A League Australian Football

A soccer match between rivals Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in the Australian A-League was abandoned after fans stormed the pitch.

According to ESPN's Joey Lynch, fans planned on jointly walking out of the game in the 20th minute in protest of the Australian Professional Leagues' (APL) decision to sell the hosting rights of the men's and women's grand finals to Sydney for the next three years. Things took a turn when fans started throwing lit flares onto the field.

City goalkeeper Tom Glover reportedly had a flare land near him on the field and attempted to throw it back into the stands toward Victory supporters. Glover's actions "led to a host of fans storming onto the pitch," per Lynch.

In the ensuing fracas, Glover was hit in the head by a bucket filled with sand, which was needed to extinguish the flares on the field. He had blood coming out of his head as his teammates tried to remove him from the melee. Club officials said afterward that he received stitches and is believed to have suffered a concussion.

As players and coaches left the field while the invasion continued, fans attacked the goals and sponsor boards before being ushered off the pitch by members of Victoria Police's Public Order Response Team. According to Victoria Police, 150 to 200 Victory fans stormed the field. No arrests have been made amid an ongoing investigation.

"The Melbourne Victory fans who stormed the pitch, resulting in the assault of a player, a referee and a member of match day broadcast staff, should be subjected to the strongest possible sanctions," a statement from players union Professional Footballers Australia said. "We acknowledge the courage of players, club staff and referees who came to the aid of each other in circumstances that no one should ever be exposed to."

In addition to Glover, referee Alex King was also hit by the bucket, which caused a gash in his head. The game's referee coach was pushed into a fence during the chaos, and a camera operator appeared to be hit by one of the flares thrown onto the field.

Victory released a statement condemning the actions of the fans who stormed the pitch.

"The club would like to formally apologise to Tom Glover, match official Alex King and the camera operator as well as all players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behaviour," the club stated.

This marks the first time that an A-Leagues match had to be abandoned because of violence.

Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo announced in a Twitter video Wednesday that he's gay, saying he's "been fighting my sexuality for six years."

Cavallo, 21, explained he's seeking nothing more than equal treatment while no longer having to hide his sexuality (via Scott Gleeson of USA Today):

I'm a footballer and I'm gay. I have been fighting my sexuality for six years now and I am glad I can put that to rest. Growing up I always felt the need to hide myself because I was ashamed. Ashamed I would never be able to do what I loved and be gay. Being a closeted gay footballer, I've had to learn to mask my feelings in order to fit the mold of a professional footballer. ... Growing up being gay and playing football were just two worlds that hadn't crossed paths before. All I want to do is play football and be treated equally.

His announcement makes him the only player currently playing in a top-flight men's soccer league around the world who's publicly come out as gay, per CNN's Angus Watson.

Cavallo also posted a statement on Twitter:

Adelaide United manager Carl Veart released a statement in support of the midfielder.

"I have nothing but admiration and support for him, as do all the players and coaching staff," Veart said. "I want all my players to feel comfortable and happy being their own person, on and off the park. For Josh to be the best he can be and get the most out of his career, he needs the freedom to be himself and I fully support him."

He's also received numerous messages of support on social media from around the football world:

Cavallo played for two other Australian clubs, the Melbourne City youth side and Western United, before joining Adelaide in February. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Reds in May after a strong finish to the 2020-21 season.

Adelaide will kick off the new A-League campaign Nov. 20 when it visits HBF Park to take on the Perth Glory.

Fans will have to wait until Sunday for the best match of the fourth round of the A-League season, when two of the league's three undefeated teams, Adelaide United and Perth Glory, battle it out in the city of churches.

It is hard to remember a better week in the history of Adelaide United football club, with Marco Kurz's side winning the FFA Cup Final last Tuesday and then cruising past the Central Coast Mariners by a scoreline of 3-0 in Gosford on Sunday.

Reds winger Craig Goodwin has hit a real purple patch of form, scoring four goals in his last two outings, which will surely see him come into calculations for Australia's Asian Cup defense in January.

Meanwhile, Perth's Andy Keogh has netted a goal in each of the club's three games so far, and his partnership with Chris Ikonomidis will go a long way to deciding the outcome of this one.

The home side are a $2.10 AUD favourite to make it two wins from four games while the visitors are $3.30 to make it three wins from four matches, according to AustralianGambling.

Another striker who will be hoping to represent the green and gold in two months' time is the Brisbane Roar's Adam Taggart, who has scored both of the club's goals this season, including a well-taken chance in the 65th minute of the season-opening draw against the Mariners.

Taggart and his teammates travel to Sydney this Saturday to take on a Western Sydney Wanderers side who moved into the top four with a 3-0 win over the Wellington Phoenix last weekend.

Markus Babbel's charges are a $2.10 favourite to make it two wins in a row when they host a Roar ($3.20) lineup who've collected just two points from their three outings so far.

Speaking of the Phoenix, they make the trip to the Victorian capital for the opening match of the round against Melbourne City.

Despite their poor showing against Sydney FC last Friday, City are the second-shortest-priced favourite of the round at $1.57 to be too good for a Wellington ($5.50) side who have opened their season with one win, one draw and one loss.

The shortest-priced favourite of the round is City's cross-town rival, Melbourne Victory, who are $1.36 to beat the Mariners ($8.50). The latter finally got their first win of the season last weekend with a 1-0 victory over the Newcastle Jets in a match between teams from last season's Grand Final.

The Jets are at home again on Saturday night, this time hosting Sydney FC, who remained in top spot on the ladder after a 3-0 win over City and are a $2 favourite to make it three wins from four starts.

The pressure is beginning to mount on Newcastle manager Ernie Merrick, with last season's Grand Finalists collecting just a single point from their three games to date. They're a big outsider to win their first game here at $3.60.

The third round of the A-League season starts in style on Friday night when the top two teams in championship betting, Melbourne City and Sydney FC, meet in the Victorian capital.

It's been a big week for the Sky Blues, who went down 2-1 to Adelaide United in the FFA Cup decider on Tuesday night thanks to a masterclass from Reds winger Craig Goodwin. He produced a pair of stunning goals to secure the club's second FFA Cup trophy.

Both of these clubs have collected four points from a possible six to start the A-League season, with Sydney beating their cross-town rivals Western Sydney Wanderers last week, after they secured a point against Adelaide the week before.

City's start to the season has left many pundits red-faced, they got a point on the Central Coast last Saturday after winning the Melbourne Derby 2-1 on the opening Saturday night of the season.

The betting market in this one couldn't be much tighter, with the hosts at $2.60 AUD on the odds and the Sky Blues right behind them at $2.63, according to AustralianGambling.

It is a similar story in the championship betting market, but this time it is Sydney that leads the way by a small margin, as it is $4.33 to win its second title in three years, while City are the second pick at $4.50.

Friday's clash is not the only blockbuster on the calendar this weekend, with the Grand Final rematch set to take place in the Hunter Valley between the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory on Saturday night.

Despite their sluggish start to the campaign, which has resulted in two losses, last season's champions are $2.37 favourites with the Jets at $2.75 to secure the first win of their campaign after they opened their account with a 1-1 draw in Adelaide last Friday.

The team that condemned Victory to their second loss in as many starts last Sunday, in what was the match of the season so far, Perth Glory, shortened to $7.50 to win the title on the back of that result and are a $2 favourite to get their second win from three starts when they host Brisbane Roar on Sunday afternoon.

Tony Popovic has the men from the west firing on all cylinders in the early part of the season, including attacking pair Chris Ikonomidis and Andy Keogh who has scored in both the club's games so far.

Popovic's former side Western Sydney Wanderers head across the ditch to New Zealand to face the Wellington Phoenix on Saturday for a match that is suddenly a tough assignment, with new coach Mark Rudan making an immediate impact in the Kiwi capital, collecting four points from their opening two games.

The Wanderers are a surprising favourite in that one to win their first game of the season, at $2.50, while Rudan's side are a $2.63 shot and the draw is at $3.40.

Freshly crowned FFA Cup champions Adelaide United travel to Gosford to meet the Central Coast Mariners in the final match of the round on Sunday, and despite having to back up from that midweek cup final, the Reds are the equal shortest price favourite of the round, at $2, to pick up their first league win of the season.

After the Melbourne derby dominated the opening round of fixtures, it is the all-Sydney affair that headlines the second round of the A-League season this Saturday night in the Harbour City.

Sydney FC have been the glamour side of the league over the last two years, winning two Premierships, a Championship and an FFA Cup, but with former coach Graham Arnold moving on to take the reins for the national side and several of their stars leaving, there are some signs that the Sky Blues may be losing their edge.

There has also been big change across town at the Western Sydney Wanderers with former Bayern Munich centre-back Markus Babbel installed as the new manager, but despite not having many expectations this season, they did manage to start impressively last week, securing a 1-1 draw in Perth.

Having won their last three against their cross-town rivals, including a 3-0 FFA Cup semi-final win earlier this month, it is Sky Blues who are solid betting favourites at $1.80 with the draw at $3.75 and a first Wanderers win since February 2017 at $4.20, according to AustralianGambling.

Of all the results last weekend, perhaps the most surprising was Melbourne City's 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory, with Riley McGree netting the winner with 20 minutes remaining in the pulsating clash.

City will aim to make it two wins from as many starts when they head north to Gosford to take on the Central Coast Mariners, who are still dealing with the media attention surrounding Usain Bolt.

Bolt has apparently been offered a contract by the club but hasn't put pen to paper yet, so not only Australian but also world media has an interest in where the eight-time Olympic gold medallist's football career is heading.

The visitors are $1.83 to win their seventh game from nine attempts against the Mariners, who are $3.75, while the draw is at $4.00.

Round 2 begins at the same venue as the opening round did with Adelaide United this time hosting the Newcastle Jets after they earned an impressive point against Sydney last Friday.

Last season's Grand Finalists, the Jets, were poor last week, losing to the team widely predicted to finish near the bottom of the table, the Wellington Phoenix, 2-1.

Ernie Merrick's charges will need to produce a much better display if they are to compete with United, who've been in good pre-season form and are set to take on the Sky Blues in the FFA Cup final next Tuesday.

The Reds are $2.10 on the A-League odds to secure all three points with Newcastle at $3.30 and $3.50 on offer for the teams to finish all square.

Brisbane Roar ($1.72) can secure their first win of the season at home against an improved Wellington Phoenix ($4.33) on Sunday afternoon before two of the teams favoured to be challenging for the title this season, Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory, meet at Melbourne's AAMI Park.

Kevin Muscat's side started the game well against City last week with star recruit Keisuke Honda's goal in the 28th minute giving them the lead, and they were unlucky not to escape with a draw after City were awarded a controversial penalty five minutes before half-time.

While last season's champions will not be happy with how they played in the second half, the team may take some time to jell, given how many fresh faces there are in the lineup.

Perth looked every bit the championship threat that they are last week, but they couldn't find the winner in the second half against a stubborn Wanderers defense.

Being at home, Melbourne are at the short price of $1.80 to salute, while the Glory are $4.00 and the draw is $3.75.

Usain Bolt's agent has said the retired Jamaican sprinter has been offered a full-time contract by A-League outfit the Central Coast Mariners after scoring twice in a recent trial game for the club.

Bolt netted a brace in a friendly against Macarthur South West United, and agent Ricky Simms has since told ESPN: "I can confirm Usain has been offered a contract by Central Coast Mariners."

The eight-time Olympic gold-medal winner recently received an offer to join Maltese club Valletta FC on a two-year contract but turned it down. Bolt is said to be in Melbourne "considering his options."

ESPN provided highlights of Bolt's trial outing against Macarthur South West United, which ended 4-0 in favour of the A-League favourites:

Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp reportedly left the club's offer with Bolt's management, and it's now up to the player as to whether he accepts.

It's a difficult decision for the football newcomer. At 32, he won't get many more chances at playing the game professionally, but Bolt—who previously dazzled in an individual sport, where the spotlight was fixed upon him—may wonder if he could do better.

Mariners coach Mike Mulvey told Fox Sports he was unaware of the Bolt proposition and, judging by his willingness to reel off players who already occupy his attack, isn't champing at the bit to sign the speedster:

Irrespective of the fact he's yet to officially sign for a club, Bolt could be poised to make his virtual football debut, per Squawka:

Central Coast drew 1-1 at Brisbane Roar on Saturday in their 2018-19 A-League season opener and are desperate for change after several years of gloomy results.

The club has finished bottom of the division in two of the past three seasons and hasn't finished above eighth in any of its past four regular-season campaigns. 

The Mariners may not be the most appealing of A-League destinations, but then Bolt has to question whether he could realistically do better given he has no professional experience.

Even from the other side of the world, Bolt was keeping his eye on Manchester United on Saturday, when they drew 2-2 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, while he goes about making his decision:

A professional career appears to await Bolt should the offer prove amicable and he wants to take the Mariners up on their offer, as the fastest man to have ever lived sits on the cusp of a major career transition.

Just 168 days after Melbourne Victory lifted the A-League championship trophy, they meet their cross-town rivals Melbourne City in the Victorian capital's derby, a match that highlights the opening round of the 2018/19 A-League season.

The champions didn't waste any time this offseason, bolstering their squad with the signing of former AC Milan midfielder Keisuke Honda and Swedish international Ola Toivonen to their already powerful lineup.

Both of the signings played and scored in this year's World Cup, and Honda is the first Japanese player to score in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Across town at Melbourne City, the signings haven't been as well documented, but they did add classy attacker Riley McGree to their ranks; he scored the famous scorpion goal against City in last season's semi-final.

That wonder strike was nominated for the Puskas Award (FIFA's Goal of the Year) and saw the 19-year-old sign with Belgium powerhouse Club Brugge, who then loaned him out to the Citizens.

Joining McGree is midfielder Anthony Caceres, who returns to the club via Manchester City after a year absence, and right winger Michael O'Halloran from Scottish Premiership side Rangers.

Victory are a $2.40 betting favourite to make it five wins from their last six against City, who are a $2.80 chance while the draw is at $3.60, according to AustralianGambling.

Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque and his teammates will have been counting down the days for this season to begin after their 2017/18 campaign ended in heartbreak, losing the semi-final to Victory in extra time.

The Sky Blues have added midfielder Siem de Jong from AFC Ajax and Adam Le Fondre from English Championship side Bolton Wanderers, while the talented Daniel De Silva comes across from Central Coast Mariners.

Their first-up opponents, Adelaide United, who they meet in the season opener on Friday night, have had a quiet transfer period, but they did welcome Mirko Boland to the club from German outfit Eintracht Braunschweig.

Despite being away from home, Sydney are $2.25 favourites to get their campaign off to a winning start. United are $3.10, and the draw is $3.50.

One of the major talking points in the lead-up to the opening round has been former champion Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt and his bid to win a contract with Central Coast Mariners.

We are now just days away from the Mariners' season opener against the Brisbane Roar, and the eight-time Olympic gold medallist has reportedly been offered a two-year deal to play with Maltese outfit Valletta FC.

The Mariners are $3.80 outsiders when they travel to the Suncorp Stadium to meet the Brisbane Roar ($1.90) on Sunday. John Aloisi has made a few smart singings for the Roar this offseason, and new attacking duo Eric Bautheac, who signs from French club Lille, and former Rosenborg winger Tobias Mikkelsen are expected to do some damage this season.

A club who are expected to challenge for the title this season, Perth Glory, are $2.20 to win their season opener against Western Sydney Wanderers ($3.10), while last season's runners-up, Newcastle Jets, are favoured ($2.10) to defeat Wellington Phoenix ($3.20) in the New Zealand capital.

Former sprinting star Usain Bolt has joined A-League side Central Coast Mariners for an "indefinite training period."

The club announced the Jamaican's arrival on Tuesday:

Bolt has previously trained with Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns FC and Stromsgodset as he looks to embark on a professional football career at the age of 31, following his retirement from sprinting last year.

In a statement on the Mariners' official website, the club said their agreement with Bolt "does not guarantee a professional playing contract," but they hope to help him fulfil his ambition of playing the sport at a professional level.

Bolt said of the move:

"I am very excited about coming to Australia and would like to thank the owner and management of the Central Coast Mariners for giving me this opportunity.

"It has been my dream to play professional football and I know that it will involve a lot of hard work and training to get to the level required to play and make an impact in the A-League.

"When I spoke to the Head Coach Mike Mulvey on the phone he outlined the ambitions of the club and his plans for the upcoming season. I hope I can make a positive contribution to the club and look forward to meeting the other players, staff and fans in the coming weeks.

"I always say that 'anything is possible, don't think limits' and I look forward to the challenge."

Bolt also featured in a charity match for Soccer Aid in June as a forward:

He'll arrive in Australia for training on August 18.

Fox Sports Australia's Daniel Garb gave his take on the move:

The track star won gold in the men's 100 metres, 200 metres and 4x100-metre relay at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, though the relay gold from 2008 was stripped from him last year after team-mate Nesta Carter's doping sample failed a retest.

He also won 11 World Championship gold medals and holds the world records for the 100-metre and 200-metre sprints, having set both in Berlin in 2009.

It's evident Bolt will have the pace to terrorise defenders, but he'll need to show he has the technical ability and footballing nous to go with it if he's to make it as a professional.

Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is in negotiations for a trial with the Central Coast Mariners of the Australian A-League, the Sydney Morning Herald's Rachel Clun reported. 

"There's still a lot of work to do in regards to understanding exactly how the deal would work out and how things would look," Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said. "But things are very positive at the moment so we're really excited that looks like a good six week trial period that we'll be able to facilitate."

The Mariners also released a statement confirming the club is working on a deal with Bolt. However, Central Coast seemingly attempted to temper any excitement over a prospective move, noting the ongoing negotiations "require an initial six-week-trial period and no contract is guaranteed."

Bolt retired from competitive sprinting in August 2017, which allowed him to devote more time to a career in soccer. The 31-year-old trained with Borussia Dortmund in March:

He also participated in the Soccer Aid 2018 exhibition in June that benefited UNICEF.

Mielekamp posited Bolt could suit up for the Mariners at some point during the 2018-19 A-League season. Central Coast kicks off the campaign Oct. 21 against Brisbane Roar FC. The 27-match regular season wraps up April 26, 2019.