A-League 2015/16 – Round 26 – City Stumbles, The Roar Rise

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 4 CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 1

WELLINGTON PHOENIX 1 MELBOURNE VICTORY 4

SYDNEY FC 0 ADELAIDE UNITED 2

BRISBANE ROAR 2 NEWCASTLE JETS 1

PERTH GLORY 3 MELBOURNE CITY 2

Brisbane Overcome The Jets Hoodoo

It took twenty six weeks but Thomas Broich finally scored for Brisbane Roar this season.  He couldn’t have picked a better moment.  His goal ensured that Brisbane recovered from being a goal down to defeat the Newcastle Jets, a bogey team that the Roar have always struggled against.

But if the Roar do end up winning any silverware this season, it might be a moment earlier in the match that was the turning point.  After the Jets jagged a cheeky one goal advantage after Jade North handled the ball in the penalty area, they had a genuine goal scoring opportunity not long after when they were afforded a header from point blank range.  Roar shot stopper Jamie Young somehow kept the ball out, saving a header struck from just two metres out.

The ever reliable Henrique earned the Roar a penalty which he subsequently converted to level the scores.  Then he coolly stepped over a Corey Brown cross soon after for Broich to fire home the winner.

That concluded the final Brisbane Roar home game of the regular season.  It’s been yet another memorable one with plenty of highlights and fond memories.  It’s an incredible achievement considered the performance last season and the financial problems that mired the club right up to the start of the season.  I’ll do an end of season retrospective picking out some of my favourite moments but needless to say, it’s been a hell of a ride.

Now there’s one round to go.  An away trip to Melbourne Victory.  Four teams could win the title next week.  Brisbane Roar, Melbourne City, Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers.  But only Brisbane have their fate in their hands.  A win and the title is ours.  Who would’ve thought we’d be saying that before Round One?

News and Notes

• Six rounds, six different leaders at the top of the table.  It’s been a crazy finish to the season.
• It’s hard to believe the form team in the competition – the red hot Perth Glory – still sit fifth on the table.  It underscores what a truly horrible start to the season they had and how dramatic that transformation has been.
• Adelaide, Western Sydney and Brisbane held their nerve.  City choked and fell precipitously from first to fourth on the table with one round to go.
• Every club wonders ‘what if’ when it comes to their signings each season.  A popular point of discussion this week for Roar fans has been our imports.  Three of them – Hervas, Solozarno and Polenz – have been duds that have been almost entirely unused.  Imagine if these players had been of the same standard as the imports at other clubs (notably Adelaide and Melbourne City).
• Ah, Besart Berisha.  With the Victory comfortably leading two nil against the Nix, he kicks Andrew Durante, gets a red card and a two match suspension which could possibly be the end of his season.  Bes remains as controversial and unpredictable as ever.  He’s had a record breaking goal haul for Victory but you take the good with the bad when it comes to the hot tempered Albanian.
• Castro’s strike for Perth Glory’s third goal just might be the Goal of the Season.

My favourite moment from Round 26 was Jamie Young leading the Den with some ‘who are we’ chants: