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Ron Manager

formerly Libertine
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
5,848
Location
Brisbane, Australia
I'll always be a Shrimper first and foremost and if they ever played Brisbane I'd be wearing blue not orange. However yesterdays Grand Final is the most amazing bit of drama I've ever seen at a football match in my 30 years of going to games.

For anyone who didn't get up at 6am to watch it on Sky here's a summary. Brisbane won the league by a mile, lost one game all season and were unbeaten for 27 matches. However the A-League has a finals/play off system for the champions (much like the Rugby Super League has) so we had to fight through a semi final and then a Grand Final.

In that Grand Final we faced Central Coast who were second in the league overall. 50,000 packed into the magnificent Suncorp Stadium and one of the noisiest atmospheres I've ever heard - a real football stadium, all enclosed and close to the pitch (they call it the 'Cauldron'). Cracking match, end to end for the whole 90 minutes but no goals. Then in the first half of extra time Central Coast score two goals, the whole magnificent season falling apart in front of our eyes. Even with 4 minutes left in the second half of extra time it was still 2-0 and the Central Coast were trying to keep the ball in the corners. Then we broke and the Brazillian substitute Henrique squeezed the ball past the keeper to make it 2-1 - but surely just a consolation. Then with 30 seconds left we get a corner and with literally the last touch of the ball Erik Partalu scores with a header. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. Pandemonium as 48,000 of the 50,000 present went absolutely ballistic - loudest roar from a crowd I've ever heard.

So to penalties, and Michael Theoklitos the Roar keeper makes two exceptional saves (the second one as good as you'll ever see) and every player for the Roar slots them home perfectly. From being 2-0 down with 4 minutes left and dead and buried Brisbane Roar had completed the most magical comeback and were champions.

I have no voice, a stinking hangover and am a good couple of hundred bucks poorer for drinking beer and champagne in celebration. But bloody hell, what an experience! Who says the Aussie's don't do football?

Next comes the Asian Champions League next season and after that who knows, maybe the World Club Championship?
 
I've known the Blues pull off a couple of late late victories, away at Gills and Hartlepool in the cup, and Hartlpool at home in the league too but to do it in a final must've been fantastic to witness .. ala Man U v Bayern Munich and Liverpoo v Arsenal
 
I caught the end of this game and thought the standard was poor and didnt particularly enjoy it, but it was better than badminton or whatever was on the other channel. However I guess if you are emotionally involved in a game then you are not going to worry about the quality so much (as Southend fans should know!).
 
I caught the end of this game and thought the standard was poor and didnt particularly enjoy it, but it was better than badminton or whatever was on the other channel. However I guess if you are emotionally involved in a game then you are not going to worry about the quality so much (as Southend fans should know!).

By extra time the standard had dropped off a bit. It was STINKING hot and the teams were dead on their feet. The 90 minutes were cracking though. Slower pace than English football, more continental in style, but I'd say these two teams as the best in the league would be comfortable in the Championship.
 
You jammy git,you leave blighty and follow a winning team for a change and i leave and get 2nd div dross,congrats.

Before this season they've been average at best, and last season were awful (finished second from bottom). This year though they really have been amazing, some of the football they play is breathtaking. It started with a pre-season game against Everton where we matched them for most of the game and only lost 2-1 and has gone from there.

This isn't my video, but from someone I know who was right behind the goal (we were two bays to the left of this) for the penalties -

[video=youtube;26USElvIYfA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26USElvIYfA&feature=player_embedded[/video]

and this is highlights from Fox Sports News

[video=youtube;G0SL8_8CSw4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0SL8_8CSw4&feature=related[/video]
 
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Whats Spinner up to now Ron??

I know he did the summarising on Fox but then made a comeback with Sydney was it??
 
By extra time the standard had dropped off a bit. It was STINKING hot and the teams were dead on their feet. The 90 minutes were cracking though. Slower pace than English football, more continental in style, but I'd say these two teams as the best in the league would be comfortable in the Championship.

I remember at the African Nations Cup Finals in South Africa, back in 1996, most of my fellow WSC's punters described the footy on offer as being of Championship standard.This would appear to be the default position when describing football abroad.FWIW, though, I think Espanyol would do all right in the Prem.
 
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Whats Spinner up to now Ron??

I know he did the summarising on Fox but then made a comeback with Sydney was it??

Spinner runs a football gear firm in Sydney, no longer on Fox Sports (to be honest, he wasn't very good). Played for his local team Manly United and signed as emergency cover a couple of seasons ago with either Newcastle or Central Coast (can't remember which) but didn't play.

Also just been announced as assistant coach with the Australian womens team for the upcoming World Cup in Germany.
 
I remember at the African Nations Cup Finals in South Africa, back in 1996, most of my fellow WSC's punters described the footy on offer as being of Championship standard.This would appear to be the default position when describing football abroad.FWIW, though, I think Espanyol would do all right in the Prem.

Last season I'd have actually said League One as a comparison, but Brisbane in particular have raised the bar this past year.
 
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