A rampant Adelaide United stormed to the top of the Hyundai A-League table on 5 December as they humiliated Wellington Phoenix 6-1 at Hindmarsh Stadium, handing their victims the biggest defeat in their brief history in the process.
The first fifteen minutes of the match offered little hint of what was to follow, with the first threat of note being Cassio's fifth minute free-kick, presenting Sasa Ognenovski with a headed chance which he directed straight at Mark Paston.
Wellington's 'keeper sparked a counter-attack which saw Manny Muscat release Fred through the middle of the park. The on-loan player surged on before working a one-two with Shane Smeltz, after which he rolled the ball invitingly into the path of the fast-arriving Michael Ferrante.
The midfielder was denied the chance to let fly from twenty yards, however, Cassio's superbly timed tackle from behind cleaning out the midfielder in his shooting stride.
After Cristiano had directed a bullet header at Paston from a Scott Jamieson free-kick, Adelaide began to rumble through the gears, led from the front by captain Travis Dodd.
His surging sixteenth minute run into Wellington's penalty area saw him blast past three challenges before setting up Cristiano at the near post. Paston blocked bravely - he picked up a chest injury in the process as the Brazilian clattered into him.
With the left-footed Cassio unable to turn home the rebound with his right foot, the visitors survived, although both Cassio and, moments later, Daniel Mullen, had penalty claims waved away by referee Matthew Breeze.
The official couldn't ignore Adelaide's claims for a goal in the twentieth minute, however. Jamieson flighted a corner beyond the far post, where Robert Cornthwaite was lurking. He sent a bullet header goalwards which ricocheted off Diego straight back to Sasa Ognenovski, whose fifteen yard volley thundered into the net through a crowded goalmouth.
After Fabian Barbiero had seen Paston smother his twenty-yard effort, a Wellington raid culminated in a 27th minute corner. Leo Bertos' delivery was grabbed cleanly by Adelaide goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, who instantly ignited a counter-attack via Dodd's dash down the left.
Some seventy yards after he set off downfield, Adelaide's captain raced into the visitors' penalty area before setting up Cristiano with an inviting low cross. The recalled Brazilian made a dog's breakfast of the opportunity to double the home team's advantage, much to the disappointment of the 9442-strong crowd.
Jamieson and Cassio were enjoying the run of the left flank throughout the first half, and the pair combined to good effect twelve minutes before half-time. The fullback cut inside before slipping a slide-rule pass into the Brazilian's path, with Cassio's tight-angled shot being blocked to safety by Paston.
After Ognenovski had seen his deflected header from a Jamieson free-kick clear the crossbar, the fullback took a corner three minutes before the interval which arced towards the far post. Cornthwaite dashed in front of the flat-footed Andrew Durante to power an eight-yard header goalwards.
Paston's reflex save tipped the ball over the bar, and prompted Paul Reid to rifle a corner right into the heart of Wellington's goalmouth. Cristiano swooped at the near post to head home unchallenged - 2-0 in the 43rd minute.
It should have been 3-0 within sixty seconds. Wellington conceded possession cheaply straight from the kick-off, allowing Dodd and Barbiero - with brilliant control, a smart turn and clever clipped ball over the defence - to combine for Cassio's benefit. He wrong-footed the covering defenders before curling an effort beyond the stranded figure of Paston but just past the far post.
The final act of the first half saw the visitors fire a rare shot in anger. Fred's fine work on the right culminated in a cross which Adelaide failed to clear. Up stepped Ferrante, whose rifled twenty yard drive had Galekovic beaten all ends up, only to ricochet to safety off the crossbar.
Wellington carried that momentum, plus a stinging rebuke from coach Ricki Herbert regarding their overall first half display, into the second spell, and proceeded to dominate the first ten minutes of same.
Their reward saw them get back into the match on the scoreboard in the 55th minute. Bertos' free-kick was flicked on by the head of Jon McKain. The ball beat all-comers and ricocheted off Galekovic's left-hand upright before spinning across the face of goal. Fred was first to react and turned the ball home from point-blank range - 2-1.
For all of ninety seconds. Virtually straight from the kick-off, Adelaide raided down the left once more, with Cristiano getting the better of Muscat before slipping the charging figure of Cassio into the penalty area.
The flank player thrashed a screamer above and beyond the clutches of half-time goalkeeping substitute Glen Moss, for whom fishing the ball out of the net afterwards presented him with his first opportunity to touch the match-ball!
Wellington never recovered from this blow, and capitulated in the final half-hour to such an extent that few would have complained if Adelaide had gone on to win by an even greater margin - they were as rampant as Wellington was woeful in the time remaining.
After Bertos had shot tamely at Galekovic, Reid slipped Dodd in on the right on the hour. Adelaide's captain wriggled past an opponent on the by-line before driving a low cross into the danger zone. Durante, Wellington's captain, averted the danger on this occasion.
Adelaide's play was gathering momentum, and after Cassio's superb thirty yard free-kick had cleared Wellington's crossbar by a foot at most, they bolstered their advantage on the scoreboard with a stunning goal in the 69th minute.
It had 'Made in Brazil' stamped all over it! Cristiano sped downfield with ball at toe before slipping it into the path of Cassio, who, by now, had been afforded the freedom of Wellington's entire right flank - it certainly appeared to be the case, such was the Visitors' lack of attention towards the canny number six.
The flank player raced to the edge of the Wellington penalty area before unleashing an explosive shot across the diving figure of Moss and into the far corner of the net - 4-1, and a goal very similar in fashion to the one Cassio struck earlier.
After Cristiano had a goal disallowed by the offside flag, Adelaide went nap sixteen minutes from time. Once again, Cassio steamed down their left flank, this time onto a Diego pass.
His shot was blocked, but the rebound landed perfectly at the feet of Cristiano, who gleefully tapped in, much to the chagrin of a team which had won its last three games, and would have joined Adelaide in a share of second place had they prevailed in this encounter.
Wellington were well and truly beaten, however, despite Ferrante's attempt to offer some resistance in the 76th minute. Galekovic smothered the midfielder's shot, after he had combined with Smeltz and substitute Troy Hearfield.
Adelaide responded instantly, Moss parrying a thumping drive from Dodd drive before recovering to prevent Cristiano taking advantage of the rebound. Seconds later, Ben Sigmund blocked Cassio's attempt to complete his hat-trick, with the rebound fed by Cristiano to Barbiero, who battered a thirty yarder narrowly past Moss' right-hand post.
After Jamieson had sent a long-range effort hurtling over Wellington's crossbar ten minutes from time, a delightful piece of skill from Diego took him into the visitors' penalty area and into a position which left him deserving of better fate.
It was his unselfishness which proved his undoing in this 82nd minute raid. Instead of attempting to score himself, he opted for a deft ball across goal to allow Cristiano to complete his hat-trick. But Sigmund was on hand to head clear.
With the home fans urging them on, the home team rounded out this emphatic 6-1 thrashing by netting the game's final goal in stoppage time. Barbiero's burst forward saw him slip the ball inside for Dodd, whose shot was blocked by Moss as Cristiano came racing in, distracting the 'keeper.
Dodd strode onto the rebound and swept the ball into the far corner of the net to round off an outstanding Adelaide performance in style, prior to the Asian Champions League runners-up taking on Waitakere United in the FIFA Club World Cup Finals in Tokyo in six days' time.
The West Auckland outfit, reigning champions of the NZ Football Championship and OFC Champions League, recently copped a seven-goal hiding at the hands of an under-strength Wellington Phoenix combination.
Some members of that team are likely to be in contention for A-League action next week after this, the club's heaviest ever defeat, one which has certainly put Wellington's recent run of winning form, and subsequent delusions of grandeur (read championship aspirations) firmly in perspective.