HISTORY will be made whoever wins the A-League’s ninth decider
Brisbane Roar will surpass Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory as the most successful grand final club, or Western Sydney Wanderers, the fledgling two-year club, will add its name to the A-League Championship honour roll.
As we countdown to Sunday’s kick-off, 4pm EST on Fox Sports 2, here’s your A-League edition of Paper Talk.
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BRISBANE v WANDERERS
14 FACTS ABOUT THE 2014 GRAND FINAL
FRESH STARTS
A couple of years ago, Dimi Petratos couldn’t crack Sydney FC’s first team. Yet now, the talented flyer has become a focal point of the A-League’s top outfit.
Ironically, he scored his first senior hat-trick against the Sky Blues this year - but he’s been reminding everyone, not just his former employers, of his talent.
“Dimi is a perfect example — he came to trial with us, and left an excellent impression because he was humble and working super hard in training,” Thomas Broich told The Daily Telegraph this week about Petratos, who joined Brisbane in 2013 after a brief stint in Malaysia with Kelantan. “We’ve had players come who were gifted technically but showed a certain cockiness or had the wrong attitude. As a club we choose not to sign them.
An ankle injury from the semi-final has him under a cloud ahead of Sunday.
“I reckon 99% he’ll be fit,” Mulvey said, before adding if he doesn’t train today, he won’t play.
It's been an exceptional season for Brisbane Roar star Thomas Broich, winning his second Johnny Warren Medal for an outstanding 2013/14 season.
WE PRODUCE ‘VICTORY THRASHING’ FORM AT TRAINING
Brisbane was at its zenith when it tore Melbourne Victory to shreds at Etihad Stadium in January, and defender Jade North warns that type of football still gets displayed at training and isn’t far away.
“When we play 11 v11 in training, we play in patches like that quite often. It just depends who we are playing and what their setup is,” North told the Fox Football Podcast this week.
But he added: “Sometimes you’ve got to win ugly. Whoever has the best attitude on the day will win.”
The band is back together for a grand final edition of the Fox Football Podcast – with a few special guests dropping in as well. Adam Peacock, Simon Hill and Brenton Speed are in the studio, where they are joined by Wanderers fanatic Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, who dropped by for a chat too, and on the line by Brisbane Roar defender Jade North.
PACKED HOUSE
Suncorp Stadium will be a sea of orange - with a very strong red and black smattering - with the grand final sold out.
The 2013-2104 showpiece will likely trump the two previous deciders held at Suncorp - 50,168 for the 2011-11 season and 50,334 for 2011-12.
“The pace of sales has been quite amazing and I’m delighted to say that over 85 per cent of -tickets have gone to members of the Roar and Wanderers, and members of the FFA Football family,” chief executive David Gallop said.
“We want to reward our most loyal fans with the privilege of ¬access to the grand final and this means that we’ll experience the unique and authentic atmo¬sphere that makes the A-League so special.”
BUILDING THE BRIDGE
Mark Bridge hasn’t been named in Tony Popovic’s official squad - although the Wanderers have brought players in this year not on the official list before.
Should he not play, Shannon Cole, Brendon Santalab, Labinot Haliti and Kwabena Appiah are the likely contenders to step up.
Haliti might not have started many games but time on the pitch should be no worries for the super sub, who has come off the pine 26 times for the club.
FRANJIC WANTED OUT
Brazil beckons for dynamic Roar utility Ivan Franjic, but five years ago, mixing carpentry with part-time football, he was ready to give it away, Marco Monteverde reports.
FEATURE: SMITH, BROICH ON THE BRISBANE MACHINE
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THE HAPPY COUPLE
Plenty of pundits have tipped Corey Brown and Diogo Ferreira to claim the left full-back slot this year, but Shane Steffanuto has stood firm.
The three-time Socceroo has been a constant through the Roar’s success, and reveals how in synch he is with the A-League’s best player, strutting his stuff ahead of him.
“We have an understanding on the field that’s like no other winger I’ve ever had an understanding with,” Stefanutto told The Courier-Mail on Wednesday.
“We know what each other is doing, it doesn’t need to be spoken or anything. It’s just developed quickly and it’s continued to develop.”
Speaking of happy couples, Wanderers will take on Brisbane with an extra punch on the weekend, given Besart Berisha has been missing in two of the side’s three contests this term.
Broich has assisted four of Berisha’s goals this season - the highest combination in the league. That’s an omen given the Johnny Warren medallist has assisted three of the Roar’s four grand final goals in its two previous triumphs. Quality.
ROO POTENTIAL
Erik Paartalu was Roar’s fulcrum last time around, but this time, Luke Brattan is every bit as important to Brisbane’s balance as is any of the flair players ahead of him (not to say he’s not capable of a stunning goal, or two ...)
“It’s very satisfying,” he said.
“I feel like, even though I’ve won two championships, I feel like I haven’t personally won anything (because I wasn’t part of the main XI).
“Just playing regularly this season and being a big part of what we do, it’s an absolute privilege.
“And I thank Mike for that, for giving me my chance and hopefully I can repay him with a win on the weekend.”
The 2014 World Cup squad might come too soon for Brattan, but it’s hard not to see him getting a look-in ahead of the Asian Cup.
MULVEY v POPA
Josep Gombau got the people’s votes for the All Stars gong, but these two contrasting coaches are taking Arnie & Ange’s mantle as the competition’s benchmarks.
Mulvey has rejuvenated Roar – adding, crucially, an element of steel to their much-loved flair. But he is underrated as an ambassador for the game: well spoken, articulate and always willing to throw a line into his interviews that might be a kick-up the you know what for his side, or a mind game with the opposition.
Even this week, Mulvey has been dropping hints about the style of match we’re expecting.
“All I ask for is a strong referee,” Mulvey said. “It’s very important we have a strong referee because it will be a physical game.
“We need a free-flowing game and it’s important we are able to have that. All I ask for is a referee who is vigilant and enables the game to flow freely so it is a good spectacle.’’
Popovic’s path to coaching, from the land of former Socceroos legend, is completely different to Mulvey, and so is his coaching demeanour. Tough, uncompromising, perfectionist.
Sometimes you feel as though this year’s success is taken for granted given everyone expects it after last year. But as the Wanderers jet off to Japan straight after the grand final to play in the AFC Champions League knockout stages, it should hit home how extraordinary this all is.
ARNIE RATES THE GRAND FINAL COACHES
BUT IS THIS A CLOSING CHANCE?
Do teams have winning windows and does the departures of Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi mean this is the final the Wanderers must win to cash in on its success?
“We’re trying not to think about that kind of thing, although it’s impossible not to realise the facts that people will be moving on,’’ Topor-Stanley said this week.
“That happens every year, that’s the nature of the beast in the A-League with salary cap restrictions and it happens in the football world.
“We’re professionals, we’re dealing with it and we know this is a chance to win something together and we’re in the right frame of mind to win this game.’’
FOCUS, NOT HYSTERIA
21-year-old winger Kwabena Appiah, named the club’s Asian Champions League player of the year this week, says the group has learnt from last year’s grand final. He admits the community buzz swarming around the side’s historic campaign infected the group, but this year, with so many games to focus on, there hasn’t been the same problem.
“No one’s worried. Whatever team is thrown out, we know that it’s going to win,” Appiah told Fairfax media. “Last season was the start of something great and this year, I think we’re better and more composed.
“We’re a bit more focused because we’ve had so many games over such a short time, we’ve been mentally stronger this year ... The system’s embedded in everyone’s head. It’s like a fine print; everyone’s confident, very confident.”
Back this time, of course, are Hersi and Iacopo La Rocca, who missed last year’s decider through suspension.
“I really want to redeem myself because I want to win and lift up that trophy,” La Rocca said at the start of the week.
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