Afc lucky no var (though who knows with var). Sfc starting front 4 apart from lolley v ave. Akon is young (not as good as lbs) so fair, but wood and especially youlley stinking up the joint and not surprising they did a bit better when they've left the pitch.
I know sfc have more quality to come in, but of those that played tonight the back 5 were solid but of the mid/attacking 6 only 2 really up to it in Okon (maybe best on the park) and Lolley.
Though Auckland looked the better team in general play. May and Brimmer were a bit off. Brimmer always looks classy but gave the ball away a lot tonight Randell also had a quiet game. Brook looked lively and enterprising. Again, François shouldn't be starting IMO and probably won't for much longer.
I respectfully disagree. We struggled to defeat a side battling relegation and absolutely got our asses handed to us by another. We might be in the worse position at the same time last season.
Both Auckland FC and Sydney FC struggled with the slippery surface, so I am not sure if it was both or just Auckland that ran out of puff in the extra time in the quarterfinal. Heidelberg looked full of beans in their game against us, so if the semifinal is not decided in regular time then Heidelberg may have a solid chance to physically outlast A-FC on the day. I make no predictions, but Auckland should prevail if they manage to build an early advantage over the 'Bergers.
The result will be the true test on where the Nix really are at.
I think anyone can see that right now the Nix ain't ready to start the A League season with much of a bang. A tonne of work to do, in the next 2 months. But that is probably true of a few ALM teams.
WSW got spanked 3-0 by the Bergers (so only 1 goal better than the Nix), plus the Phoenix beat the Roar (end of last season yes) and the Glory enroute to the quarters. The Nix ain't Robinson Crusoe, right now.
Auckland are virtually unchanged from last season. They have only had to navigate bringing in Brook and Cosgrove, otherwise the cogs have just continued turning. Corica is gonna play the same 4-4-2 he basically has for years. They said early on they were targeting winning the Australia Cup. They ain't blooding youngsters from an Academy. Though I see Vicelich jnr is getting some mins. It's just a very different operation to how the Nix are 2 mths before the ALM kicks off. Just is
Edit - Oh and A FC continue to be bit jammy. Talay was filthy Hall's hand ball in the box wasn't picked up by the officials, and rightly so.
I went to Roar v Mariners pre season game live here in Queensland. Admittedly I had twin 6 yr olds demanding ice cream etc, so not fully focused. But it was all a bit average, as expected this time of year. Storm Roux was certainly very average. Jimmy McGarry one of the best on the pitch, as you'd sort of hope for, given he's back in the AWs.
It's all an early 1940 Phoney War right now, but an impression was the Roar could finish above the Mariners on the table, and the Nix might also be around the level of these two. Very early doors however QLD football fans seem optimistic that under nononense Valkanis there will be a Roar revival this season.
We have also learned with the Nix in the 2023-204 season that a long-term injury of a key player like say Rufer can make a big impact on the final placings, be it 1st vs 2nd, but for other teams also 6th vs 7th. Auckland will have to contend with an injury to Nando Pinjaker, but they also had Hall missing quite a bit of the last season while they had good squad depth. However, Tommy Smith has gone back to UK now. Is our own depth of squad decent enough to get through anything like that?
The result will be the true test on where the Nix really are at.
I think anyone can see that right now the Nix ain't ready to start the A League season with much of a bang. A tonne of work to do, in the next 2 months. But that is probably true of a few ALM teams.
WSW got spanked 3-0 by the Bergers (so only 1 goal better than the Nix), plus the Phoenix beat the Roar (end of last season yes) and the Glory enroute to the quarters. The Nix ain't Robinson Crusoe, right now.
Auckland are virtually unchanged from last season. They have only had to navigate bringing in Brook and Cosgrove, otherwise the cogs have just continued turning. Corica is gonna play the same 4-4-2 he basically has for years. They said early on they were targeting winning the Australia Cup. They ain't blooding youngsters from an Academy. Though I see Vicelich jnr is getting some mins. It's just a very different operation to how the Nix are 2 mths before the ALM kicks off. Just is
Edit - Oh and A FC continue to be bit jammy. Talay was filthy Hall's hand ball in the box wasn't picked up by the officials, and rightly so.
