It was a day for individual milestones and bitter rivalries as four Isuzu UTE A-League fixtures filled the Saturday agenda.
There were 16 goals, a dramatic penalty miss, one red card and plenty of drama on the agenda – and KEEPUP followed along every step of the way, bringing you all the highlights, up to date scores and biggest talking points from four games fixtures on Saturday.
THE SATURDAY AGENDA
- WESTERN UNITED 2-2 CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
MATCH REPORT: CUMMINGS PEN SAVED AS MARINERS DRAW WITH WESTERN
- WELLINGTON PHOENIX 0-6 MELBOURNE CITY
Shark Park. Kick-off: 4.35pm AEDT
MATCH REPORT: RUTHLESS CITY HIT PHOENIX FOR SIX
- ADELAIDE UNITED 0-1 MELBOURNE VICTORY
Coopers Stadium. Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
MATCH REPORT: ROJAS STRIKE GUIDES VICTORY PAST REDS
- SYDNEY FC 3-2 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
MATCH REPORT: BUHAGIAR BRACE LIFTS SKY BLUES TO SYDNEY DERBY WIN
REACTION
‘I’m not going to sleep tonight’: Cummings delivers ‘one of the great A-League Men’s interviews’
On a hat-trick in second-half stoppage time, Jason Cummings had the ball on the penalty spot with the chance to give Central Coast all three points from Western United on the road.
Instead, the Mariners striker found the gloves of Western keeper Jamie Young, letting two crucial points slip in an enthralling contest which ended 2-2.
Just minutes after the full-time whistle, Cummings fronted up to the Paramount+ cameras to deliver “one of the great A-League Men’s interviews,” as described by commentator Ben Homer in the aftermath.
“It was a shocker,” Cummings said when reviewing his spot kick. “It was a terrible penalty man, I’m fuming.
“The boys (did) well today as well, we bring it back to 2-2 there and I’ve got a chance to score from the penalty spot, and I should score there. I’m gutted.
“That’s my bread and butter, that. I’m just gutted I missed.
“It should have been three points… I’m not going to sleep tonight.”
It was a cruel end to the contest for Cummings, who had an otherwise brilliant day out in Ballarat. Two goals took his season tally to five in 12 games, along with five assists.
Cummings arrived Down Under with a clear objective: to contend for a spot in the Socceroos squad. After the recent debuts of fellow A-Leagues stars Ben Folami, Bruno Fornaroli and Nick D’Agostino, Cummings is giving himself every chance to appear in the squad for the final stage of Australia’s World Cup qualifying campaign in June.
“I’d love to be there. Of course I’d love to be there, it would be a dream but it’s not up to me, it’s up to whoever picks the squads,” he said.
“I’m available, I’d love it but my main concentration is every week playing with the Mariners and doing my best for this team.”
Parmount+ co-commentator Phil Moss was in awe of the honesty displayed by Cummings in the raw moments following the full-time whistle.
“That was outstanding, absolutely outstanding,” Moss said. “This guy is a character, he’s a quality football player, but he’s a real character and the league needs them.
“I thought that was so honest, and so inspiring to his teammates as well.
“To take responsibility like that, and say he won’t sleep tonight and that it was a shocker of a penalty, that’s leadership facing up to that sort of adversity.
“It is so hard at full-time with that sort of emotion, whether you’re a coach or a player, the emotion running through your veins. To get in front of the camera and the microphone and give and interview like that, I thought was first-class.”
Victory’s ‘massive turnaround’ in 2021/22: ‘They’ve reversed the results’
Last season, Melbourne Victory lost three times to Adelaide United. This season in all competitions they’ve beaten their Original Rivals on three occasions – all of which coming on the road.
MATCH REPORT: ROJAS STRIKE GUIDES VICTORY PAST REDS
After collecting the wooden spoon last season, plenty needed to change at a club not used to lingering near the bottom of the table.
Under Tony Popovic, it appears Victory targeted fixtures against their oldest foes as a starting point to build off.
Victory have notched two league wins over Adelaide and drawn with Melbourne City twice this season, after losing the first two Melbourne Derbies of 2020/21 by a combined score of 13-0.
Last season, Victory lost three times to Big Blue rivals Sydney FC, but have drawn the one meeting between the two teams to date in 2021/22 2-2.
Travelling to Coopers Stadium to defeat the Reds 1-0 on Saturday night lifted Popovic’s side into third spot on the table, as they target a top-four finish by the season’s end.
“This was such a crucial game for both clubs, actually,” said Paramount+ football analyst Bruce Djite post-match. “And for Melbourne Victory to come away with three points, it’s going to make it very difficult for Adelaide United to get that home final.”
Djite added: “It’s a massive turnaround, they’ve reversed the results (of last season), essentially.”
The 1-0 win decided by a first-half strike by Marco Rojas ended a four-game streak of 1-1 draws for Victory.
Club captain Josh Brillante said the result was a crucial one considering Victory’s tendency to let advantageous positions slip along their recent run of form.
“It’s always a tough match coming here. Again, this was no different,” Brillante told Paramount+ post-game.
“I’m very happy with our performance, we stuck it out. The last few games results have not gone our way, we’ve had great performances but not got the win so today we were able to do that, which was awesome.”
Long-standing rivalries serve up emotion to savour
The Original Rivalry at Coopers Stadium. The Sydney Derby at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Two fixtures kicking off concurrently on Saturday produced passion and emotion which spilled off the pitch and into the stands as the sights and sounds of two of the A-Leagues’ longest-standing rivalries added to the tension of two hard-fought fixtures.
MATCH REPORT: BUHAGIAR BRACE LIFTS SKY BLUES TO SYDNEY DERBY WIN
Individual milestones ticked off in special A-Leagues occasion
Four players reached appearance milestones on Saturday, April 2, each of which an incredible achievement in its own right:
- NIKOLAI TOPOR STANLEY: The Western United defender clocked his 359th game, surpassing Andrew Durante as the player with the most Isuzu UTE A-League appearances of all time.
- RHYAN GRANT: The Sydney FC full-back surpassed Alex Brosque on the club’s all-time appearance list with his 268th game in Sky Blue.
- ISAIAS: It was appearance number 200 in the Isuzu UTE A-League for the Spaniard as Adelaide played Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.
- KEANU BACCUS: Game number 100 for Keanu Baccus came in Western Sydney’s 3-2 loss to Sydney FC at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
