Having performed at close to their best in their last trip south to face Melbourne Victory but coming away without a win, Brisbane Roar has their sights firmly set on both the performance and the points in tomorrow’s Hyundai A-League round 13 clash at AAMI Park.
Having performed at close to their best in their last trip south to face Melbourne Victory but coming away without a win, Brisbane Roar has their sights firmly set on both the performance and the points in tomorrow-s Hyundai A-League round 13 clash at AAMI Park.
The Roar suffered their first defeat of the season the last time they played the Victory in Melbourne, a slim 1-0 score line in round three which Head Coach Mike Mulvey has been constant in describing as one of their most complete performances of the 2013/14 campaign despite the result.
Following on from their 5-2 Boxing Day triumph over Sydney FC away, Mulvey said he had his troops working hard in training throughout the week to give themselves the best possible chance at making amends against the third-placed Victory.
“If we go out and play like we did in that first half [last week against Sydney FC], then we-ll be okay,” he said.
“I thought last time we played them it was a fantastic spectacle and it hurt me that we lost but we did.
“We didn-t come out on the right side of the ledger last time, I want us to concentrate on our performance and hopefully be part of a great spectacle for Australian football.”
The less-than-ideal away record against the Victory stretches back to September 2008 – the last time the Queenslanders beat the Victorians on their home turf when Tahj Minniecon and Michael Zullo were the goal scorers on the day.
Captain Matt Smith said this meant his side had “nothing to lose” going into tomorrow-s match.
“The last time we went down to Melbourne I thought we had one of our best games of the season,” he said.
“We haven-t had a good record down there in recent years and we-ve got nothing to lose.
“We haven-t won much down there so we-re going down there with great ambitions to attack and get the three points on Saturday.”
After Western Sydney Wanderers- 3-1 defeat to Wellington Phoenix on New Years- Day, Brisbane now has a chance to extend their lead at the summit of the Hyundai A-League ladder to seven points with a win tomorrow.
But, Mulvey won-t have the luxury of naming an unchanged squad with defender James Donachie forced out with a groin complaint and young speedster Kwame Yeboah finalising his transfer to Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.
The Brisbane boss said he would wait until tomorrow to decide whether Corey Brown or former Melbourne Victory man Diogo Ferreira would replace Donachie in the Roar starting eleven.
Mulvey said he was also looking forward to seeing the travelling support at AAMI Park.
“I think we-ll have a few fans following us down there, they like to make the trip to Melbourne,” he said.
“Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about.”
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 7.45pm local (7.45pm AEDT)
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
Assistant Referee 1: Hakan Anaz
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Cheeseman
Fourth Official: Shaun Evans
TV Broadcast: 7.30pm (AEDT) Live and exclusive coverage on FOX Sports 1HD and Sky Sport 4 (New Zealand).
Radio Broadcast: 774 ABC Melbourne, ABC Local radio Victoria, 936 ABC Hobart and ABC Northern Tasmania 612 ABC Brisbane, ABC Local Radio QLD, Grandstand Digital, Online/Mobile phone app
Melbourne Victory squad: 1. Nathan COE (GK), 2. Pablo CONTRERAS, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Nick ANSELL, 5. Mark MILLIGAN, 6. Leigh BROXHAM, 7. Gui FINKLER, 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 11. Connor PAIN, 13. Andrew NABBOUT, 14. James TROISI, 15. Mitch NICHOLS, 16. Rashid MAHAZI, 17. Jimmy JEGGO, 20. Lawrence THOMAS (GK), 23. Adrian LEIJER, 24, Scott GALLOWAY. 25, Jason GERIA. *two to be omitted*
Ins: 16. Rashid MAHAZI, 4. Nick ANSELL
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 10. Archie THOMPSON
Brisbane Roar squad: 1. Michael THEO, 2. Matthew SMITH (c), 5. Ivan FRANJIC, 10. HENRIQUE, 11. Liam MILLER, 13. Jade NORTH, 14. Diogo FERREIRA, 17. Matt McKAY, 18. Luke BRATTAN, 19. Jack HINGERT, 20. Matthew ACTON (gk), 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimitri PETRATOS, 26.Corey BROWN, 27. Brandon BORRELLO *one to be added*
Ins: Nil
Outs: 29. Kwame Yeboah (leaves for Borussia Monchengladbach)
Unavailable: 3. Shane STEFANUTTO (hamstring – one week), 7. Besart BERISHA (Hip – one week), 25. George LAMBADARDIS (knee – season)
