Jump to content
Melbourne Football

SFC VS MCFC - Round 1


Ruckoo
 Share

Recommended Posts

So those that are attending will you be wearing the red and white stripes or the new kit?

 

New kit with red and white scarf for me.

 

So those that are attending will you be wearing the red and white stripes or the new kit?

 

I'm only taking red & white - save the new kit for next week. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David Villa will play for Melbourne City against Sydney FC but will he start the A-League game?

 

MATT WINDLEY

 

OCTOBER 10, 2014

 

 

DAVID Villa will play.

 

But whether he will start for Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, coach John van ‘t Schip would not say.

 

Is it just a ploy to keep Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold guessing until the very last minute?

 

Or is City seriously considering starting Spain’s all-time leading scorer on the bench for the hugely anticipated Round 1 clash?

 

“He’s going to be a part of the game, we’ll just see which part,” van ‘t Schip said before the team’s final training session yesterday.

 

DAVID VILLA FEVER

 

“We know that he is fit, that he can play, that he wants to play.

 

“Now we’re having something going on that we think ‘OK, what’s the best (for him)?’ because we know he is not able to play a full game.”

 

Those who question Villa’s match fitness should consider that the striker’s last competitive game was against the Socceroos in the World Cup on June 23.

 

Aside from one FFA Cup game, most City players haven’t had a competitive match since the last A-League season finished in April/May.

 

Villa has been subjected to grueling fitness sessions in New York and van ‘t Schip said he was happy with how the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid star has presented himself since arriving in Melbourne on Sunday.

 

“We know he is a professional, we know he has been training for a long period already in New York,” he said.

 

“I think that’s an expectation that you should have. We had good contact with them when they were in New York about his physical situation and what he was doing, so we knew that when he would come here that he would be in physically good condition.

 

The coach told City fans his side would seek to maintain possession, attack and also defend high up the pitch.

 

Sydney defeated City 3-1 after extra time in the pair’s Round of 32 FFA Cup clash in August.

 

But van ‘t Schip said not to read too much in to that result, insisting his side had improved significantly since.

 

“We’ve had a good few (friendly) games.

 

“We’re gelling, of course we’ve got David with us now so he’s bringing something different to the team. The boys are confident, fit and looking forward to it.”

 

Youth team player Ross Archibald is expected to play at right back in the absence of several defensive regulars.

 

Whether international marquee Robert Koren starts on the left or in central midfield could hinge on whether Massimo Murdocca is selected.

 

Should Koren play centrally, one of Mate Dugandzic or David Williams will play wide.

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/david-villa-will-play-for-melbourne-city-against-sydney-fc-but-will-he-start-the-aleague-game/story-fnk6pqhd-1227086354707?nk=4a0dbf2a167c694485d54d1e74426bc1

Edited by Murfy1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

RAMSAY TIPS VILLA TO SHINE AGAINST SYDNEY FC

 

By David Lewis

 

10 OCT 2014 

 

 

Spanish striker David Villa is ready explode on to the A-League scene against Sydney FC on Saturday night and help fire rebranded Melbourne City to a flying start, according to teammate Iain Ramsay.

 

After assessing Villa in training this week as he prepared for the first of his nominal 10-game stint, Ramsay is convinced the City striker will light up Allianz Stadium.

 

Spain’s all-time leading scorer, on loan in Melbourne until he joins new MLS franchise New York City, has hit the ground running since his arrival on Monday, the City left-back confirmed.

 

Ramsay has been surprised by Villa's speed and sharpness despite coming to the club off the back of a mini-sabbatical just five days out from the season opener.

 

"He hasn’t come here for a holiday, that's for sure," Ramsay said.

 

"He’s not here for a long time but he wants to leave his mark and do something memorable for this club.

 

"It's great to have somebody of his calibre amongst us - we already had some great attacking options and he's obviously added immensely to what was there already.

 

"The first time you see him on the ball you realise he is special. We've played a few small sided games this week and his quality is there for all to see.

 

"I was surprised that he looked so good in his first session and finished it strongly, and he looks in great shape.

 

"With his first touch he creates that extra bit of space which few players can do … he makes time for himself to get in a shot or deliver a pass."

 

Ramsay believes that Villa’s mere presence has given his teammates an adrenaline hit which helped lift the intensity at training.

 

"You could feel the difference out there," he explained. "It was similar thing when Damien Duff and then Robert Koren arrived - and now it's gone up another notch with David here.

 

"He doesn't speak too much English but our coach John van’t Schip speaks Spanish and of course (Argentine) Jonatan Germano is a Spanish speaker and having them to bounce off will help him settle in.

 

"I think he's going to be a huge plus for this club while he's here, hopefully starting against Sydney FC."

 

But it's not just about Villa, insists Ramsay, who added: "This season we have a great mixture of youth and experience and we have genuine firepower up front, which is where we were lacking a bit last year when we relied a lot on David Williams for our goals.

 

"With the takeover by Manchester City, there's obviously a sense of expectation around the club and that's only fair. We are just trying to stay focused on the job at hand though."

 

Which brings Ramsay to Saturday night’s duel against a rebuilt and confident Sydney FC.

 

"We are going there all guns blazing to take all three points. We know they are top side with a great coach in Graham Arnold but we believe we'll go there and win and get our season going in the right direction early."

 

Ramsay said City's other stars - Ireland international Duff and fellow ex-English Premier League regular Koren - will not disappoint either.

 

"Damien is one of those ultimate professionals who comes to training and leaves late and he is going to be one to watch this year because he is extra motivated to do well in the A-League," he explained.

 

"Robert Koren might not be as well-known as David Villa and Damien Duff but he captained his country (Slovenia). He has a wealth of experience and he's been great also since he came in."

 

Ramsay, who initially joined the Melbourne Heart as a left-back only to be deployed further forward when Aziz Behich arrived on loan from the Turkish Super Liga last season, is back to where he feels he will be most effective.

 

"I am excited by the role. I like the defensive side of the game and I have a decent engine on me to overlap and still cause defences problems when I do get forward."

 

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2014/10/09/ramsay-tips-villa-tear-it-against-sydney-fc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whether international marquee Robert Koren starts on the left or in central midfield could hinge on whether Massimo Murdocca is selected.

 

Should Koren play centrally, one of Mate Dugandzic or David Williams will play wide.

 

 

This is a critical point for tomorrow IMO. In the last pre-season game against Perth, Melbourne City (going off all information) had a front 3 of Koren, Dugandzic and Duff. Koren either played on the left wing, or up front as a striker (or 'false 9').

 

Murdocca filled in Koren's vacated midfield position, so the team had a midfield of Paartalu, Murdocca and Mooy. And this team got the solid 2-1 result (with Perth only getting their goal in the dying minutes of the game).

 

For the match against Sydney, there would be a pretty compelling argument for effectively going with this line-up again, where there's a midfield of  Paartalu, Murdocca and Mooy, and a front 3 of Koren, Villa and Duff (where Villa has replaced Dugandzic). It would maybe be slightly more defensive than a mid. of Koren, Mooy, Paartalu, and attack of Duff, Villa and Williams/Dugandzic, but it's arguably a more balanced team with Murdocca in midfield. And it frees up Koren to help out in attack, threaten goal more often and maybe provide service to Villa more often.

 

 

Otherwise the line-up is pretty clear IMO, so it's just a question of whether Murdocca plays, or whether Dugandzic/Williams plays instead. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm no pundit but I always imagined:

 

                  Villa/Williams            

 

Duff                                      Dugandzic

             Koren        Mooy     

 

                     Paartalu

 

 

But i'm usually pretty shithouse at analysing the game.

 

I am however great at figuring out how to squeeze in multiple second half beers before the bar closes in the 75th minute!

Edited by Pete Heartspur
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoping someone could suggest a place to stay close to the Sydney airport

Long story short, my son (19yr) booked to go with a friend and stay overnight with his family after the game. Flying out of Sydney 6 am Sunday.

Friend got sick and cancelled yesterday.

He is so keen to see the game, he is flying out this morning but had to find a place to stay overnight.

He considered going to the airport after the pub but apparently you can't sleep in the chair at domestic terminal as they close it at 11pm.

I'm looking for suggestion where he could stay

Thanks in advance :)

Edited by Jestr
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoping someone could suggest a place to stay close to the Sydney airport

Long story short, my son (19yr) booked to go with a friend and stay overnight with his family after the game. Flying out of Sydney 6 am Sunday.

Friend got sick and cancelled yesterday.

He is so keen to see the game, he is flying out this morning but had to find a place to stay overnight.

He considered going to the airport after the pub but apparently you can't sleep in the chair at domestic terminal as they close it at 11pm.

I'm looking for suggestion where he could stay

Thanks in advance :)

 

Try Ibis Budget (Sydney Airport). They were formerly called Formule 1. 

Have not been to Sydney in a while but whenever I did go and needed a place to stay Formule 1 was my go-to.

They're relatively cheap as well and literally 5 mins away from the terminals.

 

Don't think they're ever booked out

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...