Weekly wrap (19/3)

By: Kieran | March 19th, 2009

A busy week for the A League teams so far, with happenings in the transfer market, some Asian Champions League games, and the announcement of the Australian Youth Socceroos training squad, featuring plenty of A League players. So…

Games:

The Central Coast Mariners played out a two all draw with Chinese football club Tianjin Teda. Unfortunately I didn’t watch the game (or the Jets game) but from what my reliable sources tell me (read: the internet), the Mariners were unlucky not to take all 3 points, after dominating possession and chances. However poor set piece defending cost them, with both goals conceded from corners. Central Coast manager Lawrie McKinna said after the game: “Overall, I said before the game that if we were to get a draw that it would be a good result for us, but our players are very disappointed that we didn’t get three points,” so all in all probably a decent result from the first two games, but will need a few wins to go through.

The Jets bounced back from there 2-nil loss to Beijing Guoan to defeat Ulsan Hyundai Horang-I, also 2 nil. A brace by Sasho Petrovski on debut ensured the win for the Jets, and a much better game by Nikolai Topor-Stanley will give him some much needed confidence, after a shocking debut.

Transfers:

Staying with the Newcastle, the Jets are set to lose star goalkeeper Ante Covic to Swedish club IF Elfsborg, with the Covic playing his last game in the Jets 2 nil win talked about above. Unfortunately for the Jets, Covic was well into the last 6 months of his contract, so the Jets can’t doing anything to prevent the move. Jets CEO John Tsatsimas has came out and said “Our hands are tied. At the end of the day, provided Elfsborg come up with the appropriate compensation, it becomes an automatic trigger because he is over 28 years of age.” So, goodbye Ante, good luck.

New boys on the block North Queensland Fury have unveiled their marquee signing Robbie Fowler in Townsville this week. But Fowler (aka God to some) has said he has not thought about captaining the team, ”In terms of me being captain it is not something I have thought about,”. However, I would be surprised if he doesn’t have the armband on at the start of the season.

Lucas Neil has decided to tease A League fans, by saying his return would “…probably be shortly after the World Cup, whether its immediately after (in 2010-11) or one season further on (2011-12),”

While it’s nice he doesn’t want to come home a dud, “I know I’m not going to be able to play forever in England and the Premier League. But also I don’t want to leave it too late. I want to be able to come back and still be respected.” I doubt he’ll be back he for a few years more. Considering he still is playing well for West Ham and with them in the running for next years UEFA Cup, I doubt he’ll see a return to Oz as a positive career move at the moment.

Transfers in short:

Queensland Roar’s Matt McKay is off Chinese Super League club Changchun Yatai on a four month loan deal

The Fury have signed Scott Wilson from Scottish Division One team Dunfermline Athletic

Other news:

The young Socceroos training squad has been named, made up almost entirely of A League players, including my favourite A League player, Kofi Danning. The full team is:

Mark Birighitti (Adelaide United), Luke Brattan (Queensland Roar), James Brown (Gold Coast United), Isaka Cernak (Queensland Roar), Kofi Danning (Sydney FC), Jason Davidson (Hume City, VPL), Luke DeVere (Queensland Roar), Nathan Elasi (Melbourne Victory), Rhyan Grant (Sydney FC), Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets), Matthew Jurman (Sydney FC), Ben Kantarovski (Newcastle Jets), Osama Malik (Adelaide United), Joshua McVey (Queensland Roar), Tahj Minniecon (Queensland Roar), Brodie Mooy (Newcastle Jets), Sam Munro (Sydney FC), Mitch Nichols (Queensland Roar), Thomas Oar (Queensland Roar), Chris Payne (Sydney FC), Andrew Redmayne (Central Coast Mariners), Sean Rooney (Newcastle Jets), Sebastian Ryall (Melbourne Victory), Matthew Theodore (Melbourne Victory), Nik Tsattalios (Newcastle Jets).

I can only hope that young Liverpool keeper Dean Bouzanis is included in the actual squad, because if he gets stolen by the Greeks, it will be a huge loss for the future of Australian football.

And finally, the Tasmanian A League bid is starting to gather steam, although it may be a little late (GO CANBERRA!!!), with new funding from the Tasmanian government being added to there coffers. They are also apparently courting the 43rd richest man in the world, Ethiopia Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi, to become there backer. Why a guy who is only slightly poorer than Roman Abramovich would be interested in a Tasmanian A League team, is a mystery to me, but good luck to them. (Well not really, I want a Canberra team dammit)

Well, that’s the Weekly Wrap, watch out for my A League season review for the top 4 teams coming up on Sunday, and thanks for reading