The Roar are attempting to crack their home ground hoodoo this season while the Glory will be looking to move off the foot of the table and crack the longest winless streak against an opposition side in Hyundai A-League history.
Preview: Queensland Roar v Perth Glory
Date: Sunday November 23
Kick-off: 5:00pm local (6:00 pm AEDT)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
TV and Radio: Live and exclusive broadcast on FOX Sports 1 and Sky Sport 1. Hyundai A-League club radio broadcast partner is 6PR (Perth).To purchase tickets visit www.premier.ticketek.com.au
Head-to-head
10 Hyundai A-League meetings: Queensland – 7 wins, Perth – 1 win, Draws – 2.
Previous meeting
Queensland Roar 3, Perth 0, Members Equity Stadium, Round 4, September 2008
Past Five Games
Queensland Roar:
Round 7: Sydney FC 1, Queensland Roar 1, Sydney Football Stadium
Round 8: Queensland Roar 0, Adelaide United 1, Suncorp Stadium
Round 9: Wellington Phoenix 0, Queensland Roar 1, Westpac Stadium
Round 10: Newcastle Jets 1, Queensland Roar 2, EnergyAustralia Stadium
Round 11: Queensland Roar 0, Melbourne Victory 1, Suncorp Stadium
Perth Glory:
Round 7: Melbourne Victory 4, Perth Glory 0, Telstra Dome
Round 8: Perth Glory 2, Sydney FC 1, Members Equity Stadium
Round 9: Adelaide Utd 2, Perth Glory 1, Hindmarsh Stadium
Round 10: Perth Glory 2, Wellington Phoenix 0, Members Equity Stadium
Round 11: Perth Glory 2, Newcastle Jets 2, Members Equity Stadium
Analysis
The Roar are attempting to crack their home ground hoodoo this season while the Glory will be looking to move off the foot of the table and crack the longest winless streak against an opposition side in Hyundai A-League history.
Queensland is coming off one of the toughest fortnights in club history. Skipper Craig Moore’s revelation he has testicular cancer has shocked the playing squad. The brave former Socceroo has apparently come through treatment with flying colours though, and is already back in training, but his absence from the Roar’s stingy defence will be keenly felt.
Fortunately for Queensland coach Frank Farina, he has a ready-made replacement for his skipper in ‘Mini Moore’, Luke De Vere. The 19-year-old has been away with the Qantas Young Socceroos, but he’s sure to line up at centre back alongside Josh McCloughan in Moore’s place, having performed brilliantly in the role the last time these sides met in Round 4.
De Vere is joined in the squad by fellow Qantas Young Socceroos Tahj Minniecon and Mitch Nichols, while Chris Grossman has been promoted and Hyuk-Su Seo is returning from injury. Talented pair Robbie Kruse and Reinaldo are both still unavailable through injury while there are four players to be omitted from Farina’s squad with experienced midfielder Danny Tiatto likely to be one of them with a foot injury that was originally feared to be season-ending.
After a last-gasp 2-2 draw with Newcastle in Round 11, the Glory are going into this encounter with defender David Tarka back in the side following a quad injury along with former Celtic player Marc Anthony coming in as a midfield injury replacement for James Robinson. Goalkeeper Jason Petkovic also replaces fellow stopper Frank Juric on the reserves bench. Whether Tarka or Anthony play in the seniors remains doubtful though, as Tarka will more than likely return through the National Youth League, while Anthony suffered an ankle injury last week, although he has trained over the last few days. The Glory are still missing the flair of Brazilian midfielder Amaral for another week with a knee injury, along with the experience of Hayden Foxe, who will miss a further three matches following the removal of a lump from his leg. Perth skipper Jamie Coyne is available, though, after having a red card overturned following the Newcastle draw.
The last time these sides met, the Glory were completely outclassed by Queensland on the counter-attack as Tiatto, Moore and Charlie Miller ran riot. However, the Roar are better travellers than the entire Amazing Race cast put together, having put away teams on the road with gleeful abandon. At home, the Queenslanders haven’t cracked it for a win at Suncorp this season, although they’ll be eyeing off the last-placed Glory as the perfect opportunity to put the hoodoo to bed.
The Glory certainly can’t look to history for any comfort. Their one victory against the Roar happened in round three 2005-06 and by the time the two sides meet on Sunday afternoon it will have been 1170 days since that victory, the longest losing streak between two sides in the competition’s history. But, the Glory appear a much more settled side than earlier this season. With an effective structure in place, their last four matches have yielded two wins, a draw and an unlucky loss to Adelaide and their defence has conceded just four goals, a stark contrast to the 20 conceded over the first seven rounds. Striker Nikita Rukavytsya appears hungry for goals as well and his pace could expose McCloughan and De Vere’s defensive partnership. But the Roar have a crafty forward/midfielder of their own in Charlie Miller and without the experienced Hayden Foxe at centre back for Perth to nullify his trickery, the Scotsman could prove a match winner for Farina.
Queensland Roar Squad. 1.Liam REDDY (gk), 2. Andrew PACKER , 3. Luke DEVERE, 5. Josh McCLOUGHAN, 6. David DODD, 7. Michael ZULLO, 8. Massimo MURDOCCA, 9. Sergio VAN DIJK, 10. Charlie MILLER, 12. Tahj MINNIECON, 13. Chris GROSSMAN, 15. Matthew McKAY, 16. Hyuk-Su SEO, 17. Mitch NICHOLS, 18. Danny TIATTO, 20. Griffin McMASTER (gk), 23. Tim SMITS, 24. Matt MUNDY, 25. Adam SAROTA.
*four to be omitted.
In. 3. Luke DEVERE (return from international duty), 12. Tahj MINNIECON (return from international duty), 13. Chris GROSSMAN (promoted), 16. Hyuk-Su SEO (return from injury), 17. Mitch NICHOLS (return from international duty).
Out. 4. Craig MOORE (surgery).
Unavailable. 22. Robbie KRUSE (hamstring injury), 11. REINALDO (groin injury).
Perth Glory Squad. 30.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 1.Jason PETKOVIC (gk), 2.Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY, 3.David TARKA, 4.Jamie COYNE (c), 5.Jamie HARNWELL, 6.Dino DJULBIC, 7.Nick RIZZO, 9.Adrian TRINIDAD, 11.Scott BULLOCH, 13.Nikita RUKAVYTSYA, 14.Eugene DADI, 16.Adriano PELLEGRINO, 17.James DOWNEY, 19.Naum SEKULOVSKI, 22.Wayne SRHOJ, 25.Marc ANTHONY.
* two to be omitted.
In. 1.Jason PETKOVIC (promoted), 3.David TARKA (return from injury), 25.Marc ANTHONY (promoted – injury replacement player).
Out. 20.Frank JURIC (omitted).
Unavailable. Josip MAGDIC (ankle – season), James ROBINSON (abdomen – 6 weeks), Hayden FOXE (leg – 3 weeks), AMARAL (knee – 1 week).
