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City v. Wellington, Sunday 16th May, 4.05 pm AAMI Park


jw1739
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I'm cool with a draw to be honest. Probably would have staggered the senior players with their break over two matches, but would have been a master-stroke if we'd held on to 2-1.

A win would have been huge, would have been knocking on the door of mathematically clinching it (like, one more point for us, or a slip up from Brisbane or Central Coast, who'd pretty much have to be perfect and hope for our wheels to come off completely to have any hope), but we're still pretty much only a win away and if we can secure at least a draw in either - preferably both - of the next two we're still cruising, with the Jets and Victory to finish.

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Ok.

Without knowing the condition of all the players it’s hard to say too much about who needed to be rested. I know supporters were starting to feel the strain so that kind of sets the tone. In the end we’ve gambled in making 6 changes and have dropped 2 points.

Having said all that a few random comments:

1.If you’d told me before hand we’d have 2 centre backs substituted, I’d have taken a point. 

2. A point is not the end of the world.

The biggest issue out of this game is not the result, it’s the fitness of Good and Griffiths. I’m guessing it’s Mills & Reis next week.
 

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9 minutes ago, hyperfuzz said:

why can't we lift the plate on Saturday again? I can't see the maths where anyone else can pass us provided Brisbane don't score two goals in the next 25 minutes.

Because technically if we lost the following 3 games after mariners and the next few teams won their games, we’d lose our 9pt gap and finish equal. 
 

So it would come down to goal difference (ie we win it) however because technically if another team won 29-0 in the next few weeks, they could claim it

Edited by ChopperHeart
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5 minutes ago, hyperfuzz said:

why can't we lift the plate on Saturday again? I can't see the maths where anyone else can pass us provided Brisbane don't score two goals in the next 25 minutes.

A win next week means we are on 48 points, this means CCM is out of the race. All teams on 35points with 4 games to play get to 48 points as well, in theory they can get past us on goal difference?

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8 minutes ago, hyperfuzz said:

why can't we lift the plate on Saturday again? I can't see the maths where anyone else can pass us provided Brisbane don't score two goals in the next 25 minutes.

Because it is still “mathematically possible” that CCM turn around a 24 goal difference in the remaining games.

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6 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

Ok.

Without knowing the condition of all the players it’s hard to say too much about who needed to be rested. I know supporters were starting to feel the strain so that kind of sets the tone. In the end we’ve gambled in making 6 changes and have dropped 2 points.

Having said all that a few random comments:

1.If you’d told me before hand we’d have 2 centre backs substituted, I’d have taken a point. 

2. A point is not the end of the world.

The biggest issue out of this game is not the result, it’s the fitness of Good and Griffiths. I’m guessing it’s Mills & Reis next week.
 

I must have missed this, wasn’t Good just rotated at half time?

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3 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

Because it is still “mathematically possible” that CCM turn around a 24 goal difference in the remaining games.

Nope, we can win it outright against CCM on Saturday (unless Brisbane score 2 in the next 4 mins). See my post in the other thread.

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Just now, Mr MO said:

I must have missed this, wasn’t Good just rotated at half time?

I don’t know but who in Gods name rotates fit Central Defenders? There was a rumour he was injured in the warm up, so it was my assumption 

1 minute ago, malloy said:

Nope, we can win it outright against CCM on Saturday (unless Brisbane score 2 in the next 4 mins). See my post in the other thread.

Oh of course. Because we are playing them

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5 minutes ago, Shahanga said:

Because it is still “mathematically possible” that CCM turn around a 24 goal difference in the remaining games.

if we win, how can they turn around a 12 point deficit with three games to play?

Just now, Shahanga said:

I don’t know but who in Gods name rotates fit Central Defenders? There was a rumour he was injured in the warm up, so it was my assumption 

Oh of course. Because we are playing them

hehehe

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11 minutes ago, Mr MO said:

A win next week means we are on 48 points, this means CCM is out of the race. All teams on 35points with 4 games to play get to 48 points as well, in theory they can get past us on goal difference?

far out mate, relearn ya three times tables 😄

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If we are not going to be smashed in the finals and in the ACL, it's good to see if our squad has any depth.  The Nix were unexpectedly good for the whole first half and to our credit we came at them in the second.

I was at the game and watched Tsubaki really closely for all the time he was on..... after a nervous and ineffectual first half hour he settled down and he did some good stuff  in the second half.  Not everyone would have ran on to put that goal away so good on him.   He worked hard but he needs game time to really be a danger up front. I was actually pleased he started.  ''One of our weakest imports'' is an easy verdict,  but what chance has he been given?

Tilio was superb.  A real threat.  He's seized his opportunity and  is in the first XI for my money. He's had FAR more impact than Noone in 10% of the game time in the shirt.

O'Neill was man of the match last weekend and villain of the piece today.  It was a shocking giveaway that led to their equaliser but shit happens.

Tom in goal was unusually shaky.  But he has had a fine season.

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32 minutes ago, Torn Asunder said:

Worked hard to get 2 one up,  and then one horrible, horrible, horrible, inexplicable, inexcusable, shitfull turnover cost us 2 points.  

That is why I could hear JMac from 80 metres away scream "fuuuccckkkk!!!" at the end of the game

Yep, I couldn't agree more. 

Neither could I.

As long-suffering ex-Heart fans IMO we're far too forgiving for today's performance, which I class as an absolute shitshow. In sight of the winning post no coach should make so many changes at the one time. Not only that he inexplicably plays Tsubaki as a number 9, false of otherwise, a player without the stature, strength or ability to play there, and with Luna being mediocre today and the invisible man Berenguer there as well we had a forward line consisting of Cola and Tilio. A fucking referee who gave a penalty for a shoulder charge, albeit a stupid one, and saw every little tickle of contact from City and none from Phoenix it was never going to go our way. As it was it required a glorious free-kick from Maclaren to grab the lead, but then came that stupid final turnover. WTF is wrong with our club never learning how to clear their lines in the final minutes of a match? Was it O'Neill, was it Reis - I can't remember.

A few other things adding to my anger and misery tonight. I object to see an Israeli flag on display at an A-League match. I thought that there is a clear policy on national flags? I'll bet that had it been a Palestinian flag it would have been quickly removed by "security." Finally, with both footy and football on at the same time perhaps it would be possible to put on extra trains to take people home? We waited 15 minutes for our train home to Sandy, and it was packed to way over capacity. Third world stuff.

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16 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Neither could I.

As long-suffering ex-Heart fans IMO we're far too forgiving for today's performance, which I class as an absolute shitshow. In sight of the winning post no coach should make so many changes at the one time. Not only that he inexplicably plays Tsubaki as a number 9, false of otherwise, a player without the stature, strength or ability to play there, and with Luna being mediocre today and the invisible man Berenguer there as well we had a forward line consisting of Cola and Tilio. A fucking referee who gave a penalty for a shoulder charge, albeit a stupid one, and saw every little tickle of contact from City and none from Phoenix it was never going to go our way. As it was it required a glorious free-kick from Maclaren to grab the lead, but then came that stupid final turnover. WTF is wrong with our club never learning how to clear their lines in the final minutes of a match? Was it O'Neill, was it Reis - I can't remember.

A few other things adding to my anger and misery tonight. I object to see an Israeli flag on display at an A-League match. I thought that there is a clear policy on national flags? I'll bet that had it been a Palestinian flag it would have been quickly removed by "security." Finally, with both footy and football on at the same time perhaps it would be possible to put on extra trains to take people home? We waited 15 minutes for our train home to Sandy, and it was packed to way over capacity. Third world stuff.

Haha gee you're a grumpy bugger sometimes JW.

I'll counter that by saying we've played four matches in 11 days. Given that some of our players, like I said before the match, are on the wrong side of 30 and some have sustained significant injuries this season, it was perfectly reasonable to rotate that many players out. When we add in the fact that Griffiths might've pinged a hammy playing just 30 minutes, it's pretty clear to me that changes were warranted. Plus, squad management is about giving players opportunities when they've earned it in training or match sim.

Getting a point is handy (could've won it on another day). And we've given rest to some important players, as well as vital minutes to some players who might need to play in the Finals.

It's not the end of the world, and it's definitely not a shitshow. The train thing is a pain in the ass though!

Edited by Harrison
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16 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Neither could I.

As long-suffering ex-Heart fans IMO we're far too forgiving for today's performance, which I class as an absolute shitshow. In sight of the winning post no coach should make so many changes at the one time. Not only that he inexplicably plays Tsubaki as a number 9, false of otherwise, a player without the stature, strength or ability to play there, and with Luna being mediocre today and the invisible man Berenguer there as well we had a forward line consisting of Cola and Tilio. A fucking referee who gave a penalty for a shoulder charge, albeit a stupid one, and saw every little tickle of contact from City and none from Phoenix it was never going to go our way. As it was it required a glorious free-kick from Maclaren to grab the lead, but then came that stupid final turnover. WTF is wrong with our club never learning how to clear their lines in the final minutes of a match? Was it O'Neill, was it Reis - I can't remember.

A few other things adding to my anger and misery tonight. I object to see an Israeli flag on display at an A-League match. I thought that there is a clear policy on national flags? I'll bet that had it been a Palestinian flag it would have been quickly removed by "security." Finally, with both footy and football on at the same time perhaps it would be possible to put on extra trains to take people home? We waited 15 minutes for our train home to Sandy, and it was packed to way over capacity. Third world stuff.

I share your concern about flags. Not that I don't like them, in many ways it's a great way to celebrate the performance of an overseas player, and the Mexican fans turning out for Davila have been a delight. But right now both the Israeli and Palestinian flags are inappropriate given that the two parties are at war. We don't want external conflicts spilling into football. That's what got flags banned in the first place. 

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22 minutes ago, Harrison said:

Haha gee you're a grumpy bugger sometimes JW.

Multiple likes!

Another thing about last night was that Welly last played on 7th May, so they had plenty of time to prepare whereas we had just one training session between matches. Both teams next play on 22nd May so the match could have been easily played on, say Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I think City got the rough end of the stick with the fixture.

Yes, after what we went though on the Sandy line on Thursday, last night was just too much. Somewhat hypocritical to require people to wear masks on Public Transport and then pack the train almost to Mumbai standards.

Rant over now!

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3 hours ago, fensaddler said:

I share your concern about flags. Not that I don't like them, in many ways it's a great way to celebrate the performance of an overseas player, and the Mexican fans turning out for Davila have been a delight. But right now both the Israeli and Palestinian flags are inappropriate given that the two parties are at war. We don't want external conflicts spilling into football. That's what got flags banned in the first place. 

Spot on. It's a shame, because 90% of the time there's no controversy and it's a nice touch. But there's no simple rule to account for it being inappropriate to wave an Israel flag yesterday, but OK to wave, say, an India flag. So it's probably easiest to just say leave your national flags at home please.

Given I have never seen an Israel flag at an A-League game before and considering what's happening in Gaza, I can put two and two together and say it might have been a provocative gesture. As jw1739 mentioned, not sure if a Palestine flag would have received the all clear.

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hated the flag and the inaction of the ground staff towards it. should have been clued in that there would be something like that brewing and pre-warned him not to do it or at least got rid of it after he did the demonstration. pictures are now going around the world of that moment.

Edited by hyperfuzz
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Ok I’ll say it.

I had no problems with the Israel flag. It’s not the first time, he has some supporters, that’s what they do.  Good luck to ‘em.
same as old mate and his Mexican pals.

Flags used to be banned but they aren’t now, presumably because the league (rightly in my view) reckoned everybody is a bit more grown up than they were a few decades ago.

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1 hour ago, SF33 said:

Spot on. It's a shame, because 90% of the time there's no controversy and it's a nice touch. But there's no simple rule to account for it being inappropriate to wave an Israel flag yesterday, but OK to wave, say, an India flag. So it's probably easiest to just say leave your national flags at home please.

Given I have never seen an Israel flag at an A-League game before and considering what's happening in Gaza, I can put two and two together and say it might have been a provocative gesture. As jw1739 mentioned, not sure if a Palestine flag would have received the all clear.

Been there before for Hemed at other games so I'm hoping largely just support. But would also be read as political and provocative right now. Jw is right, a Palestinian flag would likely have been dealt with differently. It is contextual and an Indian or Mexican flag would have had a different message. 

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1 hour ago, Shahanga said:

Ok I’ll say it.

I had no problems with the Israel flag. It’s not the first time, he has some supporters, that’s what they do.  Good luck to ‘em.
same as old mate and his Mexican pals.

Flags used to be banned but they aren’t now, presumably because the league (rightly in my view) reckoned everybody is a bit more grown up than they were a few decades ago.

Agree.

Likewise a Palestinian flag is different to the Free Palestine banner that popped up at the asian cup, as one is clearly political whereas the other isnt necessarily.

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4 hours ago, jw1739 said:

Yes, after what we went though on the Sandy line on Thursday, last night was just too much. Somewhat hypocritical to require people to wear masks on Public Transport and then pack the train almost to Mumbai standards.

As they do in Mumbai, just ride on the roof if it's really that bad? 

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