Three losses from their last four matches and just one win in eight, Brisbane Roar have hit a rough patch of form at the wrong time: So are they in danger of missing out on finals football in the Ninja A-League? It’s certainly a topic that got the Dub Zone panel fired up.
Brisbane’s 3-2 loss to Newcastle Jets in Round 19 meant they have lost back-to-back games in the competition by the same scoreline and while they remain fifth in the standings, they now sit just a point clear of seventh place.
So what’s gone wrong for Alex Smith’s Roar?
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Flying high at the start of the season, the Roar reeled off six wins from their opening eight games but since the turn of the year their form has taken a nosedive.
Arguably a key reason for that decline has been the absence of key player Sharn Freier, with the CommBank Matildas winger ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to an ankle injury.
“Just the amount of interruptions they’ve had in the team, you know, players are coming back now, players have come back now, but it’s been hard for them to regain that chemistry that they had at the beginning of the season,” said two-time Ninja A-League champion Teresa Polias on this week’s episode of Dub Zone.
“That aggression is just not there at the moment, and obviously the confidence isn’t there.”
What will be a concern for the Roar is that of their five remaining games this season, four of those are against teams currently in the top six.
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Despite that daunting run home though, A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri believes the Queenslanders will still be playing finals football, provided they beat the side currently running last on the ladder.
“I’m gonna actually go the other way on this. Brisbane, as long as they beat Western Sydney Wanderers when they play them at Perry Park, the other three games are free hits,” he said.
“I mean, if you need to get to 30 points to make the finals, if they win two more, and they get to, what, 28, 31 that’s a guarantee.”
“But they’ve got to win them Teo,” Polias responded. “They’re just struggling to win at the moment, that’s the problem”
“No, but I think take the pressure off away to Adelaide, that’s a freebie.” replied Pellizzeri.
“Is it?” remarked Polias. “I don’t think they’ll be approaching it like that. There’s no team that’s just going to go ‘Ahh, that games gone…’
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Pellizzeri continued: “They’re still sitting fifth. I think this team has picked and chosen at times which games to put an emphasis on, and they need to put all the emphasis on the Western Sydney Wanderers.”
Far from convinced by Pellizzeri’s theory, Sydney FC great Polias believes Roar may well be facing an uphill battle when it comes to recapturing their early season form.
“I don’t think it works like that, Teo. I don’t think you just get to switch it on whenever you feel like.”
Pellizzeri responded: “They’re still sitting above more than half the league in spite of doing that…”
Polias countered: “They are (but) because of their early efforts earlier in the season. It’s fallen away now, and that’s the issue.”
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“I’m telling you, they only need to win one more game and they’ll play finals,” countered A-Leagues commentator Pellizzeri. “The pressure is totally off. The pressure is off Brisbane.”
“Madness, Teo, Madness!” remarked an unconvinced Polias.
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Something that will be keeping Smith and his coaching staff on tenterhooks though will be the fitness of star captain Tameka Yallop.
Appearing to injure her right ankle whilst challenging for the ball, Yallop was subbed off in the 77th minute of the loss to the Jets and was limping heavily as she left the field at Perry Park.
The Matildas icon has been in excellent goalscoring form for the Queenslanders this season, currently sat third in the race for the Golden Boot having found the back of the net nine times so far this campaign.
Next up for Brisbane Roar is an away clash against high-flying Adelaide United on Sunday.
