A-League 2015/16 Round 5 – A Cup Final No One Cared About

ADELAIDE UNITED 2 MELBOURNE CITY 4

SYDNEY FC 0 BRISBANE ROAR 0

NEWCASTLE JETS 1 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 2

CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 1 WELLINGTON PHOENIX 1

A Stalemate In Sydney

Brisbane Roar travelled to Sydney FC and played out a dour scoreless draw against the league leaders.  Sydney FC set out to play spoiler tactics from the opening whistle and inflicted a lot of fouls on the Roar.  With yellow cards not quickly forthcoming, it meant the game was a very stop-start affair that suited the Sky Blues.  For Brisbane, their consolation will come from keeping a clean sheet for a second week in a row.  Bizarrely, the last three games between these two sides have been – 0-0, 5-4, 0-0.

News and Notes

• Melbourne Victory won the second ever FFA Cup, defeating back-to-back finalists Perth Glory 2-0 in comfortable fashion.  For a tournament that was promoted as ‘The Magic of Cup Football’, the final felt anything but.  Overpriced tickets ensured many fans stayed away.  A week night fixture against Wellington Phoenix a week prior drew a bigger crowd.  TV viewership was mediocre.  The game was over as a contest before half time.  People yawned and moved on.  It was a game that will be quickly forgotten.  The only noteworthy milestone was Besart Berisha becoming the first player to score in every round of the tournament.
• It took five rounds, but an Adelaide United player finally scored a goal.  Unfortunately, they conceded four goals at home to Melbourne City.  It’s the first genuine sign that the club is going to have a real uphill battle this season and new manager Guillermo Amor might be out of his depth.