Both are looking to get back on track in 2017 after last-start defeats while Roar will be chasing revenge following a shock 4-0 drubbing against the Jets in Newcastle last October.
Saturday, 7 January 2017
Brisbane Roar FC v Newcastle Jets
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-Off: 4:35PM (Local) (5:35PM (AEDT))
Referee: Kurt Ams
Assistant Referee 1: David Walsh
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Lindsay
Fourth Official: Peter Green
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on Fox Sports 505 from 5.00pm (AEDT) and Sky Sport 4 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: 612 ABC Brisbane, 1233 ABC Newcastle, ABC Local Radio Qld, Grandstand Digital, Online & via the ABC Radio Mobile App – A-league Live.
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #BRIvNEW
To purchase tickets visit www.aleague.com.au
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Michael THEO (gk), 3.Luke DEVERE, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 5.Corey BROWN, 7.Thomas KRISTENSEN, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 11.Tommy OAR, 13.Jade NORTH, 15.ARANA, 17. Matt MCKAY (c), 19.Jack HINGERT, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Thomas BROICH, 23.Dimitri PETRATOS, 25.Kye ROWLES, 26.Nick D’AGOSTINO, 28.Brandon BORRELLO
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 25.Kye ROWLES (promoted), 26.Nick D’AGOSTINO (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 10.Brett HOLMAN (knee – 1-2 weeks)
Newcastle Jets Squad: 2.Daniel MULLEN, 3.Jason HOFFMAN, 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (c), 6.Steven UGARKOVIC, 7.Andrew HOOLE, 8.Mateo POLJAK, 9.Aleksandr KOKKO, 10.Wayne BROWN, 15.Andrew NABBOUT, 16.Nicholas COWBURN, 18.MA Leilei, 19.Morten NORDSTRAND, 20.Jack DUNCAN (gk), 22.Lachlan JACKSON, 23.Devante CLUT, 28.John KOUTROUMBIS, 30.Pierce CLARK (gk)
**one to be omitted**
Ins: 4.Nigel BOOGAARD (C) (returns from injury), 23.Devante CLUT (promoted)
Outs: 13.Ivan VUJICA (hamstring – 4–6 weeks)
Unavailable: 1.Ben KENNEDY (gk) (achilles – season), 5.Ben KANTAROVKSI (knee – 1-3 weeks), 13.Ivan VUJICA (hamstring – 4-6 weeks), 21.Daniel ALESSI (knee – season)
BLUFFER’S GUIDE
Despite dropping out of the top six after their 4-2 loss to Melbourne Victory on Monday night, the Jets should head to Brisbane with a spring in their step.
Mark Jones’ men have lost just one of their last four matches and also should have confidence after their crushing win over Roar back in Round 2.
They appear a side on the up and with the likelihood of some reinforcements in the January transfer window, will believe they’ll play finals football for the first time in seven years.
Roar’s ambitions are probably much higher than that given their position right now.
John Aloisi’s troops are third even after their 2-0 defeat to the high-flying Sky Blues on the penultimate day of December.
It was their first defeat since that loss to the Jets and back in front of the Orange Army, they’ll expect to get back in the winner’s circle.
Roar has lost just one of their last seven matches against the Jets and are also unbeaten in their last 13 games at Suncorp Stadium.
OPTA DATA
*Brisbane Roar are undefeated in their last 13 Hyundai A-League games on home soil, their longest run since a streak of 23 games ending in November 2011.
*Newcastle Jets claimed a 4-0 victory when these teams clashed in the Hyundai A-League in October, snapping a six-game winless streak against the Roar that began in November 2014.
*All four of Roar winger Tommy Oar’s assists this Hyundai A-League season have come when playing at Suncorp Stadium, no player in the competition has registered more home assists.
*The Jets boast a tackle win percentage of 80% this Hyundai A-League season, the best of any team in the competition and more than five percentage points better than Brisbane (74.6%).
ROUTE TO GOAL
Despite sitting in the lofty heights of third spot, Roar have had their issues in attack in the 2016/17 Season.
They have managed just 16 goals from their 13 games so far this season, the least of any side currently in the top six, and six fewer than the same stage last season.
While they have had eight different scorers, only Jamie Maclaren (six) and Thomas Kristensen (four) have found the net more than once.
Maclaren will again be their main outlet but Tommy Oar also loves playing at Suncorp.
The Caltex Socceroos winger has provided four assists so far this season, all of them on Roar’s home turf.
The Jets looked to have solved their scoring issues over the last month, and it’s no surprise their results have improved. After managing just two goals in six matches leading up to round 10, Mark Jones’ men have scored eight in the last four.
They have done it mainly due to their fluid front three, with the pace and movement of the likes of Hoole and Nabbout proving tough for opposition sides to handle.
Striker Aleksandr Kokko made his return from injury off the bench against Victory on Monday night and will provide a different type of threat if he gets on the pitch.
And Roar should be on high alert when Wayne Brown gets on the ball just outside the box.
No player has scored more goals from outside the box this season than the Englishman’s two (Henrique and Marinkovic have same number).
WHO’S BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK?
Luke DeVere. The Roar defender has been in sensational form this season (making our Team of the Month for December this week) with talk of a Caltex Socceroos call-up later this year. Has the task of stopping the likes of Hoole, Nabbout, Nordstrand and Co. on Saturday night.
Hyundai A-League Team of the Month: Dec 2016
FORM LINES (last five games)
Roar: DWWDL
Jets: LWWDL
PREDICTION
Brisbane Roar 2-1 Newcastle Jets
