2019/20 Part II A New Beginning

OK so we play Sydney in the final and beat them... I can live with that.

Who do we play next after we lose to Sydney?

What season will that be in?

= "we gonna win the league"

excellent, normal Roy’s service has resumed ?

His anti-jinx is really useful just before the game. Not as effective off-season, which is what the last few months have been. 

Photo by @NZPhotomac

Photo by @NZPhotomac

Photo by @NZPhotomac

That's great news. When you predict something normally the oppossite happens

A draw has finally been leaked

I like this draw a lot.

Finishing 2nd would have an immense advantage over finishing 3rd and having to play 3 finals matches in 8 days

Photo by @NZPhotomac

Looking at the timing our fixtures, only the Adelaide game looks one we will have to make wholesale changes to the starting line up for. Four-five days break between games is pretty manageable, especially with no travel.

And Adelaide have a week to prepare for this game. We have 3 days after the Perth match.

Its going to be tough going. Really good chance for fringe players to step up. In the big picture over this period, probably more important than trying to win every game is building momentum and fitness into the playoff games.

Adelaide is a pretty disrupted team though so I wouldn't say a second string team would be a guaranteed loss.

3 of the Nix games are scheduled for Bankwest stadium. I hope its in better condition than it has been.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/bankwest-stadium-turf-to-be-ripped-up-after-five-serious-nrl-injuries-in-one-round/news-story/d8394444e8f449296923e79c150d5ec4

Has the A-League increased the number of subs each game to 5 per team like other leagues have done in the rest of the world?

seem to recall that was brought up at members nite and the answer was yes

Dan's thoughts for us in his weekly column - https://www.totalfootball.nz/news/high-flying-phoenix-looking-to-finish-what-they-started

Border changes in Qzz May kill the season 

Roar fly out ok but locked out of Home ?

So with the imminent border closure between NSW and Victoria, presumably that means the three Victorian sides will have to move and set up base in NSW? Would they have to do the 2-week quarantine?

Very good question.

I would have thought at the least, those that came from now locked down areas of Victoria, would have to do quarantine entering NSW.

Were there bubbles for Victorian teams? I hadn't really followed that side of things. But if I were a NSW public health official, I'd be wary of letting at least WU in without a quarantine, that area is Rona Central at the moment.

Hold On - all Teams appear to be scrambling to get to Sydney.

So if any get in late and need to quarantine, game schedule will rest.

Just grading between lines with Oz press re boarders 

This sucks but could see it coming, we just cant compete with the bigger clubs.

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/talay-jumps-into-frame-as-victory-target-homegrown-coach

Also on FFT forum they say not only will Melb victory pay him more but Wellington prob wont have a license next season is the motive he is moving on.

Tough for players of all 3 Melbourne Clubs that are now rushed to relocate to Sydney within 24 hours. Hearing Western United FC will be leaving behind 10 players due to quarantine @wufcofficial @gomvfc @MelbourneCity @FFA @dailytelegraph @SMHsport@AleagueHub @TheWorldGame

— Soccer Stoppage Time (@SocStoppageTime) July 6, 2020

All 3 Melbourne clubs have awoken their players and told them to meet at AAMI park ina desperate attempt to bus them out into regional Victoria and across the border before the borders are closed. @FFA @FOXFOOTBALL @telegraph_sport @theheraldsun @FOXSportsAUS @TheWorldGame

— Soccer Stoppage Time (@SocStoppageTime) July 6, 2020

The original plan to fly players out at 10am is believed to have been stifled with the VIC State Government bringing forward the Lockdown by 24 hours

— Soccer Stoppage Time (@SocStoppageTime) July 6, 2020

Well this sounds like a cluster fudge, it might throw a spanner into the whole restart :/

So the situation as I understand it is that the three clubs were unable to re-locate to NSW yesterday before the state border was closed, and will now require an exemption from NSW government to enter the state. I expect that the exemption will be granted, but will likely include a quarantine requirement, so we could well be looking at a delay to the re-start of the season. 

Plus it may also take some time to find three facilities where they can isolate but also train, I don't know if any of the clubs had looked into this possibility and have options on that front? The news from yesterday was that it would be possible to apply for exemptions from today, but I doubt that means they would be granted on the same day, especially since I expect that they will require evidence of self-isolation plan for the first two weeks.

On the schedule front, even if it is only a couple of games, you'd have to look at the entire schedule to ensure that the affected teams retain sufficient rest time between the games, and given the packed schedule, that may or may not be doable.

Three teams locked home !

Reading between the lines of there latest fox agreement, sounds to me like they have committed to finish the season by end of August. (speculation only). Maybe they need to push the finals back as far as they can, but start as soon as they can with the Nix game on 17th as scheduled. The melbourne teams are all playing each other for there first few fixtures, Surely they just squeeze those games in at the end of the current schedule.