Hyundai A-League 2009 Grand Final Preview - Melbourne Victory v. Adelaide United

As promised earlier, here is a preview for the Grand Final of the Hyundai A-League, by Wellington Phoenix FC supporter Robb Watson. The match is at 3:30 AM Eastern Time - hopefully Saturday is a good day for sleeping in for you!

The Grand Final is between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. It will be played on 17th of February, 2007...hold on, that's not right. It will be played on the 28th of February, 2009.

Forgive me for feeling a little deja-vu there. Turns out the A-League has an unwritten rule that every second year, Melbourne and Adelaide must play each other in the final. So, no bets on who will contest the 2011 Grand Final.

In 2007, we saw Melbourne win the Premiership (MLS equivalent: the Supporters Shield). And in 2009? Melbourne won the Premiership. In 2007, Adelaide came second in the regular season. In 2009? Adelaide came second in the regular season. In 2007, we saw Melbourne beat Adelaide in the Semifinals, forcing the South Australians to contest a Preliminary Final to get to the Grand Final (MLS equivalent: the MLS Cup). And in 2009? Yeah...you see where I'm going.

In 2007, Melbourne utterly hosed Adelaide 6-0 in the Grand Final. In 2009? Wait and see...8/10 for style, 1/10 for originality. Nevertheless, this is gonna be one heck of a good match.

The Teams

Melbourne and Adelaide have one of the biggest rivalries in the league, only really contested by Newcastle v. Central Coast. This season has been a two-horse race, with Melbourne and Adelaide dominating the competition. Queensland struggled to keep pace, and the other teams basically fought it out for a five-team B-League Premiership, won by Central Coast Mariners. Their prize? Promotion to the A-League playoffs and a loss to Queensland.

At the start of the year, I picked these two teams to be the top two...though in all fairness, I picked them to be followed by Sydney and Wellington, but 50/50 ain't bad!

Melbourne's main concern is mental. Firstly, they're so widely picked to win ,they're more likely to choke than my Ottawa Senators in a Timbits eating race (Note - despite being an Australian article, this is a Canadian blog, thus Cancon laws still apply...right?). Secondly, they can get a bit aggravated, as is evident by their players collecting more cards than a rich kid at a Pokémon convention. I doubt they'd be stupid enough to earn a red card in the Grand Final, but you never know.

Adelaide's main concern is team chemistry. Rumours have it that there's internal politics causing difficulties at the club, leading to coach Aurelio Vidmar to have a massive rant to the press, in which he called Adelaide a "piss-ant town". Way to win the fans over, Viddy!

Players to Keep and Eye on

Archie Thompson (MVFC) - Most Kiwi's will hurry to point out that Archie Hargreav...err, Thompson...was born in NZ, but decided to play for a soccer nation with more chance of international success. I guess I just did myself, but I'm Australian, so it's okay. Anyway, he scored a hat trick in the 2007 final. Will this happen again?

Michael Theoklitos (MVFC) - Worth watching for several reasons. Firstly, the Melbourne keeper is damn fun to watch. Last season he was easily the best keeper in the competition, the only goalie I enjoy watching as much would be Glen Moss - currently of Wellington Phoenix, but next year, Melbourne Victory. Secondly, because he's had a less than stellar year and will want to make up for it, especially with scouts watching. He almost signed for Everton last year, and EPL scouts will still be keeping an eye on him. He'll definitely hope to win a contract. Thirdly, because if he doesn't go to Europe, rumours are he might be coming to Wellington Phoenix FC. Which is Toronto FC's sister team (at least in the eyes of Ben and myself). Fourthly, because
he'll be dueling with...

Eugene Galekovic (AUFC) - In 2007, Galekovic was sitting on the bench, wearing Melbourne's uniform, ready to replace Theoklitos if necessary. Two years later, Galekovic is starting for the opposite team, having had a stellar year which has seen his play act as a key factor in getting Adelaide to the final.

Cristiano (AUFC) - If you get bored of the footy, instead play a drinking game: Every time Adelaide's Brazilian striker dives, take a sip. I guarantee you'll be hammered by half time.

Diego Walsh (AUFC) - Because he'll be a Phoenix player next season. He's had MLS experience, having the experience of playing for Kansas City (2004-05) and the shame of playing for Columbus (2003). That being said, he's probably not going to be playing due to a rift with the coach...but you never know. As a Phoenix player with MLS experience, I had to point him out.

Who to cheer for?

None of them. Even though we're not in the finals, Wellington Phoenix FC is always the team to cheer for.

But if you have to chear for someone, Melbourne is a great city that absolutely loves its sport. It has the largest crowd support of any team - in terms of crowd average, their mean of 24,516 almost doubles Queensland, coming in second at 12,995. The recession has hit soccer hard, but Melburnians love their footy. Funnily enough, this number excludes the significant amount of Melbourne's population who abhor the Victory due to historical issues. Impressive. So if you want safety in numbers (or want to place a bet, or want to pick the winning side you bandwagon jumper), pick Melbourne.

Adelaide's a hole. But they're the underdog, and as far as I'm concerned, the pride of Australia as far as this season goes. They became the first Australian team to make the Asian Champions League final, where they lost to Japan's Gamba Osaka. They thus qualified for the Club World Cup, another massive achievement. They've had the entire city behind them this season, but that's no surprise because there's nothing else to do in Adelaide, unless you fancy wine tours. So if you want to cheer for the gutsy underdog who have a score to settle, pick Adelaide.