Who were the outstanding performers in Round 12? Find out who made our Team of the Week.
Who were the outstanding performers in Round 12? Find out who made our Team of the Week.
Player of the Week: Dimi Petratos (Brisbane Roar)
Dimi Petratos was a young player with boundless potential at Sydney FC, but after a brief stint overseas he is starting to realise that potential under the tutelage of Mike Mulvey at Brisbane Roar.
The winger came back to haunt his former side at Allianz Stadium on Boxing Day, scoring a hat-trick as his side ran out 5-2 winners.
His first goal was a penalty, twice taken, in the first half, before he scored a second at the same end of the ground, thrashing in a finish after a beautiful passing move. His third was also a penalty, confidently put into the same corner as his first spot-kick.
Petratos was brought into the side after an indifferent Roar performance the week previous and on this form, he will be very hard to leave out.
Goalkeeper:
Glen Moss (Wellington Phoenix)
New Zealand-s number one keeper is in fine form at the Phoenix and now that his team is scoring, Moss- heroics are gaining the credit they deserve.
He made one of the all-time great saves as they went down to Central Coast at North Sydney Oval but was finally rewarded in the last two matches, keeping clean sheets against Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart. He made a critical save at the feet of Michael Mifsud in the latter game to preserve his clean-sheet and help his side to a second consecutive win.
Defenders:
Adama Traore (Melbourne Victory)
Traore is a model of consistency at left-back for the Victory and was at his best again against Wanderers.
He was sharp in handling the pace of Kwabena Apiah-Kubio and Tahj Minnecon on the flanks and did his best to offer a threat going forward in what became a thrilling match.
Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Western Sydney Wanderers)
Topor-Stanley is a rock at the heart of the Wanderers defence. Tony Popovic-s side boast the best defence in the league and Topor-Stanley has been in wonderful form alongside firstly Michael Beauchamp and recently, Matthew Spiranovic.
Topor-Stanley, skipper in the ongoing absence of Beauchamp, was at the top of his game again against Victory and it is this form that will see Wanderers in contention when the whips are cracking.
Michael Thwaite (Perth Glory)
Fresh from signing a new two-year extension at Perth, Thwaite put in a good shift on New Year-s Eve, even though his side went down to a late Michael McGlinchey goal.
Thwaite is the experienced head in a youthful Glory side and particularly in their inexperienced defence. Alongside Jack Clisby, Thwaite has excelled amid the turmoil and his Round 12 performance was no different.
Tarek Elrich (Adelaide United)
Elrich is a no-frills footballer who has been a dependable performer at A-League level for many a season now.
He has found a home at Adelaide and as first choice right back he has excelled in Josep Gombau’s free flowing system.
Elrich was excellent in the physical battle against Newcastle Jets and has proven to be as reliable as ever for Adelaide this season.
Midfielders:
Michael McGlinchey (Central Coast Mariners)
McGlinchey will be a huge loss when he leaves the Mariners to join Vegalta Sendai on loan in the new year.
His quick feet and eye for a goal are a feature of the Mariners- attacking threat.
His nose for goal was evident again against Perth Glory, as the Central Coast midfielder scored a 97th minute winner.
After Josh Rose-s header hit the post, McGlinchey was the quickest to react to volley past Danny Vukovic.
Guilherme Finkler (Melbourne Victory)
Finkler is the joker in the pack of the Victory squad and he sprinkled stardust all over the Victory v Wanderers match with his late free kick.
His impact off the bench this season has been fantastic and he’s scored a few precious goals, though none better than the free kick that curled over the wall and into the top corner on the weekend.
Finkler-s creativity is a major asset for Victory and surely it is only a matter of time before he gets a start.
Carlos Hernandez (Wellington Phoenix)
The Costa Rican returned to the Wellington lineup after he was flown home prior to the match against Central Coast at North Sydney.
He pulled the strings with aplomb as Wellington recorded back-to-back wins against Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart and his ability with the ball has been crucial to the goal-scoring form of Stein Huysegems.
It’s been revealed Hernandez played on against the Heart with a broken wrist and he’ll be sorely missed while he spends time recovering on the sidelines.
Forwards:
Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar)
Broich is the conductor of the Brisbane Roar orchestra. His ability to cut inside from the left hand side and create opportunities for others is key to Roar-s game plan.
Broich was untouchable on Boxing Day, scoring the equaliser and laying on the pass for Dimi Petratos- second goal.
Nobody in Sky Blue had an answer for Broich but in fairness to them, in this form, not many do.
Stein Huysegems (Wellington Phoenix)
Huysegems scored the winner for the second week in a row as Wellington beat Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park.
In doing so, Wellington recorded their first ever win in Melbourne.
Huysegems- reversal in fortunes in front of goal has been key to Wellington-s mini-revival and he has been marvelous in feeding off the good form of his club mate Hernandez.
He has shown his class this season and particularly in the past few weeks and is the perfect choice to fill the striker-s role in Round 12-s Team of the Week.
