A-LEAGUE ROUND 17
The Age
Friday December 4, 2009
WELLINGTON PHOENIX v MELBOURNE VICTORYToday: Westpac Stadium, WellingtonTV: 5.30pm, Fox Sports 2WHAT€™S AT STAKE: Melbourne can canter eight points clear at the top, at leasttemporarily, if it takes the points here. Wellington can leapfrog Perth Glory and take fi fth spotwith a win. The Phoenix will also need to make a statement to its fans after NZ€™s World Cupqualifi cation in the same stadium.WHO ARE YOU: Vince Lia: a name familiar to Melbourne Victory fans as a foundationplayer at the club. However, he fell out of favour with the champion and moved to NZ whereafter a diffi cult period with injury he has established himself.TEAM SHEET: Brebner and Berger are big outs for Melbourne who regain Pondeljak.Foschini is in and Sukha will probably start. Manny Muscat is out after being sent off lastweek, but Mark Paston, Jon McKain and Diego are signifi cant additions for the Kiwis.VERDICT: It€™s now or never for Wellington as it seeks to surf the wave of emotion from theWorld Cup win. Melbourne is brilliant on the road but its run has to end somewhere.Phoenix, narrowly.ADELAIDE UNITED v NEWCASTLE JETSToday: Westpac Stadium, WellingtonTV: 8pm, Fox Sports 2WHAT€™S AT STAKE: At 10th and eighth respectively, the Reds cannot afford to lose and slipfi ve points adrift if they are to stay in the fi nals race. Newcastle will be confi dent after a bigwin over Sydney and three points could take it into the top six overnight.TEAM SHEET: Ali Abbas is dropped by Newcastle who regain Fabio Vignaroli fromsuspension. Daniel Mullen and Paul Reid return for the Reds.VERDICT: Adelaide might shade a tight one.SYDNEY FC v NORTH QUEENSLANDTomorrow, Sydney Football StadiumTV: 7pm, Fox Sports 2WHAT€™S AT STAKE: Two losses on the spin for Sydney mean three points is essential to keep trackof trailblazing Melbourne. Fury has to keep on picking up results just to stay in the hunt.TEAM SHEET: Karol Kisel and Kofi Danning are back for the light blues, while Ian Ferguson stickswith the Fury squad that beat Adelaide last week.VERDICT: Sydney to bounce back at home.GOLD COAST v CENTRAL COASTTomorrow, Skilled Park, Gold CoastTV: 9pm, Fox Sports 2WHAT€™S AT STAKE: Bragging rights on the coast. The Queenslanders simply have to reboundafter their undermanned team was hammered in Melbourne. Mariners are climbing the laddersteadily and could go second here with a win, depending on Sydney€™s result.VERDICT: Mariners to win on the road again.PERTH v BRISBANESunday, Members Equity Stadium, PerthTV: 7pm, Fox Sports 2WHAT€™S AT STAKE: Glory has been good at home and will need to be to retain its fi nals berth.Roar won well on the road in Adelaide and new coach Ange Postecoglou is stamping his sealon the squad as it attempts to crash the top six.TEAM SHEET: Andrija Jukic is in for Perth, who lose Scott Bulloch to a thigh injury. Matt McKayis a big loss to Brisbane with a hamstring problem but Roar will be delighted to regainbroken leg victim Massimo Murdocca.VERDICT: Roar will be big improvers in the second half of the season and can get a draw here.
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