What will happen in round 25 of the Hyundai A-league? We ask the big questions.
Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets: Can the Jets save their season?
In a week where it seems timely, Gary van Egmond-s men might just need some divine intervention.
Whether Nathan Tinkler is paying attention to the Jets- plight given the Knights- blistering start to the NRL season is debatable, but if he is he might want to lend the jet to GVE so Dutchy can head to the Vatican and plead with Pope Francis I for a miracle.
The Jets are skating on some very thin ice. A hammering at the hands of Melbourne Victory was followed by a loss to Perth on their home patch and it has left them in a precarious position.
Thirty points isn-t enough to make finals football and they have played one game extra than any other team (their round 26 clash against Wellington Phoenix). If they don-t win in Adelaide they simply won-t make the finals for the second season straight.
Adding to their woes is the unavailability of Emile Heskey who is out with a calf complaint, though if the Adelaide Advertiser is to be believed the big Englishman simply got the memo that he wasn-t missing much in South Australia and simply elected to give it a miss. (It’s a joke, Adelaide! Chill out!)
The Reds found some form against the Heart and with a finals campaign looming will be looking to dominate with a full-strength side that will see Bruce Djite returning one week after Portuguese flyer Fabio Ferreira did.
Can the Jets save their season? We doubt it. Jets fans, get on your knees and look to the heavens.
Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney Wanderers: have the Heart got some heart?
Let-s be frank – Melbourne Heart-s performance against Adelaide last week was awful. With their finals hopes on the line, they looked hopeless.
We know what we-re going to get from the Wanderers: committed, disciplined, organised, match-winning football. But what are we going to get from the Heart? Another limp performance? A Swiss cheese defence? Swift counter-attacking football? Perhaps even a goal? Maybe they-ll come out and start doing the Harlem Shake. God knows it would be more entertaining than the football they-ve served up over the past couple of weeks.
For Western Sydney, a win here would all but sew up the premiership. With just two rounds remaining, it would take a colossal collapse to hand it back to the Mariners. Stranger things have happened – but you wouldn-t bet on it, would you?
Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory: have Sydney learnt their lesson?
Both times Sydney have faced Victory this season, the Sky Blues have thrown the game away. That-s not to say Victory haven-t earned their wins but Sydney have a habit of getting carried away by the hype.
Back in round six they gave up a two-goal lead at home, and they gave up two players in the round 18 loss. Surely they-ve learnt their lesson by now? Don-t get yourself sent off, don-t abuse the match officials, keep the defence compact – but most importantly, don-t lose.
Sydney have done their best to drag as much drama out of this season as possible and the only way they can just about get away with it, is to squeeze into the finals. Their recent home record – six straight wins – and desperation to hold onto that finals berth suggests they could do it this season.
But if they shoot themselves in the foot again, Victory will be more than willing to take advantage. Ange Postecoglou-s side have looked regained some of their confidence in recent weeks, even if they can-t shake off those defensive frailties.
The return of Archie Thompson will boost their chances of putting the pain on their rivals, while the loss of Lucas Neill, never the quickest of defenders, might not be such a bad thing for Sydney this week.
Central Coast Mariners v Brisbane Roar: Is the dream over for the Mariners?
While we have no doubt Graham Arnold is likely making them listen to Crowded House-s Don-t Dream it-s Over on repeat, here-s the skinny for Central Coast: you have a mathematical chance of winning the Premier-s Plate. You hear that? A mathematical chance.
That means your dreams are shattered. You have blown this and are on your way out the arena faster than Greg Norman left Augusta National in 1996 after blowing a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo.
What are we saying? Well for those of you who can-t read between the lines, we are saying the Mariners have choked and the stigma remains as their dream season turns into a recurring nightmare you just can-t wake up from, and now as if on cue Brisbane Roar are arriving to make their nightmares absolute terrors.
In the last few seasons the Roar represent the Mariners- worst fears and this time it won-t be any different because the Roar are hunting a finals spot and would like nothing more than to knock the Mariners off on their home turf.
Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix: can Perth do the impossible?
Just a few weeks ago, Perth Glory never looked like making their finals. After Ian Ferguson-s resignation, you would have thought they-d just shut up shop and all go and lie on Cottesloe Beach, trying to forget this season ever happened.
But a combination of the inconsistency of the teams above them, the everyone-wins-a-prize nature of the finals, and Alistair Edwards-s new-coach bounce has put them back in contention.
Somehow, Glory are just two points off fifth place. After the season they-ve had – they-ve lost 12 games and scored just 24 goals – that-s faintly ridiculous.
But, as well as other results going their way, they have to beat a Wellington side playing without the constraints of expectation. Bottom of the league and with nothing to play for but self-respect and their contracts, Phoenix gave Western Sydney a fight last week and they will more than likely do the same to Perth.
Glory have looked promising under Edwards but have been unable to maintain their intensity for a full 90 minutes. If they can-t do it this week, their season will truly be over.
