Brisbane have stuttered to a 1-1 draw with Adelaide United. A week ago they were the form team of the competition, now they're without a win in three games.
Adelaide, who are being cushioned from the bottom by the Gold Coast were playing to disrupt the defending champions, as well as get some credibility back after their last visit to Suncorp saw the Roar juggernaut amass their biggest win of the streak, 7-1.
But the streak is now a distant memory, and the Roar team playing today just weren't up for it, dropping what could be a costly 2 points in the title race.
It could also be a costly game for the Brisbane playing roster with Luke Brattan stretchered off in the first half, and his replacement Rocky Visconte suffering an identical fate late in the game.
The Roar were without Nichols and Murdocca as well as the suspended Henrique, but the team put out could hardly be called understrength with Nakajima-Farran, Fitzgerald and Brattan slotting in like for like.
Brisbane bossed the game at the start. Or just bossed the game. You'd question whether this sentence needs to still be in every match report, the overwhelming stats remain the same every game, double the passes of the opposition, dominate possession. But it's the scoresheet that does change.
And it was Adelaide who changed it first 14 minutes in. Dario Vidosic nicked the ball away on the break and put Djite away down the wing, matching up 3 on 3. Stefanutto gave Djite far too much space as he closed into the box and squared a perfect ball behind to Ramsay, who smashed the ball on the angle into the net.
A classic counter attack goal, which Adelaide have been quite good at against Brisbane. How would the champions respond?
Well, much like an out of form Brisbane team. They'd have the ball, push for the hard pass and lose it too easy. But what was really worrying for Postecoglou was the players who were making the poor plays.
Erik Paartalu, Ivan Franjic and Thomas Broich. Three of Brisbane's usual brightest lights, were abject today and it was visibly getting to them. Paartalu was telling other players off, Franjic was shaking and swearing, but it was Broich's fallen head which could be the most damaging to the champions hopes for the rest of the season.
Broich was not looking his usual self. With Nichols still injured, he is forced into a central midfield role, which makes him less effective than his usual leisurely drifting in from the left.
Thomas Broich found himself clear in the box with only the ‘keeper between him and the goal, not once, but twice. Both times he failed to miss the target.
The most damning action of Broich in the game however, was late in the game after the equaliser, he had broken and was one on one for the winner. Instead of trying to beat the keeper, or place the shot, he slid the ball to the 21 year old Kofi Danning, handing off the responsibility for what was a miserable day for the German.
Oh, they did get the equaliser, Caravella made Adelaide's one mistake of the night, passing the ball back too hard, Danning snuck in, got the sideways touch to Berisha before the oncoming goal ‘keeper, and the runaway Golden Boot leader made no mistake to draw them level at the 70 minute mark.
It would have been hard on Adelaide if they didn't get anything, and it would have been more of a miracle for the Roar if they got all the points. They really didn't play well and the one saving grace is that the team ahead of them aren't either. It's possible they'll still be in the title race after tonight, but it really is who can snap out of it first and grab the trophy.