Here are some of the key talking points from this week’s episode of the Official A-Leagues Podcast, where Daniel Garb, Robbie Cornthwaite and Amy Chapman are joined by Wellington Phoenix head coach Gemma Lewis and Newcastle Jets defender Matthew Jurman.
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Victory attack a ‘terrifying prospect’
Reigning Liberty A-League champions Melbourne Victory struck fear in the hearts of all who plan to challenge for silverware this season after a devastating 5-1 win over Adelaide United – without two key strikers in the match day squad.
With Melina Ayres missing the Round 1 fixture due to a minor hamstring injury and with star United States import Lynn Williams waiting in the wings, Victory showed no signs of attacking deficiency in a five-star display against the Reds.
Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins will struggle to find room for both Williams and Ayres in a well-oiled frontline featuring Catherine Zimmerman, Lia Privitelli, Harriet Withers and Kyra Cooney-Cross.
He’ll find that room, of course. He has to, given Ayres’ recent exploits in the league and the quality which 45-time US international Williams brings to the Victory squad.
“I don’t know if it’s too late to change our Golden Boot (tips),” Chapman said.
But Lynn Williams, if she plays (from) next week there’s no one beating her.
Amy Chapman on the Liberty A-League Golden Boot
“Victory scoring five goals without their two best strikers, it’s terrifying for the opposition.”
Victory defender Kayla Morrison got in on the scoring act in the first half of her side’s 5-1 over Adelaide. But disaster struck in the 33rd minute when the Victory captain went down clutching her knee, returning to play before heading down the tunnel in tears after being substituted in the 42nd minute of play.
An embarrassment of riches going forward will provide Hopkins with a welcomed headache regarding who to pick each week, but with Morrison’s injury comes problems of a far more sinister nature as the champions sweat on the injury prognosis of the esteemed central defender
“It’s huge. That looked heartbreaking, that one. Part of me hopes it’s just a medial but if she’s that upset post-game, maybe it’s a bit more sinister than that.
“She’s a standout for them… she’s actually becoming an Australian citizen so she could be an option for the Matildas.
“Seven clean sheets out of 14 last season for Melbourne Victory, that was a huge factor in their big success. But when you’re scoring five goals, I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re conceding some as well.”
‘Signing of the season’
Life has started well for John Aloisi at Western United, with back-to-back clean sheets and six points on the board.
A 1-0 win over Perth was followed by a huge result in conquering Melbourne City.
Chapman hailed the influence of defender Leo Lacroix, declaring him the most impressive piece of recruitment so far this term.
“For me, the standout is Leo Lacroix,” she declared.
“He is unbelievable.
“I think he has been the signing of the season.”
Dylan Wenzel-Halls’ winner was the difference, and although Cornthwaite felt Tom Glover ought to have saved it, he added that the striker vindicated Aloisi’s selection of pace over new recruit Aleksandar Prijovic, more of a target man.
“Wenzel-Halls, I don’t know if they score that goal if Prijovic plays,” he mused.
“I don’t know enough about him to make that statement definitively but Wenzel-Halls with a really good finish.
“But am I being harsh in saying Tom Glover should be saving that?”
He continued: “They have a really resolute backline now and you think back to the first week, they lost 1-0, but there wasn’t much created in open play by Melbourne Victory … could’ve been another clean sheet.”
Meanwhile on City, Chapman added: “Leckie? What do we think? Is he lacking confidence.
“Is it fitness, do City not know how to bring him into the game?
“We’re not seeing anywhere near enough from him, whereas Nabbout is still thriving in that environment.”
VAR getting ‘more wrong than before’
It was the most talked about goal of Round 3 – and possibly the most controversial strike in the 2021/22 Isuzu UTE A-League season to date.
A two-handed shove by Western Sydney Wanderers striker Tomer Hemed into the back of Wellington’s Callan Elliot went unnoticed in a VAR enquiry which saw Hemed’s controversial goal stand in a 2-0 Wanderers win on Friday night.
A VAR enquiry took place to ensure the ball had crossed the goal line before James McGarry’s desperate intervention, but fans lined up to question the decision to let the goal stand after spotting Hemed’s antics in the build up to his all-important finish which put Western Sydney 1-0 ahead, and on the road to a shock victory.
Joining the fans in that queue were Robbie Cornthwaite and Amy Chapman of The Official A-Leagues Podcast, who were both critical of referee Stephen Lucas and VAR Kris Griffiths-Jones, who missed the push, despite it playing a major part in opening the space for Hemed to score.
“The only thing I can think is like most others: all they’re looking to see is if the ball crossed the line,” Cornthwaite said. “They’re not looking at any of the lead-up, or any of the build-up whatsoever.
“I suppose the big question for me around VAR at the moment is: do we have the same system in place we’ve had in previous seasons? Do we have all the resources at our disposal? Because it seems as though we’re getting more and more wrong than ever before.”
Chapman added: “I don’t usually encourage teams being a bit fired up, but I think (Wellington) have the right to be here. It was a very clear two-handed push in the back, which was the only reason he could score that goal.
“I have no clue how they can review it and then not review the whole play, which they usually do.
“Sometimes they go so far back where you’re like ‘woah, that was three plays ago’, so for some reason they didn’t do it on this occasion… Wellington were really hard done by, and those kind of decisions change games.”
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