Victory and record-breaking Roar both have scores to settle against each other in this Friday night thriller
Friday 3rd December 8.00pm
AAMI Park
Victory and record-breaking Roar both have scores to settle against each other in this Friday night thriller. Don-t miss it!
Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and admit you were well beaten. Other times, defeat seems so cruel. While Victory can certainly claim to have experienced the former on more than a couple of occasions so far in the Hyundai A-League 2010/11 season, their loss in Brisbane back in Week 11 certainly falls into the latter category.
Their performance at Suncorp Stadium – especially in the second half – equates to one of their best away showings of a stuttering campaign. Remarkably though, despite creating numerous chances and playing some great football, they still succumbed to a devastating 77th minute goal from substitute Jean Carlos Solorzano which continued their miserable away run.
Before that heartbreaking moment, they had successfully pegged back Mitch Nichols- opener thanks to a goal from on-fire Robbie Kruse against his former club and were looking good to go on and take a point. In fact, so strong was their second-half display that it seemed they might dish out an unlikely defeat to the home side.
However, despite creating plenty of chances, they couldn-t grab the winner and were made to pay when Solorzano slammed home his first ever Hyundai A-League goal with the clock rapidly ticking down.
While having won the last meeting between the two sides, Brisbane, meanwhile, will be looking to avenge what was a horrific defeat when they faced Victory at AAMI Park. After an even first-half, the previously unbeaten Roar capitulated in the second period and fell to a 3-0 loss.
This is the only blot on their copybook in the Hyundai A-League 2010/11 season though, and since then, they have ripped their way through a stunning campaign, making the top spot their own. Sunday-s away game at the Bluetongue illustrated just what a force the team has become.
Flying into a 3-0 lead within the first 24 minutes against Central Coast Mariners, they eventually won 5-1, making it 14 games unbeaten, which sets a new Hyundai A-League record for consecutive games without defeat.
Conversely, Ernie Merrick-s side approach this daunting tussle with the league leaders having not won any of the four games they played across November. Over the quartet of matches they shipped an average of two goals a game, so they-ll need to really put in quite the display if they are to overcome Roar.
As always then, it-s up to the North and South Terrace Boys to help them out with non-stop noise. It-s undoubtedly been a frustrating season to watch from the stands, but things are heating up now and if the team are to secure a Grand Finals place, they-ll need the backing of their huge fan-base.
At least the big crowd at AAMI Park can be sure of goals this Friday. After struggling to find the net earlier in the Hyundai A-League 2010/11 season (September, for instance, saw them fail to score in four of their five games), Victory are finally hitting the old onion bag with some regularity.
Having scored in all but one of their last eight games, they will pose quite a threat to Brisbane, especially with record-breaking striker Archie Thompson looking to add to his 50 Hyundai A-League strikes and with Robbie Kruse in such fine form. However, if you are talking about potency in front of the sticks, then you need look no further than Ange Postecoglou-s side.
With 35 goals this season, they are comfortably the Hyundai A-League-s top scorers, and will really fancy tearing into a generous Victory side that might just have one eye on next week-s big Melbourne derby.
With the massive derby just over a week away, Victory must focus on the job in hand this Friday and try to turn winning at AAMI Park into a habit that they can carry over into next week-s grudge match.
What better way to warm up your vocal chords for the battle with Heart than by getting along to AAMI Park for this thrilling encounter against the ladder leaders? This one comes with goals guaranteed, so don-t miss out on experiencing the action live!
