Round 2 | The Melbourne Derby | Etihad stadium | 7:30PM Saturday 17th of October

[bt50]

Can't say I'm a wealth of knowledge on the Melbourne city hool scene. KD would surely know

Classic deflection.

This reminds me of The Phantom Menace when Queen Amidala was really Padme, unassumingly in the action all along.

[hedaik]

I fucked up and can't go to the darby so if anybody wants an active ticket for $40 let me know. 

[sheepdog]

I fucked up and can't go to the darby so if anybody wants an active ticket for $40 let me know. 

yeh maybe, will we have to show active membership? 

[hedaik]

yeh maybe, will we have to show active membership? 

Would be unusual if you had to show your ticket and a membership that is for City home games.

[sheepdog]

Yeah I was tripping 

[Jovan]

Decided not to go. Could be my first Derby I've missed (can't remember for sure). 

Really really hate ethihad and after last years visits most of my kids aren't keen. 

[Tony999]

I tried to get Level 1 reserved and it says nothing available. WTF? Do l have go to the nose bleed section kow?

Edited September 25, 2015 by Tony999

[kingofhearts]

Has active area sold out for this?

[Paulski]

I tried to get Level 1 reserved and it says nothing available. WTF? Do l have go to the nose bleed section kow?

i just bought 2 tickets on level 1 aisle 17 city away.

[benzema23]

Anyone got a spare in bay 19???

[Murfy1]

Melbourne City closer to full strength for Melbourne derby clash

October 11, 2015 

Michael Lynch

 

Melbourne City is likely to be far closer to full strength for the first derby clash of the season with Melbourne Victory next weekend when it regains a clutch of regular first teamers and new signings who were absent from the 1-1 draw with Sydney.

City used five A-League debutants in the Saturday evening game against the Sky Blues. 

Two were vastly experienced foreign signings in goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and striker Bruno Fornaroli, but the other three, starters Wade Dekker and Hernan Espindola and substitute Andrew Zinni, were very much at the other end of the age and experience scale.

The Melbourne team had the better of the first half and took the lead through the youngster Dekker before conceding in the dying seconds of the half thanks to a beautifully worked equaliser finished off by Sydney's Slovakian striker Filip Holosko.

Coach John van 't Schip was in the end content enough with a point considering the absences in his line-up and the way that Sydney controlled the second period, but the Dutchman also felt that with an ounce of luck his side could have been one or two more goals to the good at the interval.

He was particularly aggrieved that a foul on Robert Koren, when Sydney goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic clattered into the City frontman, did not lead to a penalty.

City will regroup and should be much stronger for the trip to Etihad next Saturday evening. Socceroo midfielder Aaron Mooy, who only landed back in the country shortly before this game having played in a World Cup qualifier against Jordan in the early hours of Friday morning, will be rested and much more ready for the sort of high intensity contest that City v Victory games always deliver.

Another former international in Michael Zullo, who was on the bench at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, could come into consideration, while the likes of midfielder Jacob Melling and David Williams are over their injuries although not quite sharp enough to start. However both could be included as substitutes in the matchday squad.

It has been a huge off-season of change at the City Football Academy, but there were plenty of good signs from the new striker Fornaroli and the youngsters in the draw with Sydney that City can improve on their fourth place finish from last season.

Fornaroli and Dekker combined well to set the latter up for the early goal that looked to put van 't Schip's team in the driving seat, while Robert Koren, who missed so much of his first year in the A-League, worked hard and looked more energised than he did the previous season.

Van' t Schip wants to build up strength in depth and City's youngsters will only benefit from their experience. Kevin Muscat has gambled successfully on young players in the past two seasons at Victory and has reaped the reward with the likes of Scott Galloway, Nick Ansell, Jason Geria and Dylan Murnane all featuring regularly in the starting 11 or in the matchday squad.

Sorensen, who hasn't played a lot of football in the past two years, showed signs of rustiness early but grew in stature as the game progressed and can be a commanding presence in the last line of defence for City if he stays fit and sharp through the rest of the campaign, while Fornaroli looks, on the early evidence, to be a far from one-dimension forward, able to drop deep and play alongside midfielders as well as offer a threat in the penalty box.

Van' t Schip said on Sunday that after reviewing the game it became apparent how much it was a match of two halves, with his team in the ascendency early but Sydney pinning them back in the second period.

"We were a bit unlucky. We had the better chances and deserved the lead and we could have been a couple of goals up at half-time. They pushed more in the second half and we could not get out as much. 

"It was very hard to take a goal so late in the first half but I think given the boys that we had playing and the players who are still to come back we have a good group. Their goal wasn't really a lapse in concentration by us, it was a great pass from Brandon O'Neill and Alex Brosque took it well and set up Holosko.

"But I thought for our goal Wade Dekker worked hard to win the ball and then showed a lot of composure in finishing. He has shown in the FFA Cup that he can play a part for us. He works very hard and he shows discipline

"I think for Koren foul the ball came through and the goalkeeper made contact. I think the referee (Ben Williams) and his linesman made a mistake but we have to move on from that."

Van' t Schip believes that Melling, an aggressive midfield presence, could be ready to have some role in the derby as could Williams. But Socceroo defender Ivan Franjic is still a month or so away from being available.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/melbourne-city/melbourne-city-closer-to-full-strength-for-melbourne-derby-clash-20151011-gk68zo.html

[hedaik]

Anyone got a spare in bay 19???

Yes, $40 (cost price)

Edited October 11, 2015 by hedaik

[Cityscape]

How is the away bays selling?

Sold out?

[strider]

yay.

"fornicate" fornaroli to go full messi this game

 

edit: cheers mod(s)

edit edit: anyone coming back from injuries for this one?

Edited October 11, 2015 by strider

[Andrew Edmonds]

Just spoke with Stefan, he's hoping once he comes back from Korea, he'll be in the squad this week. 

[Murfy1]

Injury could keep Melbourne City defender Ivan Franjic out until December

 

David Davutovic

12 October 2015

 

SOCCEROO Ivan Franjic could be sidelined until December after suffering another injury blow, as Melbourne City’s soft-tissue injury curse deepens.

The right-back re-injured the same quadriceps he strained in July, as he was attempting to prove his fitness for the start of the A-League campaign.

City has recruited former Western Bulldogs physio Andrew McKenzie in an attempt to improve their injury record.

McKenzie, who spent three years with English Premier League club Tottenham, joins as City’s head of human performance, where he will oversee the medical, sports science and player support services departments.

City, which had a long list of muscle strains last season, has already lost Harry Novillo, Michael Zullo and Aaron Hughes since the start of pre-season.

Franjic is back in rehab and is unlikely to rejoin the squad for training until November, and coach John van’t Schip said his loss was a blow.

“Ivan re-injured his quad early last week. Although minor, this is a new injury and will be treated as such,’’ van’t Schip said.

“We expect Ivan to return around 5-7 weeks following the injury. However, he will be closely monitored throughout the rehabilitation period.”

Franjic was so close to returning he was in contention for last Saturday’s Sydney FC visit.

“Franjic is maybe a player that could be there (Round 1) but probably needs a week longer, but we have to see how this week goes,’’ van’t Schip said last Tuesday.

David Williams and Jacob Melling are in contention to rejoin the squad for Saturday night’s derby at Etihad Stadium.

Frenchman Novillo, former Sydney FC attacker Corey Gameiro and Ben Garuccio are likely to be at least a fortnight away.

Defender Hughes will return later in the week after completing international duty with Euro 2016 bound Northern Ireland, while Zullo is line to come into the first XI after he was an unused substitute in Sarturday’s 1-1 draw away to Sydney FC.

Midfielder Aaron Mooy will come into the first XI after remarkably playing over 30 minutes, just 30 hours after playing a full game for the Soceroos in Jordan.

Midfielder Stefan Mauk will also come into contention after returning from Olyroos duty on Thursday.

“Sydney was probably too soon for Corey Gameiro, so probably the second or third round at least he’ll be available,’’ van’t Schip said.

“Players are coming back so it’s a good sign.’’

 

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/a-league-injury-could-keep-melbourne-city-defender-ivan-franjic-out-until-december/story-fnk6pqhe-1227566683252

Melbourne City aiming for revenge over Melbourne Victory on Saturday night

 

Matt Windley

12 October 2015

 

MELBOURNE City captain Patrick Kisnorbo says last season’s semi-final loss to Melbourne Victory ate away at him during his six-week post-season layoff.

Saturday night, he says, presents City players with their first opportunity to make amends.

With a crowd tipped to push towards 50,000 at Etihad Stadium, Kisnorbo said he was expecting a hostile reception from a pro-Victory crowd, but insisted his side would not be intimidated.

Instead, on the back of a gutsy 1-1 draw at Sydney FC at the weekend, Kisnorbo said he was confident City could upset the odds against its bitter rival.

“It’s going to be a tough gig,” Kisnorbo said yesterday.

“Everyone knows Victory were the best team last year and they proved that by winning the titles that they won.

“But we’re going into the game with confidence. We know it’ll be a hard game, there’s no easy derby, but hopefully Saturday will be a better showing than the last game last year because they’re the ones that knocked us out in the semi-finals.

“But we think we’ve come a long way from then. To come so close (to a grand final) ... it was hard to take and we had six weeks to really use that before taking it in to pre-season with us.

“Now we’ve got the chance this weekend to make amends.”

Hawthorn veteran Jordan Lewis took the unusual step of conceding that his side was intimidated by the atmosphere created by West Coast fans at Subiaco during last month’s AFL finals.

Kisnorbo, however, insisted that was not that case for City, despite it having suffering two three-goal losses to Victory at Etihad Stadium last season (5-2 in Round 2 and 3-0 in the semi-final).

“They play a lot of their home games there, so they’re used to it,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, we just have to go there and perform well. We know what we have to do and we know we can do it.

“We just have to focus on us, not the crowd, and what we have to do. We have to block out anything around us that might effect us in any way.”

City’s Round 1 draw came despite it missing at least five players from its starting XI.

Kisnorbo said the backs-to-the-wall result was further proof of the strides the team had made during the break.

“We made the semi-finals even with a season that was a bit inconsistent,” the central defender said.

“We’ve been working hard during the winter to nullify those inconsistencies and work on the things we needed to work on.

“For the first game of the season, it showed that the things we’ve been trying to put in to practice have paid off.”

 

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/a-league-melbourne-city-aiming-for-revenge-over-melbourne-victory-on-saturday-night/story-fnia3gmj-1227566586542?sv=fb1a1a2cdb2a23f1f79ef391ed9f4fb6

[hakz7]

FMD

[belaguttman]

I'm going to miss this game, only positive is that this means that I won't have to go to Shitihad Stadium for a whole season

[bt50]

I'm going to miss this game, only positive is that this means that I won't have to go to Shitihad Stadium for a whole season

with any luck we'll have a final to play there in three weeks

Edited October 12, 2015 by bt50

[Tony999]

Just spoke with Stefan, he's hoping once he comes back from Korea, he'll be in the squad this week. 

Green line for you!

[belaguttman]

with any luck we'll have a final to play there in three weeks

Oh dear, then at least I only have to go once!

[InMyHeart]

If we put out that same line up and perform like we did especially in that second half I can see us loosing by 2+ goals 

[haz]

Hoping to see Melling and Gameiro off the bench

[K-aram92]

Mooy to start instead of Trifiro. Zullo to start instead of Clisby.

Melling and Williams to be on the bench. Our squad will be stronger than last week.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[haz]

Clisby better not get anywhere near the pitch, otherwise he will be molested 

[bt50]

Mooy to start instead of Trifiro. Zullo to start instead of Clisby.

 

Melling and Williams to be on the bench. Our squad will be stronger than last week.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Agree with this, I'm guessing:

                               Sorensen

Retre      Chapman             Kisnorbo         Zullo

                               Paartalu

                  Mooy                  Koren

Kuzmanovski        Fornaroli          Dekker

 

SUBS : Velaphi, Williams, Melling, Trefiro, Hughes

If Hughes is unavailable, then Clisby however Davutovic seems to think he's right to go. He also mentioned Gameiro and possibly Novillo back for next week.

[Pigs 2]

Might watch this one at the gimp 

[ChuckaBandit]

Kicking the gf off the tv and watching this one at home, will prob have to buy a new tv sunday

[mjake1234]

Might watch this one at the gimp 

will it be on at the gimp? If so I might come down.

[Jovan]

will it be on at the gimp? If so I might come down.

you seem very eager.

[GreenSeater]

Don't worry guys, I'm now working Saturday night and missing the game so we're guaranteed to win

[cadete]

Honestly see MV walking this one in... 

Hopefully our new head of fitness gets the team right ASAP.

Edited October 13, 2015 by cadete

[Luke]

We can't afford to lose. vital for the premiers plate 

[strider]

we're ganna win

novillo to come on 80th min and flap around his c... c... cleats and score

[kingofhearts]

If we lose this JVS out

[Heart of Melbourne]

A win should see a spike in memberships. Huge game for the club.

[heart_fan10]

i would be happy with a draw here, a win would be a bonus. Still too many players out 

 

Sorenson

Retro Kisnorbo Chapman Zullo

Paartalu Mooy

Koren

Kuzmanovski Fornaroli Dekker

 

Subs: Velaphi, Mauk, Zinni, Clisby, Gameiro (hopefully)

Edited October 13, 2015 by heart_fan10

[Red or Dead]

Muscunt is a fraud and it will start to unravel for the Tards this season starting with this weekend's Derby.

[malloy]

A win should see a spike in memberships. Huge game for the club.

this is the reason why we will lose...

[Murfy1]

Melbourne City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen on high alert for Victory star Besart Berisha

 

David Davutovic

October 13, 2015

 

HE could write a thesis on Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez or Thierry Henry, but ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen admitted he’s had to up the homework load since arriving at Melbourne City.

The former Aston Villa, Sunderland and Stoke City star revealed that he’s already got mental notes on Besart Berisha, from their FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifying encounter.

Sorensen warned City teammates that they must be on high alert for the “clever” Berisha in Saturday’s Melbourne derby at Etihad Stadium.

Back in 2009, Berisha’s Albania lost 3-0 in Copenhagen to a star-studded Denmark that topped the group ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, before the striker was an unused sub in the 1-1 draw.

“I’ve got more homework here then I would in England where you know the ins and outs,’’ Sorensen said.

“If I have to study them all week, I’ll study them all week, I’ll do what it takes.

“I played against Berisha when he played for Albania quite a few years back. He’s a goalscorer, he’s a clever player, he’s proven that down here so it’s someone that you’re always got to be aware of in and around the box because he’ll pop up.

“Similar to (Shane) Smeltz, they’re clever, you don’t give the many chances (or) they’ll score. That’s something we’ve got to be aware of.

“We’ll know the players and their strengths but it all comes down to a man to man thing, you can know everything about a player but you’ve still got to beat him on the pitch.’’

Sorensen impressed in his first official game since Stoke’s 2-1 win at West Brom on May 11, 2014, after playing second fiddle to Asmir Begovic last season.

Aaron Mooy was on a reduced load yesterday along with veteran Robert Koren and defender Connor Chapman, but the Socceroo is certain to return to the first XI for Saturday’s derby.

City must decide how many more changes to make for Saturday, with Michael Zullo an unused sub in Round 1.

Attackers Corey Gameiro and David Williams and midfielder Jacob Melling are pushing for selection after training strongly.

Winger Harry Novillo is nearing full fitness, doing a series of sprints, though he won’t be rushed in for the derby.

“You want the best team out there, but you also want a fit team. You don’t want someone who’s not where they should be, because if you’re not ready for the pace and everything else you’ll get caught out,’’ Sorensen said.

Sorensen, who’s played in two of England’s feistiest derbys — the Birmingham and the Tyne-Wear derby, in his 371 Premier League games, said being switched on was key.

“Funny things happen in derbys, everyone’s on edge and everyone wants to win,’’ he said.

 

http://www.news.com.au/sport/football/melbourne-city-goalkeeper-thomas-sorensen-on-high-alert-for-victory-star-besart-berisha/story-fndkzvnd-1227568019191?from=public_rss