As a Goal of the Week judge, Roy O’Donovan has seen every one this season – and so many are thrilling for the fans, he writes for KEEPUP.
Nothing beats live football, watching a game in the flesh and taking in every facet of the contest. You get to see how a team plays but also why it plays that way, driven by the coach and the desires of the players.
It’s no surprise to me that we’re on target for a record number of goals scored this season, because so many of our teams in the A-League are dedicated to attack. We are blessed to be watching a perfect storm of top strikers, silky creators and coaches who want their teams to play forward with style.
It would be easy for cynics to question why we have so many goals this year, but there are sound football reasons – all driven by coaches across the league who give their players the freedom to play with creativity.
I was at two games last weekend, and the quality on display is just so exciting. The Mariners v Melbourne City was a heavyweight contest peppered with the likes of Jamie Maclaren, Jason Cummings and the two Marcos, Tulio and Tilio.
Up in Newcastle, meanwhile, for the Jets v Macarthur, the heart leaps when you see the movement and skill of players like Craig Noone and Beka Mikeltadze – and that’s before Brandon O’Neill produces a contender for goal of the season in the dying seconds to win the game.
I knew straightaway that I’d be watching O’Neill’s goal the next week because every Monday morning a video pops into my phone with all of the goals from the round just finished, so I can cast my votes on which was the best.
As a member of the A-League Men’s goal of the week panel, it turns out I’ve sat through 435 goals already this season, and pretty much every week it’s a battle to choose the best of some spectacular strikes.
What I love about the football played in the A-League, and the style of goals, is how varied it all is. I sit enthralled by the biggest EPL games like anyone, but the truth is a lot of teams in Europe – especially those without mega-rich owners – set up to counter the opposition, not just try to match them in an artillery contest.
In the A-League we have a generation of coaches who want to win by entertaining, but in myriad different ways. Look at Adelaide and the speed they break at when they win the ball, coupled with the individual brilliance of players like Craig Goodwin and Nestory Irankunda.
Then compare that with Wellington Phoenix who score so many brilliant team goals, playing out from the back to a pleasing template of overlaps, underlaps and all kinds of movement. In theory, the formations are pretty similar among most of the clubs, but the character of the players colours them all differently.
The funny thing is that the lack of relegation in the league used to result in a fair number of meaningless games – but coaches now seem to have realised that without that pressure, they have a duty to attack.
The best thing is that the league table shows you how adventure can be rewarded. Generally speaking you can see which clubs have the money in any competition, but here we have two of the A-League’s smallest clubs in Adelaide and the Mariners going toe to toe for the title with two of its most wealthy. Football quality and sporting bravery are the key.
It’s competitive right down the table, and even Melbourne Victory in last place were still aiming for the finals until this week. Across the league the tempo, the tactics and the intensity are all geared towards one thing – scoring goals. Strap yourselves in for the last few weeks.
