There is no question that the season-ending 3-0 defeat to FC Dallas will leave a very bitter taste in the mouths of the Los Angeles Galaxy for weeks on end, at least until next season starts.

"It would have been nice if we were leaving from Toronto," Galaxy forward Mike Magee said with a grin.

But it can also be seen as a blessing in some ways, since the loss gave Bruce Arena's men about two weeks to rest and prepare for the final match on their calendar, the 2010 Qantas Challenge against the Newcastle United Jets.

"A few years ago when (former Galaxy coach) Ruud (Gullit) was here, it was almost like preseason at the end of the season," Donovan recalled. "He put guys through really difficult training sessions and it was a really difficult trip."

"This time I think its going to be a lot of fun. (Current Galaxy head coach) Bruce (Arena) obviously understands what the trip is about. We want to go and be entertaining and enjoy the game."

"I'm actually excited about it. It will be a fun game to play in. We're going to go over, have fun and put on a good show, hopefully."

The Galaxy will be making a flight on Tuesday to Newcastle for this match, which will take place on Saturday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. AEST/12:30 a.m. PT/3:30 a.m. ET.

Saturday will mark Los Angeles' second trip to Australia in the last four years, with the club also playing Sydney FC in front of more than 80,000 fans at Etihad Stadium (formerly Telstra Dome) in November 2007.

"I think it will be good for an MLS team to go to Australia and play an exhibition game," defender Gregg Berhalter said. "On the other side of the coin, it's nice for us to unwind, recap the season and get ready to go on vacation."

"You'd rather have it be a celebratory trip," defender Todd Dunivant said, "but at the end of the day it's not the worst trip in the world going to Australia and going for a game."

This match marks the curtain call for Eddie Lewis and Chris Klein, who will call it a career after the match.

"It's just an added bonus to spend time with those guys," defender Omar Gonzalez said.

"We're getting a chance to go to Australia and celebrate a couple of guys' careers," Magee said, "and we're celebrating a good season even though it didn't end the way we wanted to.

"It's going to be fun. This is a great group of guys and I enjoy being around them."

The Newcastle Jets won 2008 Hyundai A-League Grand Final championship. Newcastle, who are led by former England international forwards Michael Bridges and Francis Jeffers, currently sit in ninth place in the A-League with a 2-5-6 record for 12 points from their first 13 games of the season.

The Jets currently sit five points out of the sixth and final playoff spot in the A-League, currently held by Melbourne Victory FC. However, they have played the second fewest games in the league and have as many as three games in hand on the teams that they are chasing.

Under the leadership of head coach Branko Culina, Newcastle has allowed just 11 goals in their 13 league games and have taken four points from their last two games, both against the top two teams in the league while claiming their best result of the season on Saturday, a 3-1 win over second place Adelaide, which saw Australian forward Marko Jesic score his first two goals of the season, with Jeffers setting up one in his debut for the club. On Wednesday, the Jets held first place Brisbane Roar to a 1-1 draw at home.

The Galaxy can win this game, but it will be a matter of whether or not they want to win this match. Obviously, it's never a nice feeling to come up short in your quest to win the MLS Cup. But I think Los Angeles will be ready and win this contest and finish their season on the right note.

The match will be covered by Fox Soccer Channel and via tape delay on Fox Sports en Español.

US bid sends the House...literally


In a last ditch attempt to convince FIFA that the United States' bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup was strong as steel, the House of Representatives passed a resolution expressing its full commitment to hosting a successful World Cup.

Representatives Chris Van Hollen (MD), Dave Reichert (WA), George Miller (CA) and Mary Bono Mack (CA) first introduced the bill, which was co-sponsored by more than 40 members of Congress, in late September.

“We welcome today’s House resolution as another example of the overwhelming endorsement our bid effort has received from all levels of government throughout the process,” Sunil Gulati, Chairman of the USA Bid Committee and President of U.S. Soccer, said in a statement announcing the news. “This resolution further reinforces our country’s commitment to FIFA that we will meet all requirements for a World Cup hosted in the United States.”

Too little, too late? Stay tuned...


Donovan impressed by the new order

Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan was impressed by the USA men's national team, composed of young players, in their 1-0 victory over South Africa earlier this week.

“Given the travel that everybody had to endure, the lack of familiarity not only the players but with the coaching staff and then guys who just don’t have a lot of experience,” Donovan said, “I thought it was a great result.”

Juan Agudelo of the New York Red Bulls, via Mikkel Diskerud, earned his first-ever goal for the Stars and Stripes in the 85th minute. At 17 years old, he is the youngest player to ever score for the States.

“They played well,” Donovan said. “It’s difficult when you have a few new players in a team, much less… 12, 13, 14 and a lot playing on the field at the same time.”

Diskerud, Gale Agbossoumonde, New York's Tim Ream and Teal Bunbury of the Kansas City Wizards also earned their first caps, along with Agudelo.

“I was very impressed with a lot of different players,” Donovan said. “The kid (Eric) Lichaj has done very well in the two games I’ve seen him. I though Diskerud in his few minutes did well. I thought Agudelo did well, great goal, really good goal. For a kid that age to score a goal like that, I was very impressed. As a whole our backline did real well and (Brad) Guzan did good. I was encouraged.”

The future looks bright for the States. Let's see if we will see them make a splash in, perhaps, Brazil not too far down the road.

Midnight train to Georgia for Tristan

Young Galaxy forward Tristan Bowen was called up to the U.S. Under-20 National Team, and will b e participating in the Torneo de las Americas at the Atlanta Beat-KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Bowen and the rest of Thomas Rongen’s team is scheduled to report to camp starting on Sunday, November 21 before opening the three-team, round robin tournament against Colombia on Friday, November, 26 and then facing Mexico on Sunday, November 28.

Bowen, who has also played for the U.S. Under-18 National Team, played in 17 regular season games for the Galaxy in 2010 while also playing in both of the club’s CONCACAF Champions League games and the U.S. Open Cup Third Round win over AC St. Louis. Bowen had two goals and two assists in the regular season while also adding a goal in the friendly win over Boca Juniors.

He last appeared in a game with the U.S. U-20’s in November 2008 when the team played three games in Spain against Real Madrid, Athletico Madrid and Rayo Vallencano. Bowen started all three of those games and scored in the friendly against Real Madrid.

Bowen is one of seven current MLS players included on the roster.

The Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy Under-14 squads qualified for the post season in their first season of play. They tied with Cosmos Academy West 96s in terms of record (8-1-0), but the Cosmos won the regular season title due to goal difference.

In the semifinals, the Galaxy Under-14 A and B squads faced each other, and the A squad prevailed 5-2. They will take on the Cosmos for the 2010 L.A. Futbol Circuit league crown.

As for the Under-16 and Under-18 sides, they will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 20 when they face off against the California Development Academy. This will be the only match this month for the Under-16s and Under-18s.

The story circulating like buzzards in the southern skies above AAMI Park has been the talk of the town for some time.

Melbourne Storm, who have been dominant during the last few seasons in the National Rugby League, are in a state of transition after word sprung that they went over the salary cap.

The Storm won't be playing for points this season, but then again, here in the States the best teams in the NFL only play for wins, losses and draws.

But the impact has been intense. The likes of the Victorian Fraud Squad & the Australian Securities and Investments Commission are on it like an Easter Rabbitoh from South Sydney.

Sponsors have been lost. Community respect has been compromised and companies in Victoria and elsewhere have been torched by this.

The Melbourne Rebels are vehemently calling out the ringmaster, Mr. Brian Waldron, for potentially tainting their reputation even before the 2011 Super 15 season starts. TAB, Australia's main betting market, will be dishing out wooden spoon payouts by the forkful—up to $500,000.

But most importantly, a good deal of the fans have been lost. Fans who would have otherwise packed AAMI Park for matches have instead opted for packing the Storm's Guernseys into a heap of rage outside the Carlton team headquarters.

The AFL will go on its merry way, with or without the scandal. After all, the Melbourne Demons use AAMI Park for training and as its administrative headquarters.

Could it be possible that Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart, two clubs competing in the Hyundai A-League, can both benefit from receiving alienated supporters of the Storm? Could this be a blessing in disguise?

It's an interesting question I bring to the table because both teams are on the outside looking in. These soon-to-be-Swan Street rivals are observing the proceedings, engaged in their own schadenfreude.

Sure, the Melbourne Victory have their own dilemma with scheduling and squeezing in match after match, but at least they aren't going over the salary cap.

As for Melbourne Heart, no need to worry; they have yet to debut in the A-League. Easier for them. Both teams have their own bastions of followers: Blue And White Brigade for victory, Yarrasiders for Heart. And on top of that...both teams are playing for points. Unlike the Storm.

Let me bring up this scenario, then: Suppose I am a Storm fan (in real life, I AM a Storm fan through thick and thin), and I decide, "I have had it with the Storm. All this water-cooler conversation of the rot and the News Corp. media circus that follows is making me sick."

And I have options.

I can pick a team that I follow in the AFL, and go to their matches. That's the easy way out. I can also stick with the Storm to the end, and risk watching the end of the world as I know it.

Or I can choose between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart and order a club membership for either side. Heck, there is a sporting event called the World Cup that is going on, and Australia are in it!

My esteemed opinion on the Storm scandal is that it will be a blessing for Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart in that there will be new fans joining the ranks.

Those who otherwise would have been loyal to the Storm will find that there are alternatives. There are two quality football teams who play by the rules—albeit a different code—and are transparent in their actions.

Besides, it's better than watching a team rack up the wins in the NRL, but get no points for their efforts, while the buzzards of shame and desperation continue to lazily circle around the AAMI Park big top.

Finally…finally…finally, Western Sydney has been given the honour of having a team in the ‘A-League’. The only question that has to be asked of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) is why it took so long for the west to be given what is ours. Like Luke Skywalker, it is our destiny to bring balance to the force…I mean the expanding universe that is the Australian football.

Anyway…we really should discuss the important issues that fans of Sydney Rovers will battle to the death over or just discuss, whichever method you prefer. (NOTE: instead of just randomly discussing these issues my minions…I’m sorry, have to get used to this writing thing, my READERS…, I will create a list of the top 3 issues close to the heart of the Sydney Rovers fan).

THE LIST

Starting with Number…

3. Team’s Name – Sydney Rovers: A team’s name is naturally one of the most important aspects of creating a new club.

Think of it in terms of naming a child, you want it to be unique but not weird, you want your partner to love your choice and for other people to agree your choice of a name is as wise a choice as buying Apple shares in the late 70s. Just remember a team’s name will represent it forever, so it must be loved.

Therefore…Sydney Rovers, we will have to wait and see if the name can resonate with fans…what has to concluded is that it is a big decision not to include ‘West’ in the name of our team, which many people expected.

2. Stadium – A stadium has to fulfil certain criteria, the rules of the football Gods require complicated features, like having goals at both ends of the pitch…oh yeah, there also must be a pitch, it’s very important to have when you are a football club.

Other minor details that complete the feng shui of a stadium include its actual size, which I feel should strike a balance between a small and large capacity; possibly between 25,000 and 35,000.

The location of the potential stadium should not pose a mental and physical challenge (actually let’s make incorporate that into the football rule book, ‘no bad stadium locations allowed, otherwise it is punishable by…’), many a fan in Sydney has already suffered the horror of going to Sydney FC’s games at the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS).

The location of the stadium will, without any doubt, be one of the deciding factors when it comes to attendance numbers and the team’s overall success. Whether it will be Penrith, Parramatta or Blacktown. 

1. Manager – The choice of manager is a complicated, and especially vital in a jungle like the A-League.

It could be the difference between having the philosophy of Bolton or Barcelona, having Mario Jardel or Jason Culina as your marquee player.

Since the Sydney Rovers board are conducting a speaking tour around Western Sydney they need to embrace the type of football the public want to see, now I am not saying the fans should say who the coach should be (for what it’s worth I think Ratomir Dujkovic would be an ideal choice) but their speaking tour should not just be seen as a token gesture, it should allow the fans to contribute to the DNA of the club.

The choice of coach must be like a marriage, based upon trust, respect and mutual goals.

THE FINAL THOUGHT

Sydney Rovers will finally take football in Australia to its spiritual home in Western Sydney, and it will be one hell of a ride.

Melbourne Victory 0 v. 2 Central Coast Mariners

Central Coast Mariners shocked the A-League champions Melbourne Victory in a scrappy 2-0 win which shocked everyone and ripped up the form books. Prior to this game Central Coast Mariners hadn't won a match since the departure of now Turkish-based Mile Jedinak.

Matt Simon got the first goal early in the first half and then Michael McGlinchey deflected shot went in not much later.

My Man of the Match: Despite being substituted I though Matt Simon did pretty well thus getting my man of the match.

Adelaide United 1 v. 0 Perth Glory

Adelaide caused what is sure to be a surprise to some people in beating the big spending Perth Glory. All of Perth's signing were on display and none looked to threatening.

Travis Dodd scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot which could arguably not have been a penalty. Anyway while Adelaide played well Perth did not with them not really clicking and never really getting a good chance on goal.

My Man of the Match: Well Travis Dodd looked very lively throughout the match but defender Roberth Cornthwaite gets my man of the match for having a great game defensively.

North Queensland Fury 2 v. 3 Sydney FC

Sydney FC have had one of the best pre-seasons and coming up against North Queensland they were expected to totally wipe their opposition out, which is how it started out.

John Aloisi opened the scoring with a neatly placed shot at the far post. Then Kofi Danning scored a splendid and powerful shot after getting away from five defenders. Rostyn Griffiths then sent the North Queensland crowd into raptures with a great header.

Further on in the second half North Queensland won a penalty through Jason Spagnuolo which was easily slotted in by marquee man Robbie Fowler. Then towards full time John Aloisi struck again, this time from the penalty spot to give Sydney a great win away from home.

My Man of the Match: To many John Aloisi was the best player but to me Kofi Danning was definitely the best player on the pitch, his pace and strength pretty much killed the North Queensland defence and won Sydney the match, he is a real player for the future.

Brisbane Roar 1 v. 3 Gold Coast United

As much as it pains for me to say it, Gold Coast won the first ever Queensland derby. With both teams looking strong on paper it was expected to be a great match with plenty of goals and that is what happened. 

Gold Coast opened the scoring when Shane Smeltz fired in a great goal to the jeering of the Brisbane crowd. After half time former PSV midfielder and star signing Jason Culina cooly slotted in a great shot which all started with Shane Smeltz getting away from his man.

Towards the end of the game Brisbane were handed a lifeline when they won a penalty which was placed nicely into the back of the net by Sergio van Dijk, in injury time though Robson scored a marvelous self effort to wrap up the game. Although Gold Coast won the score definately did not match the game with Brisbane dominating from pretty much the whistle.

My Man of the Match: A hard decision but I must give it to Gold Coast's marquee man Jason Culina who had a fantastic game.

Newcastle Jets 3 v. 2 Wellington Phoenix

In probably the best spectacle of the round Newcaslte's young guns showed us their skill and defeated the under-achieving Wellington Phoenix. Jason Hoffman sent the home crowd into raptures when he scored a great chip shot over the keeper in which was his first goal for Newcastle in the A-League, then soon after doubled his own tally and his teams tally with an easy tap in.

Then Wellington got a corner in which Ben Sigmund headed in to give hope to the Wellington faithful. Just before the end of the half some humorous goalkeeping from Kennedy allowed English import Chris Greenacre to score a good goal.

Have to add this (during half time I fell asleep so I don't know what happened for the first 25 minutes of the half) but around the 75th minute Newcastle boss introduced Jason Naidovski and Sean Rooney and ten minutes later Sean Rooney's cross was headed in by Jason Naidovski to win the game for Newcastle in a nice little bit of tactical substituting from the manager.

My Man of the Match: It has to go to two-goal hero Jason Hoffman for his incredible contributions and countless running throughout the match.

Gold Coast United FC 2 - Fulham 1 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) Danny Murphy put the Cottagers in front with a trademark free-kick into the top corner in the 16th minute. The Aussies won the game with two goals late on from Brazilian Milson and New Zealand striker Shane Smelz.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 - Al Ahly 0 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) The German side saw off the Egyptian giants thanks to goals from Burak Kaplan on three minutes and then Tranquillo Barnetta on the stroke of full-time.

Galatasaray 1 - WAC Casablanca 0 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) A fine left-footed strike from Emre Colakin the 42nd minute settled the match.

Union Berlin 3 - Hertha Berlin 5 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) Artura Wichniarek bagged a first half brace - his first from the spot and the second after a fine team move, while Benyamina scored for the hosts after 14 minutes. Hertha extended added further goals after the break from Rafael, Domovchiski and Chermiti, while Benyamina’s second and a last-gasp goal from Biran made the game more exciting.

***

Sant Julia 1* - Tre Fiori 1 (Pens. 5-4) (Agg. 2-2) (Champions League qualifier second-leg, July 7, 2009)

United States 2 - Honduras 0 (Gold Cup, July 8, 2009) Santino Quaranta and Brian Ching scored on 75 and 79 respectively to see off Honduras.

Haiti 2 - Grenada 0 (Gold Cup, July 8, 2009) Fabrice Noel and James Marcelin (shocking defending) were on the scoresheet as Haiti bounced back from losing their opening match. 

***

Gold Coast United FC 2 - Fulham 1 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) Danny Murphy put the Cottagers in front with a trademark free-kick into the top corner in the 16th minute. The Aussies won the game with two goals late on from Brazilian Milson and New Zealand striker Shane Smelz.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 - Al Ahly 0 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) The German side saw off the Egyptian giants thanks to goals from Burak Kaplan on three minutes and then Tranquillo Barnetta on the stroke of full-time.

Galatasaray 1 - WAC Casablanca 0 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) A fine left-footed strike from Emre Colakin the 42nd minute settled the match.

Union Berlin 3 - Hertha Berlin 5 (Friendly, July 8, 2009) Artura Wichniarek bagged a first half brace - his first from the spot and the second after a fine team move, while Benyamina scored for the hosts after 14 minutes. Hertha extended added further goals after the break from Rafael, Domovchiski and Chermiti, while Benyamina’s second and a last-gasp goal from Biran made the game more exciting.

Red Star Belgrade 2 - Borac Banjaluka 0 (Friendly, July 8, 2009)

***

Sant Julia 1* - Tre Fiori 1 (Pens. 5-4) (Agg. 2-2) (Champions League qualifier second-leg, July 7, 2009)

***

Estudiantes 0 - Cruzeiro 0 (Copa Libertadores final first leg, July 8, 2009) Cruzeiro keeper Fabio was in fine form to deny the home side but late on the Brazilians could have snatched a crucial away goal with Kleber and Leonardo Silva going close.

***

Corinthians 4 - Fluminense 2 (Campeonato Brasileiro, July 8, 2009) Ronaldo stole the headlines with a fine hat-trick. The home side dominated the first-half and were three up thanks to Ronaldo’s first and second, sandwiched in between was a fine passing move finished off by Dentinho. Flu came back into the match in the second-half with two goals in six minutes from Conca and an og by Diego and it was left to Ronaldo to score his third and seal the match, lashing home with six minutes to go.

How do you say schmuck in Japanese?

Yokohama F. Marinos keeper Hiroki Iikura won this weeks plonker of the week award for a truly horrendous display of goalkeeping against Gamba Osaka last weekend in the J-League.

With the scores levelled at one-apiece at the start of the second half, Gamba broke in a two on three situation lead by Osaka’s Brazilian forwards Leandro and Lucas Severino.

After picking up the ball in a wide left position, Lucas cut in on his right before slipping the ball into Leandro in a far more central position. The number nine took one touch before cushioning a pass back to Lucas and, having continued to drift into a more central role, Lucas immediately went for goal with a shot from 25-yards out. Sadly the ball took a hefty deflection off a Yokohama defender and the ball looped high towards exiting the pitch for a corner.

Miserly Yokohama keeper Hiroki Iikura had other ideas though on giving up a set-play so easily, and totally unnecessarily the shot-stopper flung himself to prevent the ball from crossing the out of bounds line. Unfortunately, what happened next was bed-wettingly humiliating.

Worst. Keeping. Ever!

Onto the list, where once again the general off-season has done little to stop a superb collection of goals from crashing into the back of the net.

Blistering free-kicks - goals 4, 5, 6 and 8 - accounted for four of the picks this week while a couple of wonder-strikes forced their way into positions 1 and 2.

The acrobatic effort is satisfied by goal 3, while a slinky solo goal is found at number 7, leaving an electric counter-attack to complete the list at position 9.

As always, all we ask is that you sit back and enjoy!

1. Alfredo Moreno (San Luis v Tigres, June 23, 2009) (1.20 minutes into the video)

2. Nondier Romero (Once Caldas v Atletico Junior, June 24, 2009)

3. Mads Stokkelien (Ik Start v Sandefjord, June 24, 2009)

4. Ki Sung-yong (Kashima Antlers v FC Seoul, June 24, 2009)

5. Dani Alves (South Africa v Brazil, June 25, 2009)

6. Ola Toivonen (England U21 v Sweden U21, June 26, 2009)

7. Travis Dodd (Adelaide United v Perth Glory, June 26, 2009)

8. Katlego Mphela (South Africa v Spain, June 28, 2009)

9. Landon Donovan (Brazil v United States, June 28, 2009) (pictured)

***

Narrowly missing out on this week’s list were goals from Pedro Leon, Dani Guiza and Rade Prica.

Australian newspapers today reported that storied Uruguayan international Alvaro Recoba was a target for last season’s A-league cellar dwellers Perth Glory.

If the deal goes through Recoba—the man who said before Uruguay's defeat at the hands (or is that feet) of Australia in a World Cup playoff in 2005 "Uruguay has a divine right to play...[in the Finals]”—will become the latest 30-something great (some say former great) of the game plying his trade as a “Marquee Player” in the A-League.

But in the fifth season of Australia’s fledgling national competition is this as great a move as some make out?           

Since its inception, the A-League has enforced a strict salary cap. However, each team is allowed to sign one marquee player whose salary is not included under this cap. This is the system that allowed the likes of Dwight Yorke, Juninho, John Aloisi, and, from next season, Robbie Fowler, to come to the A-League party.

It’s also allowed some lesser-known but talented Australian players such as Archie Thompson, Joel Griffiths, Ned Zelic, Craig Moore and Tony Vidmar to ply their trade at home.

But it’s also the policy that’s brought us the likes of a 38-year-old Brian Deane (who left Perth Glory after seven games because he couldn’t keep up), Romario’s embarrassing four-game stint at Adelaide United, Scot Gemmill’s uninspiring tenure with the now defunct New Zealand Knights and an overweight and unfit Mario Jardel making a laughing stock of himself at Newcastle Jets.

Obviously, as the A-League is tiny by international standards, we could never hope to grab a superstar at his peak, but there was a hope that the money on offer, combined with the Australian lifestyle, would pull in some players near the end of their career who still had the skill and flair to light up the occasional game (as well as a well-known name that the marketing guys could throw about, of course).

Now don’t get me wrong, I loved watching Yorke, Juninho and even Deane (although that was because he was so bad it was entertaining). And yes, the prospect of watching North Queensland, with Robbie Fowler up-front, take on a Recoba-led Perth Glory side has many A-league supporters including myself salivating.

However, I can’t help but be filled with dread looking at Fowler’s ample waistline and Recoba’s recent form which has been far from stellar.

All the hype surrounding these two reminds me of the media smoke blowing a few years about Jardel and, gulp, Brian Deane. But hey, Charlie Miller proved last year, winning the best foreign player gong, that you can be a lard-arse and still have good touch.

So football fans, what do you think of the marquee player, or designated player system? Does this rule allow a small league to attract big international names? Or does it pay over inflated salaries to has-beens and declining stars of yesteryear while keeping young local talent out?

What a season it has been for A-League club Adelaide United.  They began 2008 at the back end of a disappointing A-League season in which they finished out of the top four for the first time. 

They then had to prepare for their second foray into the Asian Champions League.  Adelaide entered with high hopes but low expectations.

Their first match was an away fixture against highly rated Korean outfit, the Pohang Steelers. Adelaide won the match 2-0 and showed a good glimpse of how they would approach almost every game of their Asian journey. 

They battled hard defensively and after scoring very early worked hard to limit the opportunities of Pohang. Despite going down to 10 men at half time after a second Yellow card to midfielder Jonas Salley, the Reds stuck to their tasks and Bruce Djite helped matters by scoring a second on the hour mark.

They arrived home to take on the favourites for the group, Chinese side Changchun Yatai FC. Again the Reds played a counter attacking game based around solid defence which kept the game to a hard fought 0-0 draw. 

Two games against group minnows Binh Duong came next resulting in a 2-1 away win and a 4-1 home win for Adelaide.

Pohang came to Adelaide next for the return match and once again an inspired defensive effort coupled with a great goal from midfielder Diego resulted in a 1-0 win and put Adelaide on the edge of a berth in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

All they needed from the last game away to Changchun Yatai was a draw. And that's what they went there to get. They frustrated not only Changchun the team but their fans to the point that they were throwing items onto the running track around the pitch near the end of the game. 

It finished 0-0 and Adelaide United had become the first Australian A-League team to make the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League in only their second attempt.

During the break between stages there was a lot of change at the club. Evergreen right back Richie Alagich retired and young stars Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite moved on to greener pastures in Europe among others.

There were also additions to the squad including returning Australians from England, midfielder Paul Reid and young left back Scott Jamieson. These two in particular would prove to be inspired recruits.

For the first time though, The Reds would have to deal with midweek games during the regular season of the A-League. It would be a test of the fitness of the Australians if they could stand up to the rigours of four games in 14 days.

Their first leg quarter-final matchup was away to the Kashima Antlers of Japan on the 17th of September. The game was going almost perfectly to script after Captain Travis Dodd put Adelaide ahead in the 36th minute but it went pear shaped just on half time when defender Robert Cornthwaite unwittingly redirected a cross into his own net.

Fortunately it didn't inspire the Kashima team to go on with it and the game ended 1-1, a good result if ever there was one.

One week later back at a packed Hindmarsh Stadium, knowing that their away goal was good enough to see them through and also expecting the Antlers to come at them with everything, the Reds played the defensive side of the game almost to perfection. 

And then midway through the second half redemption came in a way that only sports can provide.

Cornthwaite, who a week ago thought he had consigned his team to defeat came full circle and headed home the only goal of the match to see his team through to the semis. No-one saw this result coming and it made the football world stand up and take notice.

Adelaide didn't have to wait long for their next challenge as Uzbekistan outfit Bunyodkor with their recently acquired midfielder, former world player of the year Rivaldo arrived in town for the first leg of the semifinals.

Everyone expected the strong Uzbek team with many internationals on its list and the experience of Rivaldo to steamroll Adelaide out of the competition.

Everyone that is except for Adelaide. Fans turned out in force to see their team hold off a rampaging Bunyodkor in the first half and then turn on a second half display that was completely unexpected. 

An inspired half by Brazilian midfield import Cassio created a 3-0 rout that sent the home crowd into raptures and put one foot into the final. The team knew the tie was not over and a long and arduous journey to Uzbekistan awaited to face a team that was embarrassed and determined to set things right.

The Uzbeks talked a good game and promised a 4-0 home rout to get the final they felt was rightly theirs to attend. Unfortunately for them they came up against a team equally determined to gain the reward they had worked so hard for. 

The Reds played the foil as well as could be expected and it was only a 78th minute strike that was cause for slight alarm. 

However it was a wonderful result for Adelaide as they encountered their first defeat in the Champions league tournament but only by 1-0 which was not enough for the Uzbek team.

A few days later the team arrived back in Adelaide to a heroes welcome. They had achieved a feat only a few people would have dared dream about at the start of the tournament.

They had ridden a wave of hard defensive work and a large slice of good fortune at times all the way to the AFC Champions League final with Gamba Osaka.

The Japanese team was brimming with talent and expectation but was currently suffering through a horror J-League season. This was their chance at silverware and glory for the year and they were determined to take it.

Meanwhile Adelaide were performing admirably in the A-League despite their hard schedule of matches and travel. They were firmly entrenched in the top four and at times were heading the ladder.

The team was in a constant state of flux with personnel changes galore but their remained a core belief in the group.

On the fifth of November that belief was shaken to its very core. Gamba Osaka jumped on every loose pass and mistimed tackle and tore Adelaide to shreds with their clinical play led by their midfield maestro, Yasuhito Endo. He was everywhere and helped consign a gallant but overall disappointing United to a 3-0 defeat in the first leg.

A week later they returned to Hindmarsh Stadium to attempt the improbable, claw back from the brink of disaster. Before a full house in Adelaide they only had to wait four minutes to realise this would be impossible. 

Gamba's Brazilian import Severino Lucas jumped onto a loose ball spilt by young goalkeeper Mark Birighitti who was thrust into the role after Eugene Galekovic was suspended after the first leg.

Lucas again was in thick of it on 14 minutes and made the final a no contest with his second goal. Adelaide United fought hard and could have had a penalty and a few goals but it was not to be as they went down 2-0 and 5-0 on aggregate.

They had come so far and eventually were found out by a much more experienced and overall classy team. But still they were the second best team in Asia and had qualified for the Club World Cup later in the year. They had so much to be proud of.

In December they arrived back in Japan to face New Zealand minnows Waitakere United for the right to again face their nemesis, Gamba Osaka, this time in the Club World Cup. Adelaide had to fight hard in their opening game but were good enough to finish 2-1 winners over the gallant kiwis.

This gave United a chance at redemption and if they were successful a date with another United, Manchester United. The Reds played so much better than they did in the AFC Final but still were undone by a classy display by Endo and it finished 1-0.

They were consigned to the fifth v sixth playoff against the Egyptian team Al Ahly, the African Champions.  Again the Reds showed that they can match it with the best when they play their game and a wonder strike from forward Cristiano gave them a 1-0 win.

They arrived home on a high but with the knowledge they had A-League game to catch up on and a tough run home before the finals series. During January, they struggled to recapture their best form but continually ground out results to get them into the top 4. 

On the last day of the season they had to beat Central Coast Mariners at their home by two goals to capture top spot. They ended up with a 1-0 win which consigned them to second behind Melbourne Victory. Their second second of the season.

The Major Semi-Final legs of the finals were a complete disaster. Melbourne won the the away leg 2-0 and then travelled back to Melbourne to gain a 4-0 result and a 6-0 rout of Adelaide.

This caused a major meltdown in manager Aurelio Vidmar. He launched into a post match press conference with claims of conspiracies and unrest and sabotage.

His tirade caused a tidal wave of opinions and discontent both in Adelaide and around the country. He spent the rest of the week trying to hose down the firestorm he had created.

Adelaide still had a chance to regain their spot in the Grand Final if they could beat a rampaging Queensland Roar who for the six or seven weeks of the season had been the best performed team going around.

The Reds somehow regrouped and in front of a very disappointing home crowd they found their defensive game again and through a wonderful individual goal by midfielder Fabien Barbiero somehow fought out a 1-0 win.

This gave them another shot at Melbourne. Everyone expected another rout by the all conquering Victory. The Reds remained quietly confident and in a low key approach to the game came into the Grand Final with nothing to lose.

The final was played at a ferocious pace right from the start but then Referee Matthew Breeze started his stand as the central figure of the game that would continue until the end. In the 10th minute he consigned Adelaide striker Cristiano to the stands after a controversial red card for an elbow to the head of Victory defender Roddy Vargas.

The red card has since been rescinded by the league for being a mistake but it did not help Adelaide who now had to play nearly the entire game a man down. Despite this setback Adelaide fought as if their lives depended on it. 

At times they were playing 12 men with Breeze time and time again interjecting against Adelaide whilst allowing Melbourne to play as normal.

At half time it was 0-0 but the talking point was the sending off.  Into the second half Adelaide had their best period of attack and almost created two goals, one of which was brilliantly saved by Victory keeper Michael Theoklitos.

On the hour mark the defining moment of the game was set forth by Melbourne midfielder Tom Pondeljak. His low curving shot around a few players in the box was unsighted by United goalkeeper Galekovic until it was too late—1-0 to Melbourne.

Referee Breeze was soon in the thick of the action again when a scuffle broke out in the Adelaide United penalty area with the end result being Melbourne striker Danny Allsopp being sent off, a decision which has also since been rescinded by the league.

This error resulted in at least one positive thing, the numbers were even again.  This enabled Adelaide to fight the good fight and went close a few times but was unfortunately unable to level the game up. 

Nearing the end of the game Breeze was again the centre of attention when he controversially allowed only three minutes of injury time despite the fact that the Allsopp sending off had taken three minutes, there was an injury to a Victory player that required a three-minute stoppage and there were five substitutions.

A cursory glance at the facts would result in at least six minutes if not more being added.

To make matters worse, one of the minutes was taken up with removing Vargas from the field after his head wound started to bleed again.  All in all though perhaps Melbourne deserved their second A-League title but not in the way it was achieved.

But once again Adelaide United were left with nothing in second place. It was a year that took The Reds to the highest of highs and on a journey that no-one really expected but in the end left them hollow because for all their success they were left with no silverware to remember it by.

This season has been one of so close yet so far. Hopefully next season they can go one better and bring home a title to a city that is still proud to call them their own.

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Melbourne Victory completed a clean sweep of Australia’s domestic titles last Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win over Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League Grand Final.

The Victory’s second championship follows on from their success in the Pre-Season Challenge Cup last August and the Premiership title earned by finishing first in the 21-game regular season standings.

A near-capacity crowd of 53,273 inside Melbourne’s Telstra Dome saw Tom Pondeljak score the only goal of a tense game on 60 minutes.

The defeat was harsh on the unfancied visitors—resoundingly written off after being thrashed 6-0 on aggregate by Melbourne in an earlier playoff round—especially given their dogged perseverance with 10 men for the majority of the match.

Only eight minutes had elapsed when Cristiano contested an aerial challenge with Melbourne centre back Rodrigo Vargas.

Both men seemed firmly focused on the ball as they collided innocuously before Vargas tumbled to the ground with blood streaming from a cut above his right ear.

Referee Matthew Breeze briefly delayed to consult with his assistant before producing a red card for Adelaide’s stunned Brazilian striker.

Replays showed the clash to be purely accidental, but the cosmetic damage suffered by the unfortunate Vargas—not to mention the vociferously animated remonstrations of Victory captain Kevin Muscat—undoubtedly influenced the officials’ decision.

Adelaide made a positive start despite having to return to a venue which holds so many recent traumatic experiences for them.

Four teams qualify for the A-League postseason, with the league’s top two sides meeting in a two-legged Major Final to decide who will host the Grand Final. That meant a tie between these two southern rivals after Melbourne clinched the regular season title on goal difference from Adelaide.

Goals from Costa Rican international Carlos Hernandez and former Manchester City striker Danny Allsopp gave Victory an assured 2-0 win at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium on February 7.

The rout was sealed seven days later with a 4-0 win at the Telstra Dome, giving an aggregate score which evoked memories of the 2007 Grand Final in Melbourne when Archie Thompson slayed Adelaide with five goals in a humiliating 6-0 rout.

The Reds enjoyed a successful run to the Asian Champions League final last November—an achievement which saw them participate in the following month’s Club World Cup—but further glory looked unattainable in the aftermath of their insipid Major Final second leg defeat.

Manager Aurelio Vidmar launched an impassioned, if misplaced, rant in the direction of everyone bar himself or his players in the aftermath of the defeat, saying: “Politics, that’s what I put it down to. There are too many people in this club with hidden agendas.

“Whether you are involved directly or indirectly you have an effect. Because of a piss-ant town, this club will never win anything until you get rid of that crap.”

He could easily have pointed the finger at any number of his listless defenders, particularly the calamitous Macedonian Saša Ognenovski, or his diffident midfielders.

After two days of apologising and patching up his differences with the club’s directors, Vidmar turned his attention towards earning a shot at redemption by seeing off Queensland Roar—winners of the Minor Final between the league’s third and fourth placed teams.

A stunning strike by Fabian Barbiero was enough to ensure Adelaide’s daunting return to the Telstra Dome.

Despite the pre-match obituaries—further compelled by the early dismissal—Vidmar’s men showed formidable resolve and stifled Melbourne’s dangerous attacking trio of Thompson, Allsopp, and chief orchestrator Hernandez.

Indeed, Adelaide had two excellent chances to take the lead shortly after the interval, but they were denied by Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos.

Firstly, the impressive former Bolton Wanderers trainee Scott Jamieson contrived to hit Theoklitos from six yards out with an empty net gaping.

Soon afterwards captain Travis Dodd dribbled past three Melbourne defenders before steering a tame finish straight at the goalkeeper.

Adelaide were made to pay for those misses on the hour mark as Pondeljak curled his right-foot shot beyond the despairing dive of Eugene Galeković.

After putting up such stout resilience, it was a rather simple and unexpected goal for Adelaide’s defence to concede.

A late flurry of desperate attacking by the visitors proved fruitless, and so the curtain fell on the fledgling A-League’s fourth campaign with Melbourne deservedly taking the honours.

At least Adelaide can hold their heads high once again after pushing their rivals all the way.