Catch up with the latest Official A-Leagues Fantasy talking points from the weekend, brought to you by Liberty.
Another brilliant weekend of Official A-Leagues Fantasy action has been and gone and several high-scorers caught the eye, creating the big talking points at the end of Round 18 in the Liberty A-League and Round 19 of the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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Old worth his weight in gold as Wellington return to the summit
He may have had troubles with injury at the start of his burgeoning young career but when Ben Old is fit and firing, Wellington Phoenix are all the better for it.
The 21-year-old’s two-goal haul against Adelaide United on Sunday helped Giancarlo Italiano’s side reclaim their spot at the top of the ladder having briefly been overtaken by Central Coast Mariners.
And in Official Isuzu UTE A-League Fantasy, those two goals saw Old record 26 points at the end of the round – good news for the 2.6% of managers who selected him this week.
The young New Zealand international’s double saw him top the charts ahead of Sydney FC’s Brazilian forward Fabio Gomes, who earned his managers 24 points after bagging a brace against the Wanderers in the Sydney Derby.
Arguably the secret weapon of the round though was Brisbane Roar forward Marco Rojas, who scored 23 points this weekend following his double against former club Melbourne Victory – a score which proved to be a tidy return for the 0.1% of managers who opted to put him in their teams.
Golden Boot holder finds golden touch as Western continue red-hot streak
There’s no surprise Western United star Hannah Keane was this week’s top scoring player in Liberty A-League fantasy following her outstanding display against Canberra United.
Scoring a hat-trick in a 4-2 win, Keane walked away with 34 points in her pocket on Friday evening, no doubt bringing a smile to the faces of the 12.1% of coaches who had her in their sides.
Furthermore, Keane’s excellent performance now takes her up to 208 points overall in fantasy this season, leaving her in third place behind teammate Chloe Logarzo and top scorer Michelle Heyman, both of whom also scored in the Round 18 clash at City Vista Recreation Reserve.
In fact, Logarzo totalled 22 points following a goal and an assist against Canberra which means she now sits second overall for points scored this season with 211, just 10 points behind Heyman.
Elsewhere, the other player to shine in Round 18 of the Liberty A-League was the returning Beattie Goad.
After taking a leave of absence from football in order to concentrate on her studies to become a doctor, Goad was back with a bang, scoring 26 points after scoring two against Wellington – well played to the 8.5% of owners who took a gamble this week!
Attack is the best form of defence in Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week
Led by Ben Old’s 26-point haul, the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week in Round 19 features four defenders in a 3-4-3 formation.
Alongside Old in midfield is Central Coast Mariners’ Josh Nisbet, who bagged the winner in Saturday’s F3 Derby with Newcastle, while Melbourne Victory’s Zinedine Machach and Adelaide’s Ryan Kitto both scored well despite being on the losing sides in Round 19.
Our three-man defence features a trio of fullbacks who all contributed to their team’s respective victories this weekend with Mariners’ Mikael Doka bagging a clean sheet and an assist against Newcastle as did Josh Risdon for Western United against Perth Glory, while Rhyan Grant’s opener in the Sydney Derby saw him secure the final spot in the backline.
Finally, Sydney FC’s in-form Brazilian Fabio Gomes registered 24 points after scoring a double against the Wanderers and he’s flanked by two players who also scored doubles – Brisbane Roar’s Marco Rojas and Macarthur FC young gun Bernardo Oliveira, who fired his side to victory over Melbourne City.
Goals galore in midfield for this week’s Liberty A-League Team of the Week
3-5-2 is the way forward for the Liberty A-League team of the week after Round 18.
An excellent performance from Central Coast keeper Sarah Langman against Adelaide sees her selected between the sticks whilst Sydney FC duo Kirsty Fenton and Jordan Thompson feature alongside Melbourne Victory’s Tori Hansen (15pts) in a three-player defence.
Our midfield is absolutely stacked this week with Beattie Goad leading the way alongside Sydney derby goalscorer Mackenzie Hawkesby while the in-form Chloe Logarzo features as do Newcastle Jets’ MelindaJ Barbieri and Brisbane Roar’s Alicia Woods, who scored 21 points.
Finally the front two makes terrifying viewing for any defence with Western United’s Hannah Keane selected alongside Melbourne Victory’s Emily Gielnik after the Matildas striker enjoyed another fruitful weekend in the Liberty A-League.
