at Ironbark Fields on Saturday night, ensuring they earned the right to host Adelaide United in an Elimination Final this Friday night.
“We spoke about it after the Sydney game, that’s the intensity that we need to play at come finals time and then again tonight,” said Aloisi after the win over Auckland.
MATCH REPORT: Western United lock in Elimination Final opponent after upstaging newly-crowned premiers
“We couldn’t control what was going to happen in the other results and the other games, but we could control our performance and our training during the week and and be ready for finals, because we know that finals is completely different.
“The teams that finish higher doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to go and win it.
“We have to be ready physically, mentally, and I think we’re in good shape. We’re looking forward to it now.”
For Western, season 2024-25 has plenty of parallels with their Championship win in 2022, a campaign where they also finished third at the end of the regular season and hosted an Elimination Final at home.
“You can’t say that’s an omen or anything like that,” laughed Aloisi when asked about the similarities between the two campaign.
“We know it will be a tough game next week. All finals games are tough, no matter where or who you’re playing against. I’m sure that the boys will be looking forward to a home final.
“If we’re able to get through that one we’ll look forward to the next one. But first of all we have to make sure we’re ready for the next game.”
Saturday night’s impressive win over the Premiers was the second time Western United have scored four goals against Auckland this season and it’s a result which led to a brilliant coming together between the two coaches at full time.
“I said I hope we see you in the Grand Final! We’ve got a lot of games to play before we get there,” quipped Aloisi when asked by reporters as to what was said between himself and Auckland boss Steve Corica.
“He did say he hopes not because we’re the team that’s beat them twice this year. Maybe he’s feeling that we’re a bit of a bad omen for them!”
‘Kill or be killed’ time for Diles and Victory
Melbourne Victory boss Arthur Diles was left frustrated after his side threw away points against Newcastle Jets in their final game of the season but believes it won’t affect them heading into their Elimination Final with the Wanderers.
Victory were 1-0 up and cruising at AAMI Park courtesy of Kasey Bos’ 47th minute opener but ultimately succumbed to a late equaliser as the Jets capitalised on a goalkeeping error from Jack Duncan.
“Yeah, a little bit frustrating, to be honest,” said Diles when reflecting on the result in his post-match press conference.
MATCH REPORT: Victory’s finals momentum halted as late Jets goal equals A-Leagues record
“But in the end, it’s a game that’s behind us now. (We played) some good football at times, many chances created.
“It would have been nicer to score a few more goals. Respect to them as well they dug in here and they fought really hard.
“In the end, the ladder had nothing to play for tonight but you had two teams that really had a go still and that was probably a good spectacle for all the fans.
“We look forward now, we don’t look back.”
Next on the schedule for Victory is a blockbuster Elimination Final showdown with the Wanderers at CommBank Stadium on Saturday.
Finishing fifth on the ladder and three points behind the Wanderers, Victory picked up just one point from their two games against Alen Stajcic’s side during the regular season but Diles says those games have little baring on this fixture.
“To be fair, I think those games now are insignificant,” said Diles when asked what he’s learned from those two games.
“Because now it’s a final and it’s sudden death, kill or be killed, no second chances.
“Look, those games during the season, now it’s a finals game away from home. They’re one of the in-form teams in the comp.
“But we’ve both earned the right to play in this match, and we’re gonna do everything we can next week to be ready to go there and get the job done.”
Zdrilic full of optimism after ‘bittersweet’ ending in Wellington
Perth Glory may have already been condemned to a second-straight wooden spoon but that didn’t stop David Zdrilic’s side from putting in a dominant display to defeat Wellington Phoenix 2-0 on the final day of the season
Having stayed in New Zealand following their penultimate round trip to Auckland, Zdrilic’s side had their travel plans scuppered ahead of this game after the clash with Wellington was postponed by from Friday to Sunday due to adverse weather conditions in the area.
With all that in mind, it’s no surprise Zdrilic was full of praise for his team after the game as they ended what’s been a difficult season on a high note.
MATCH REPORT: Glory end season on a high as Nix legend’s milestone match ends in defeat
“We’ve had a tough, tough season,” said the Glory head coach in his post-match press conference at Sky Stadium. “There’s been a lot of changes, a lot of players that we used.
“Obviously great that we won, but we’ve been playing like this for a long time now, and there’s a lot of games there that we could have won in a similar fashion.
“And just for whatever reason, the weight of the results early on and the changes, (the results) just didn’t fall for us.
“So I’m just really proud of the guys, because in this situation, and I guess Wellington would feel the same thing, it’s not easy.
“It’s not easy to get up in a game that, you know, was extended for another two days.
“We’ve been here a long time, and to put in that performance, I’m just delighted that right to the last day, despite our table position, that they were able to put in such a dominant performance and got the reward for it.”
Before their players depart for the off-season though Glory have one more competitive match left in season 2024-25.
Travelling back to Western Australia, Glory will then begin preparations for their Australia Cup playoff match against Central Coast Mariners in Darwin with Zdrilic looking to record another positive result moving into next season.
“It’s hard to sit here in the table position, but I understood very early on,” said the Glory boss when asked for his take on the season as a whole.
“We had a very difficult pre-season, with a lot of our initial group of players injured throughout the whole pre-season, just the way it landed and then we started terribly in the season.
“But as we started evolving with the squad, the performances started coming (but) the results weren’t there. So it was just shaking this ‘we can’t get the result, even though we’re playing well’ (feeling) and it’s just the weight of the negative results.
He went on to say: “But the optimism is there, because last game of the season, nothing right on it. We haven’t had a good season they put in a performance like that last home game of the season, we haven’t had the best results here either, and we beat Adelaide who’s in the (top) six, 4-1.
“So, you know, the way we finished is great and obviously that’s going to give us a lot of optimism, leading into first hit the Darwin game the qualifier and then next season.”
Stajcic believes good times are on the way for Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers are flying on the pitch and head coach Alen Stajcic believes things are now starting to fall into place off the pitch as well.
Saturday night’s 3-1 away win over Macarthur Bulls meant the Wanderers head into their Elimination Final clash with Melbourne Victory unbeaten in 12 matches and full of confidence.
“It was probably the best game of the year when we played them at home six weeks ago, it was a fantastic game,” said Stajcic when speaking at his post-match press conference on Saturday.
MATCH REPORT: Hottest streak in 12 years intact as Western Sydney setup mouth-watering finals blockbuster
“30 unbelievable players that entered the pitch that day. If you want entertainment come out and watch it, it’s going to be a great game.
“So many talented players on display and Socceroos and two teams jam-packed with talent. Obviously looking forward to a big challenge and hopefully getting over that first hurdle and taking on whoever we have to in the second game – whether it’s Auckland FC or Melbourne City.”
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Whilst the result saw the Wanderers end their regular season on a high note, the cherry on top of the cake for Stajcic was the club’s travelling support.
Having packed out the away bays in Newcastle for the penultimate round of the season, the Western Sydney faithful turned out in their droves for the clash in Campbelltown and the Wanderers boss believes the club has turned a corner off the pitch.
“I think it was similar at the Mariners, but maybe a slightly different problem, the hardest thing is getting the ship out of the bottom of the ocean and getting it to float.
“At the Mariners at the time, it had six or seven wooden spoons in a row virtually and the praise needs to go to the people who really do the hard work to get that organisation back floating.
“That group of Mariners players did it, and we saw the success they had after it. And same goes for this team, you know. We’ve had seven, eight years of relatively unsuccessful times considering what most people perceive Wanderers to be.
“I know we made the finals a couple of years ago, but generally, I don’t think the fans have felt connected, and haven’t felt that that environment.
“So I think we’ve got to that point where we’ve created a really good foundation and a really good culture, but it’s not a thing where you can just think you’ve done it, tick the box and move on.
“We’ve got to keep working on it, and you’ve got to keep evolving and growing as that connection between the fans and the players grows. I think the fans, at the moment feel connected, and they feel proud of the players.
“You can really hear the enthusiasm and the singing and chanting and just feeling all that passion together, and that’s really what they all come for, that tribalism and that connection to the club.
“So we want to grow that, we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to grow it next week, we need to grow it the week after in the rest of the Finals Series, and certainly by the time I come back next year I want to start seeing full stadiums in Parramatta again.”
Vidmar pleased with deserved finish as City book Asian adventure
Melbourne City boss Aurelio Vidmar says the club got exactly what they deserved this year after finishing second in the Isuzu UTE A-League regular season.
Saturday’s night’s 5-1 thumping of Sydney FC at AAMI Park ensured Vidmar and his side not only sealed second spot on the ladder but also saw them book their spot in next season’s lucrative AFC Champions League Elite.
“Really pleasing,” said Vidmar when asked by journalists for his assessment of their brilliant win over Sydney FC.
MATCH REPORT: Asia calling! Melbourne City clinch Champions League spot after winning lucrative $1.27m race
“Going forward, really good. Our midfield worked their socks off and so did our back four. (I’m) really pleased for the boys, you know.
“They’ve gone through some challenges this year. The whole group, has to be honest. Guys have stepped in and done a great job and (we’ve) got very good leaders here that have kept things together in the difficult moments.
“So really pleasing and I certainly feel that we got what we deserved through the course of the year so great to get second spot another trip to Asia for the club, which is brilliant.
“And yep, a week’s rest, and we get ready for the semi-final.”
As a result of their top-two finish, City will now enjoy the week off as teams ranked fourth to sixth contest the elimination finals.
However, while many would welcome the week off in order to rest and better prepare for their opposition in the first leg of the semi-finals, Vidmar doesn’t necessarily see it that way.
“In the ideal world we want to play next week just to keep that rhythm,” said Vidmar when asked whether or not the week off is beneficial for his side.
“I think leading up to this game, we already had three or four games, really tough games against tough opposition, finals-like football.
“So that’s really what made us really sharp up to this point. But we planned right through the year when we’ve had international breaks, plus a bye and then the other two byes.
“The trust that we have in the process of what we’re doing on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, puts us in a good position.
“So I’m not concerned about that. It’ll also help guys like Stevie (Ugarkovic) and Sammy (Souprayen) have an opportunity to get themselves training again with the group.”
Jackson’s waiting game as Mariners prepare for off-season of change
It’s been a turbulent 2024-25 Isuzu UTE A-League campaign for reigning champions Central Coast Mariners, who signed off their season with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Brisbane Roar on Friday night.
Despite taking an early lead through Arthur De Lima’s third minute goal, the home side ultimately conceded two Sam Klein goals at Industree Group Stadium as they succumbed to their 10th loss of the season.
“It’s been extremely disappointing,” said Jackson when assessing the season in his post-match press conference.
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“There’s nobody more disappointed than me. It’s gut-wrenching for me not to be in finals football and pushing at the top end of the table.
“It really, really is. A lot of the staff and the players share that feeling as well. But this is football. This is competitive sport. This is where we are. There are other teams in the A-League bigger than us who are suffering as well.
“But the positives from this season, okay more will come out probably in our debrief, but the positives are the emergence of some of this young talent on the coast . That’s a positive and that experience they’ll take into next season.”
Having lost the spine of their treble winning team from season 2023-24, Jackson anticipates there will be more high-profile exits from the current side as the Mariners’ football department begin shaping the squad to go again next season.
“Yeah, there’ll be changes to this that’s clear. What the parameters are of what we’re going to work with and where we’re going to work is probably going to be decided over the weeks.
“Like I said before, people behind the scenes are working really hard to secure the future of the football club.
“I respect that, because, you know the Central Coast and the A-League needs this football club in it. So people are working extremely hard behind the scenes to do that, and I respect that.
“Probably it’s just is a little bit of a waiting game now to see what the parameters are of what we can do and where we can work.
“We’ve got ideas of how we want to build a squad with a clear identity of youth. That’s clear. It’s always been there with the Mariners of course, but I think it’ll be more prominent next year. I think that’s a clear message of what it will be.
“But the important thing is that the club’s future is secured and has that little bit of stability and things where it can move forward.”
