{"id":19665,"date":"2016-04-11T08:41:53","date_gmt":"2016-04-10T22:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=19665"},"modified":"2016-04-18T23:10:14","modified_gmt":"2016-04-18T13:10:14","slug":"a-league-round-27-and-the-premieres-plate-goes-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=19665","title":{"rendered":"A-League 2015\/16 &#8211; Round 27 &#8211; And The Premiere&#8217;s Plate Goes To&#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?attachment_id=5928\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5928\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5928\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tagfootball.jpg\" alt=\"tagfootball\" width=\"600\" height=\"75\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tagfootball.jpg 600w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tagfootball-300x37.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?attachment_id=19656\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19656\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19656\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cryingroarlady.jpg\" alt=\"cryingroarlady\" width=\"1000\" height=\"567\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cryingroarlady.jpg 1000w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cryingroarlady-300x170.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cryingroarlady-768x435.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MELBOURNE CITY 0 ADELAIDE UNITED 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>CENTRAL COAST MARINERS 2 NEWCASTLE JETS 4<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MELBOURNE VICTORY 0 BRISBANE ROAR 0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>WELLINGTON PHOENIX 0 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>SYDNEY FC 4 PERTH GLORY 0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?attachment_id=19666\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19666\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19666\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/a1516final.jpg\" alt=\"a1516final\" width=\"470\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/a1516final.jpg 470w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/a1516final-300x289.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>ADELAIDE UNITED ARE THE 2015\/16 PREMIERE&#8217;S PLATE WINNERS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Brisbane Fall Short At The Last<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DWzUBlqyTog\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Four teams started the final round of the A-League 2015\/16 season with a chance of lifting the Premiere&#8217;s Plate. \u00a0After Adelaide United&#8217;s resounding win over Melbourne City on Friday night, the equation was simple. \u00a0If Brisbane won, the plate was theirs. \u00a0Any other result and it goes to Adelaide.<\/p>\n<p>With Victory assured of a 6th place finish and no possibility of anything higher, Kevin Muscat had little to play for and chose to field an understrength squad for the game. \u00a0As a result, the Roar dominated for large portions of the game both in possession and shots on goal. \u00a0But all the skill, luck and good fortune that saw them score last gasp victories over the Wanderers, Sydney FC and the Jets in recent weeks suddenly eluded them. \u00a0The tone was set when Matt McKay missed a sitter two minutes into the game. \u00a0It finished with a final stab at goal from James Donachie which Man of the Match Lawrence Thomas managed to parry wide. \u00a0Thomas had an immense game and was unstoppable between the sticks for the Victory.<\/p>\n<p>The Roar looked a sullen team when the full time whistle blew. \u00a0They had their fate in their own hands and they couldn&#8217;t make it count.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s been\u00a0a whirlwind ride for Brisbane Roar which\u00a0started the season with financial woes and finished two agonizing point short of claiming their third Plate in six years. \u00a0The Wanderers won comfortably over Wellington Phoenix on the weekend which meant the Roar finished third and lose the right to a home semi final.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the club&#8217;s fans have been delighted with the team&#8217;s performance overall this season and I think it will be looked back upon as a thrilling season that delivered plenty of fond memories.<\/p>\n<p>Now its time for the finals. \u00a0An elimination match against last year&#8217;s champions and the team that denied them of the Plate this year &#8211; Melbourne Victory. \u00a0For the Roar, the opportunity to enact a measure of revenge is only just around the corner.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?attachment_id=19667\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19667\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19667\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/squiresfinals.jpg\" alt=\"squiresfinals\" width=\"1391\" height=\"412\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/squiresfinals.jpg 1391w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/squiresfinals-300x89.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/squiresfinals-768x227.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/squiresfinals-1024x303.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1391px) 100vw, 1391px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>News and Notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?attachment_id=19672\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19672\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-19672\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/redswin.jpg\" alt=\"redswin\" width=\"596\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/redswin.jpg 596w, http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/redswin-300x181.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Adelaide United won their second Premiere&#8217;s Plate this season. \u00a0They were the inaugural champions of the competition and have waited over a decade to have another opportunity to lift the title. \u00a0It caps off an incredible season for the club who were winless in the first eight and according to former player\/manager John Kosmina &#8211; within a game away from sacking coach Gui Amor.<\/li>\n<li>The key to Adelaide&#8217;s success must surely be the teamwork and selflessness of the team. \u00a0Whereas teams like Victory, Roar and City all have big name star players, Adelaide have a stack of talented players but none that stand out as *the* person that the team is reliant upon. \u00a0Their win over City where Aaron Mooy and Bruno Fornaroli were effectively cancelled out of the game showed the difference between a star team and a team of stars.<\/li>\n<li>Perth Glory lost 4-0 to Sydney FC who finally snapped an eleven game winless streak but I wouldn&#8217;t read much into it. \u00a0I don&#8217;t think Glory had anything to play for after the results of Friday and Saturday.<\/li>\n<li>Melbourne City faded badly in the final two rounds of this season when it counted the most taking zero points from their final two matches. \u00a0They lead the competition only a fortnight ago. \u00a0Now they finished fourth. \u00a0Melbourne Heart fans will be used to this disappointment but the sense of frustration must surely be close to boiling over. \u00a0Attendances have also been disappointing. \u00a0Despite the free scoring season they&#8217;ve had, attendance figures have been\u00a0<em>down<\/em> for City. \u00a0Marketing the A-League successfully and finding an audience continues to be a challenge for the sport&#8217;s administrators. \u00a0I&#8217;m not sure how much more you can ask for with the on-field product.<\/li>\n<li>Ben Sigmund, a legend at Wellington Phoenix, played his final game at the club this week. \u00a0He has retired from professional football to spend more time with his family. \u00a0It was also the last game for Manny Muscat who moves to Melbourne City next season.<\/li>\n<li>The teams that didn&#8217;t make the finals &#8211; Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix &#8211; all have a lot of rebuilding to do in the off season to change their fortunes for next season. \u00a0Expect plenty of transfer news in the weeks ahead.<\/li>\n<li>Any of the teams playing finals football are a genuine chance to win the Grand Final this season. \u00a0It may well be the first time in the competition history that a team that finishes outside the top two claims the title. \u00a0Perth Glory are my pick to go the distance.<\/li>\n<li>Adelaide and Western Sydney have a week to rest. \u00a0Next week it&#8217;s Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City vs Perth Glory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A dramatic finish to the A-League 2015\/16 season sees an unlikely team crowned as the new champions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[218,2488,682,342,1389],"class_list":["post-19665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-a-league","tag-aami-park","tag-adelaide-united","tag-brisbane-roar","tag-melbourne-victory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19665"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19682,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19665\/revisions\/19682"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}