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2012/13 A-League Grand Final
Western Sydney vs Central Coast Mariners
Sunday 21st April. 4:00pm AEST
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney.
Referee: Peter Green.
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 1/1HD and ABC Radio and ABC Grandstand Digital.

How they got there – Western Sydney

Western Sydney defeated Brisbane Roar 2-0 in last week’s semi final encounter, thanks to goals from Dino Kresinger and marquee player Shinji Ono. In doing so, Western Sydney ensured that the Grand Final would be hosted in Sydney, against the winner of the Central Coast vs Melbourne Victory semi final. Despite the Wanderers earning hosting rights for the game, the Grand Final will be played at Allianz Stadium due to Parramatta Stadium’s small capacity.

How they got there – Central Coast

Central Coast held off Melbourne Victory 1-0 on Sunday afternoon, with a first half goal to golden boot winner Daniel McBreen enough to ensure the Mariners qualified for the Grand Final.

The statistical breakdown

Head to Head: Western Sydney 1 win, Central Coast … Continue Reading

2012/13 A-League Semi Final
Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory
Sunday 14th April. 5:00pm AEST
Venue: Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 2/2HD

How they got there – Central Coast

Central Coast finished 2nd on the A-League table, and earned themselves both a week off in the opening week of the finals, as well as a home semi final this week.

How they got there – Melbourne

Melbourne came back late against Perth Glory last week at Etihad Stadium, eventually running out 2-1 winners after extra time. As they were the higher ranked winning team in week 1 of the finals, they booked a date with the Mariners, who finished in 2nd place during the A-League regular season.

The statistical breakdown

Head to Head: Central Coast 8 wins, Melbourne Victory 9 wins, 7 draws.
Head to Head (Previous 5): Central Coast 1 wins, Melbourne Victory 2 wins, 2 draws.
At Bluetongue Stadium: Central Coast 5 wins, Melbourne Victory 5 wins, 2 draws.
This season: Central Coast 1 … Continue Reading

2012/13 A-League Semi Final
Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar
Friday 12th April. 7:30pm AEST
Venue: Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta
Referee: Alan Milliner
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 1/1HD

How they got there – Western Sydney

Western Sydney finished top of the table during the A-League regular season, taking home the premiers plate in their debut season. As such, they earned a week off during the first week of the finals, as well as the right to host a semi final this week.

How they got there – Brisbane

The Roar overpowered Adelaide United last week at Hindmarsh Stadium, holding on in the dying moments for a 2-1 away win. With Melbourne Victory beating Perth last Friday, Brisbane were the lower ranked winning team in week 1 of the finals, and as a result, were drawn to face Western Sydney in Parramatta.

The statistical breakdown

Head to Head: Western Sydney 3 wins, Brisbane Roar 0 wins,0 draws.
Head to Head (Previous 5): Western Sydney 3 wins, Brisbane Roar 0 wins, … Continue Reading

2012/13 A-League Elimination Final
Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar
Sunday 7th April. 5:00pm AEDT
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Referee: Chris Beath
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 2/2HD

How they got there – Adelaide

Adelaide managed a 1-1 draw in Perth in week 27, and coupled with the Victory’s late win in Wellington, the Reds were resigned to taking 4th spot on the A-League ladder and a home final in week 1 of the 2012/13 A-League finals.

How they got there – Brisbane

The Roar took 10 points from their last 5 matches to turn their season around, including a 3-1 win over Sydney last Thursday. That win sealed 5th spot on the ladder for the back-to-back reigning champions, and an away final in week 1 of the finals.

The statistical breakdown

Head to Head: Adelaide United 9 wins, Brisbane Roar 8 wins, 8 draws.
Head to Head (Previous 5): Adelaide United 1 wins, Brisbane Roar 2 wins, 2 draws.
At Hindmarsh Stadium: Adelaide United 6 wins, Brisbane Roar 6 wins, 3 draws.
This … Continue Reading

2012/13 A-League Elimination Final
Melbourne Victory vs Perth Glory
Friday 5th April. 7:30pm AEDT
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 2/2HD

How they got there – Melbourne

The Victory won their final match away at Wellington 3-2, sealing 3rd place on the ladder and a home final with a 13-5-9 win/draw/loss record.

How they got there – Perth

Perth managed to hold off a fast finishing Adelaide in their final match to share the points with a 1-1 draw. Combined with Sydney’s loss to Brisbane earlier in the week, the Glory qualified in 6th place with superior goal difference to that of Sydney FC. Perth managed 9 wins, 5 draws and 13 losses across the 2012/13 season.

The statistical breakdown

Head to Head: Melbourne Victory 9 wins, Perth Glory 10 wins, 5 draws.
Head to Head (Previous 5): Melbourne Victory 2 wins, Perth Glory 3 wins, 0 draws.
At Etihad Stadium: Melbourne Victory 4 wins, Perth Glory 0 wins, 2 draws.
This season: Melbourne Victory 2 … Continue Reading

2011/12 Hyundai A-League Grand Final
Brisbane Roar vs Perth Glory
Sunday 22nd April. 4pm AEST
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Broadcast: Live on Fox Sports 2/2HD

How they got there – Brisbane

Brisbane finished the regular season with a record of 14 wins, 7 draws and 6 losses, leaving them in second place on 49 points, two behind premiers Central Coast. In the two-legged major semi final against the Mariners, Brisbane took out the first leg 2-0 at home in front of 15,000 raucous fans, before travelling to Gosford a week later in the return leg to win 3-2, and 5-2 on aggregate. As the winner of the major semi final, Brisbane had the third week of the finals off, and qualified directly through to the Grand Final where they will host the match at Suncorp Stadium for the second consecutive season.

How they got there – Perth

Perth finished third on the A-League table with 13 wins, 4 draws and … Continue Reading

With the A-League finals series drawing towards a conclusion this weekend, it struck me that an interesting pattern has emerged over the first seven seasons of the A-League in regards to the finals system. Taking into account this weekend’s Brisbane vs Perth match, the seven grand finals since the inaugural season in 2005-06 have always been fought out between two top-3 teams:

You can see below that over the history of the league, no team who qualified for the finals in 4th place or below has ever gone on to compete in the Grand Final. Which, when you think about it, is a fair reflection and result. The top two (or even three) teams should be the best in the league that year, and so it makes sense that they are always the teams fighting it out in the Grand Final. Of course, this raises the ire of traditionalists who argue then that what is the point … Continue Reading