Time for revenge! December’s defeat to Sydney sparked Roar’s losing run. Now Brisbane want some serious payback!
Time for revenge! December’s defeat to Sydney sparked Roar’s losing run. Now Brisbane want some serious payback!
There are turning points in every campaign. Brisbane’s came in the unlikely setting of the WIN Jubilee Oval in Kogarah where, after 36 unbeaten matches, they took on a Sydney side whose form has been patchy at best in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season.
It was a game they expected to win. However, after just 36 seconds, Dimitri Petratos’ strike put them behind and, when Michael Theoklitos made a mess of Brett Emerton’s corner on 19 minutes, there was no coming back.
The defeat was the catalyst for a run of losses that saw the Roar slip from the summit. Now though, they’re unbeaten in three games and are on the road to recovery, so will be relishing the opportunity to take on their adversaries once more.
After two away draws, Ange Postecoglou’s men are back at Suncorp Stadium and looking to repeat the result they achieved last time they turned out there, when they snapped a five-game losing streak on New Year’s Eve against Melbourne Victory. In front of a typically passionate crowd, the character the players showed was fantastic, considering the run they had been on. After going a goal down in the third-minute, they powered back into the game in the fashion we had become accustomed to, equalising on half-time through Mitch Nichols before finishing the job early in the second-half with goals from Rocky Visconte and the impressive Ivan Franjic.
Sydney, meanwhile, have lost three on the trot, with the most recent defeat coming at the hand of leaders Central Coast Mariners at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
Despite a spirited second-half display, they just didn’t have enough to break through the visitors’ strong defence. Before that, they found themselves on the wrong end of eight goals across two games.
Their midweek 4-2 defeat to Wellington followed a miserable 4-0 home drubbing against Melbourne Heart. They certainly won’t be heading to Suncorp Stadium confident of coming away with three points and Brisbane will be aiming to capitalise on this recent poor form.
This is the final meeting between the sides in the Hyundai A-League 2011/12 season and the head-to-head is perfectly balanced. Before the loss in Kogarah, Roar subjected The Sky Blues to an early-season defeat at the SFS thanks to goals from Berisha and Broich. It was a masterclass in incisive possesion football, as Roar dominated possession and simply picked Sydney off when the chances arose.
Clashes between the Roar and Sky Blues are always hard to call and are invariably belters. This Saturday night showdown will be no different, so get your ticket today and prepare for Hyundai A-League action at its most unpredictable and exciting.
Can Roar get the win that will continue their recovery or will Sydney pick up a shock result that will end their run of defeats? Be there and find out!
