We’re two rounds into the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season and some new faces have emerged as contenders in the race for the golden boot.
With the league averaging 3.3 goals a game so far this season (33 in total over 10 games) there looks like being plenty of goals to get excited about this season.
Hyundai A-League Team of the Week: RD 2
Hyundai A-League talking points
Sydney FC has set the early pace in the competition with two big wins and eight goals so it’s no surprise they have three players with multiple goals to their name.
Sky Blues Slovakian marquee Filip Holosko is currently out in front on his own, with three goals from the opening two games, including a brace against Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
Holosko’s Sydney FC team-mates Alex Brosque and Bobo are two of six players one goal further back, after scoring one in each of the first two rounds.
Johnny Warren medallist Diego Castro has also found the net twice, with both of his goals in the first fortnight coming from the penalty spot.
After scoring twice off the bench in the win over Adelaide United last Friday, Western Sydney Wanderers super sub Brendon Santalab has also made a strong start.
Santalab easily has the best strike rate of the leading bunch, with his two goals coming in just 50 minutes on the pitch.
Perth Glory’s Caltex Socceroo Adam Taggart and Central Coast Mariners import Roy O’Donovan also have two goals to their name.
But there’s some big names lurking just behind who could be just warming up in the goal-scoring stakes.
Cahill made a stunning introduction to the Hyundai A-League on Saturday night, scoring with a spectacular 35-yard volley in the win over Melbourne Victory.
Will that be the first of a truckload of goals for the Australia’s greatest-ever goal-scorer?
Last season’s winner Fornaroli also got off the mark in that win and, like Cahill, could get plenty in City’s full-throttle attacking style.
Marco Rojas notched his first of the campaign in his return to Victory last weekend, while Nebo Marinkovic (Perth Glory) and Henrique (Adelaide United) are also attacking stars who have scored.
But it’s been a slow start for some of the more fancied contenders for the scoring title.
Berisha, Maclaren and Glory’s Andy Keogh should be around the top of the scorers list come the end of the campaign but have yet to get off the mark.
Fornaroli’s 25 goals was the Golden Boot mark last season, what will the magical number be in 2016/17?
