The Melbourne Establishment 1 (Bresciano)
North Shore Silvertails 2 (Rudan, Zane?)
Dino Atko Roly Colosimo Stergiopolous Bresciano Lubo Marth Vlahos Tricarico Moreira Watkins Zane Arnie Cranney Cunico? Hugo Moss Slater Bosnar Rudan Enes Henderson
An enjoyable day at Optus, met all sort of listees and had a good natter with Tony D'Alfsono. Leon was moaning at the cost of beer - $4.80 for a coldie. Even more amazing was Leon keeping a straight face when he said "Carlton aren't doing too badly crowdwise." You just had to be there.
No changes for the Southern Liberals but the Northern ones had a bunch of injuries and suspensions accumulated over the weeks. As such returning hero Enes gets a start - he did ok. Enes, Slater and Arnie have recent experience in the overrated European market (Hey, if Vince Grella can get a job at Empoli when he can't even start for Carlton...)
First off, Forza Fred, regarding your comments about the missing paycheck, it turned up in Brett Hugo's pocket - that is the only place it could have gone. His first half performance deserves a comedy tape to itself. I went to the race at halftime to serenade him with a chorus of "The referee's a wanker". Hearing applause behind me I turn and everybody is laughing. A few even shake my hands (including Mr. Studs Up).
The match itself was great. Carlton scored early when Bresciano sent a swivelling volley from a Lapansky corner across Henderson into the net. Bresciano was playing on the right with TTIT on the left. This is Bresc's best position - from here he can beat his man and cross more effectively.
Tricarico was sent off for an off-ball incident on Bosnar? You could argue he cost us the points. At 1-0 up why lash out at your marker? This was the game's turning point - Spirit, who had looked nervous and hurried suddenly began playing with poise.
Rudan scored after Atkinson was adjudged to have breathed on a Spirit player close to the box. The shot came off the wall, was sent back in where Rudan took it down and beat Dino.
I have to question the retention of Stergiopolous when Cervinski and Anthopolous can't get into the team. Roly's said we're effectively playing three markers, but none as good as David Cervinski in the air. Their two goals were from crosses. With Arnie and Zane both good in the air, we only had Roly (and Marth later) to combat the two.
Speed is life they say, but at who's cost? Spirit had no answer for Bresciano and Vlahos breaking deep. In the day's best move, Lapansky sent Vlahos around the fullback, Vlahos cut it to Bresciano steaming in, his shot was with venom, yet Henderson going the wrong way got his foot onto it and away for a corner.
Lapansky had a beautiful free kick come off the bar. Another free kick from close range surprised Perosh but he got both hands onto the ball. Little Lubo and Vlahos are making me eat my words with intelligent and postive play.
Mark mentioned Moreira is even more selfish than Vlahos. What I find infuriating about Alex is how often he gets caught in possesion. He just gets the ball, strolls and looks surprised when he loses it. After 3 weeks I've had enough of it. He needs a right bollocking soon. Vlahos at least is hard to get the ball off.
The 10 men against 12 walked into the changing rooms with their heads held high. Spirit were offal and it won't surprise me if this is their only away win of the year. They looked good for roughly 20 minutes in the first half when we were struggling to adapt to the extra 2 men. I wonder if Arnie should have spent couple years in Holland getting his Dutch coaching badge rather than playing 1upfront for Eddie Thomson. But who can afford a glitzy new home at Terrey Hills...
Spirit seem to have good younger players, but their elders are of questionable quality. I expect Bosnar, Cunico, Purdue and Wearne to get socceroo caps. Their older players include Crook (out for the season), Ollenrenshaw (good 10 years ago), Mendez (ouch), Perosh (Mori) and Cranney (useless in Brisbane). Arnie himself is 35, Slater is nearly 34 and there may need to a MICA unit stationed at North Sydney Oval when it gets hotter.
Marth and Roly playing deeper were soaking up everything coming their way. Dino was hardly tested at all such was the effectiveness of Stabber and Roly. Last year, I saw a remarkable game, Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid. Sociedad, at home, scored *4* *COUNTER ATTACK* goals! This game reminded me of that. If we could get a leftwinger in...
Moreira finally went off, I was hoping that Vlahos would go upfront and we'd play Pino and Bresciano very wide. Josifovski came on and did more than Moreira in 30 minutes than Moreira has done over the last 3 weeks. 2 headers wide, countless setups and passes to teammembers. I hope he gets an extended run soon - if he does any good he could find himself in U-20 plans.
I have to mention Speedy Sir Simon Scirea. Whilst I probably won't see Giggs, Denilson, Pires, Aimar, Laudrup etal murder opponents, I've got an idea of the sheer f*cking fear they generate. Colosimo was hacked down 3 times in the second half for cards and I won't mention all the fouls he gets. Arnie, Rudan, Enes and Slater.
Slater finally fouled too much and earned the ire of the crowd. He looked at a couple of lads, gesticulated with the ball and adopted a pained expression on his face. He got booed, and loudly, from then on.
I would have been happy with a point - this wasn't our day. I was getting a bit nervous with the increasing confidence of Slater. He was gradually getting into it more and had a much better game than against Perth. In the 96th, he beat Pino and Vlahos, sent in a soaring cross where Zane? got above to send a perfectly placed headed across Dino. A goal good enough to win any game.
And so the game ended in the 97th minute with Spirit again getting a goal across the run of play. The challenge now for Les Bleus is to convert a demoralising defeat into anger in Brisbane. Again, I had to *DO* something about the resident moron playing 7 minutes of extra time. I point to my wrist. Mr. Moron stops and starts nodding at me. Hmmm. (The seven minutes came from Tony's watch).
I hope Tony posts a match report - he was keeping detailed stats which make the 29th seem ridiculous in comparision. Tony, over to you. And Mark, I enjoyed your reports last season, let's have a few more.