The league’s best two strikers will go head-to-head on Sunday.
For those football fans who reserve a special love for the glamour of goalscoring, Sunday-s Hyundai A-League Grand Final should already get the mouth watering.
The league-s best two strikers – without question – will go head-to-head, when Shane Smeltz and Besart Berisha line up for the end-of-season decider. Are they the best without question? Have you say below…
In the purple corner, it-s the Kiwi Kid, Mr It-s All White On The Night, the A-League’s all-time top scorer, Shane Edward Smeltz.
The 30-year-old New Zealand international has been burning holes in the back of A-League nets since he made his debut with Wellington Phoenix back in 2007.
After two seasons with Wellington, and one and a bit with Gold Coast United before heading to Western Australia, Smeltz has delivered goals wherever he-s gone.
Shane means goals. Look up goals in the dictionary, and there-s a picture of Shane Smeltz, running away celebrating. He can score them in and outside the box, with his head or just by bending the ball to his will with his boyish good looks.
Sixty-five goals in 100 league appearances is proof enough of the Kiwi-s class – but just in case you-re unsure, why not remind yourself of his four-goal haul against Melbourne Victory, or this hat-trick the following game against Melbourne Heart.
And in the orange corner, it-s the Amazing Albanian, the Beast from the East, Besart Berisha (Wikipedia didn-t have his middle name…)!
When Ange Postecoglou announced he had signed the European striker at the start of the season, there was a collective, “Who?” released from Australian football fans. If you did know who he was beforehand, you-re obviously a very special individual.
But it didn-t take long for football fans or opposition defences to find out just who the mysterious hitman with the funky faux-hawk was.
He opened his account for Brisbane in the week 2 defeat of Sydney FC, then helped himself to a four-goal feast in the 7-1 demolition of Adelaide United two weeks later.
Twenty-seven games and 19 goals later, Berisha goes to sleep every night snuggled up to his Nike Golden Boot trophy. Is he as creative as Smeltz?
He may not have that ability to create goals, but who needs to when Brisbane just keep putting them on a plate. Berisha-s priceless talent, like many great goalscorers, is knowing when to be in the right place at the right time.
Who is the better striker out of the two? Are they even the best in the league in your opinion? Have you say below…
