Key posts
The crowd is building
OK, Unite Round has looked a little bit sparse thus far when it comes to attendance, but Allianz Stadium is buzzing at the moment. Apparently there’ll be around 35,000 fans here tonight – there was just under that number at the first derby at the new Allianz, back in 2022. And not since 2017 has there been a derby crowd north of 35k. So that’s positive.
Around the grounds: Friday night ALW wrap
By AAP
Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Adelaide United, Brisbane Roar 4-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
Wellington Phoenix have kicked off the A-League Women’s Unite Round with their first win of the season, beating Adelaide 1-0.
After starting their home-and-away campaign with three-straight defeats, the ‘Nix dominated a lacklustre Reds side to finally earn their first bag of three points at Jubilee Stadium.
The result left Western Sydney Wanderers last on the ladder after their 4-0 thrashing from Brisbane Roar later on Friday night.
The Phoenix celebrate.Credit: Getty Images
Friday night’s first half between Wellington and Adelaide seemed destined to end in a goalless stalemate before Maya McCutcheon scored in the final minute of added time. A blatant foul by Adelaide’s Emily Hodgson on Japanese winger Mebae Tanaka outside the box had opened the door. Tanaka’s free kick ricocheted off numerous players before McCutcheon sent it home.
Adelaide clawed back possession in the second half but did little with their chances, failing to register a single shot on target. Defender Mackenzie Barry had led the way for Wellington, with skipper Annalie Longo on the sidelines with a facial injury and vice-captain Rebecca Lake set to undergo foot surgery after tearing a ligament.
Longo is expected to return for the ‘Nix next week after avoiding an eye socket fracture, while Lake will be out of action for six months following her surgery.
Later, the Roar surged into top spot on the ladder after Momo Hayashi’s first two ALW goals laid the groundwork for victory over the Wanderers. Signed from the NPL’s Gold Coast United this season, the 29-year-old had her first goal after Wanderers captain Amy Harrison was shown a yellow card for pushing Tameka Yallop at the edge of the box. Hayashi’s free kick deflected from the wall of Wanderers defenders and past goalkeeper Sham Khamis.
Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop of the Brisbane Roar.Credit: Getty Images
After Alicia Woods struck the crossbar in her attempt to double the lead, Hayashi took matters into her own hands in first-half stoppage time. Tamar Levin tapped the ball onto Hayashi following the Wanderers’ eighth foul of the half, with the Japanese recruit poking the ball through traffic and into the right side of the goal.
Hayashi missed a handful of chances to complete her hat-trick, most notably curling yet another free kick over the goal. But Yallop moved the Roar closer to victory by sending a long-range strike to the back of the net midway through the second half of her record-breaking 153rd game for the club.
Emily Pringle’s first ALW goal sealed the Roar’s equal-biggest win over Western Sydney late in the second half.
The Wanderers have now failed to score a goal in 333 minutes of regulation time.
Second-placed Melbourne City can reclaim top spot on the ladder by beating Sydney FC in Sunday’s grand final rematch.
Around the grounds: Friday night ALM wrap
By AAP
Western United 3-1 Perth Glory
Hiroshi Ibusuki’s double has powered Western United to their first win of the A-League Men season, a 3-1 defeat of struggling Perth Glory that kicked off Unite Round in Sydney.
After wasting ample chances in a scoreless first half at Allianz Stadium on Friday, United bagged two goals in five minutes to stun the Glory and erase their unlikely 1-0 lead.
United appeared home when towering Japanese striker Ibusuki notched his second goal with 15 minutes to play. It was his seventh goal in seven games against Perth.
Hiroshi Ibusuki celebrates.Credit: Getty Images
A late red card to Dylan Leonard put a damper on United’s win, with the teenage defender set to miss next week’s clash against Melbourne Victory after pushing Cristian Caicedo at the edge of the box.
The Glory have now lost four of five games to begin the season and are still searching for a maiden victory under new coach David Zdrilic. Given their league-worst goal difference (-14), Perth will fall to the bottom of the ladder if 13th-placed Brisbane Roar can beat or draw with Adelaide United on Saturday.
At 17, Leonard became the youngest goalscorer in United’s short history when he made good on an inch-perfect corner from Ben Garuccio in the 60th minute. It came after Trent Ostler scored only the Glory’s second goal this season – and first in 339 minutes of football – from a counter-attack ignited by Khoa Ngo.
Perth threatened to fall in a heap only minutes later when Noah Botic found strike weapon Ibusuki inexplicably unmarked in the box. The cross helped Botic redeem himself for blowing two golden chances in the first half, including when he sprayed a header into the crossbar at point-blank range.
Botic was at the centre of Ibusuki’s second goal, again picking out the star recruit from the right wing. This time Ibusuki had more work to do, beating three defenders before driving the final nail into Perth’s coffin.
Leonard was shown a red card just before stoppage time in the second half for his contact on Caicedo, but the Colombian fired his free kick above the woodwork.
Central Coast Mariners 2-1 Newcastle Jets
Central Coast have finally broken through for their first win of the A-League Men season, defeating local rivals Newcastle 2-1 in Unite Round.
An own goal in the 74th minute was the Jets undoing, with Lucas Mauragis’s cross towards grand final hero Ryan Edmonson deflecting off opponent Aleksandar Susnjar.
Friday night’s win at Allianz Stadium was a much-cherished result for an injury-ravaged Mariners side, who had opened their title defence with three draws and a loss. They have also now won six-straight F3 derbies.
The greatest trophy in Australian sport.Credit: Getty Images
Stand-in captain Brian Kaltak was the hero, the Vanuatuan returning to Australia after facing off against his New Zealander Mariners teammate Storm Roux in World Cup qualifiers in the international break.
Newcastle had drawn first blood after a horror error by teenaged Mariners goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen, but a dogged Kaltak found the equaliser.
Former Mariner academy product Lachlan Bayliss was at the source of the Jets’ only goal, cleverly opening up the play with a superb pass to substitute Ben Gibson.
Gibson’s shot was stopped by Peraic-Cullen, but the rebound landed for Thomas Aquilina, who slotted easily in the 64th minute for his career-first goal.
But the Jets’ ascendancy did not last long, with Kaltak peeling one back less than two minutes later with a fantastic header.
Poll: Who you got?
Team news: Costa starts, Mata doesn’t
So, there you have it. The big news: despite coach Ufuk Talay playing down his chances, Sydney FC’s marquee man Douglas Costa is starting tonight’s match along with Joe Lolley. We’d say they’re back at full strength except for the presence of Anas Ouahim on the bench; Adrian Segecic has taken his place in the XI. Returning Socceroos Anthony Caceres and Rhyan Grant come straight back into the team, but the newly-capped Hayden Matthews is of course suspended.
For the Wanderers, there’s no Josh Brillante, who suffered a training ground injury this week. And there’s no Juan Mata, who is again on the bench, as he was for the last derby. Peculiar stuff. If you’re not across the how and why, have a read of this. But: there is Lawrence Thomas! He makes his first start of the season, while Socceroo Brandon Borrello is also up top as always.
G’day, g’day
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of tonight’s Sydney A-League Men’s derby at Allianz Stadium. Yes, it’s the second derby already, and it’s only round five. Long story. Don’t ask. Just enjoy.
I’m Vince Rugari, and I’ve been holed up here in the press box at Allianz for the last couple of hours watching Adelaide United and Brisbane Roar go at it – that’s because this weekend is Unite Round, the beautiful game’s answer to Magic Round and Gather Round.
The men’s action is here, the women’s stuff is all at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium – because the pitch at Leichhardt Oval was horrific; that’s another long story – and I wish there were two of me.
If you recall, the only reason why this is happening is because this was the only way the Australian Professional Leagues could get out of their disastrous grand final hosting rights agreement with Destination NSW without losing about $15 million. So think of it as a necessary evil.
Team news coming up in a second, as well as a bit of a wrap on the games we’ve seen thus far.
