A-League Tipping: Round 2 – Perth’s problems, tired travellers and a massive Melbourne Derby

The Roar expert Mike Tuckerman went whack in the opening round of A-League tipping, with a perfect six setting his season alight. How he did it I’ll never know, with two draws in the mix and seemingly a crystal ball at his side, he is certainly the one to watch this season.

The Crowd were not too far away in second place with five correct tips and David and I were next best with four. Texi and Andrew have started poorly in what was a reasonably predictable week. Both will need to bounce back, yet frankly, the longer they sit towards the bottom of the ladder the happier I will be.

Round 2 begins with a curious clash between the Bulls and the Jets in Sydney, with no one really sure whether Macarthur was as good as they looked against a hopeless Perth and the jury is still out on Newcastle.

Adelaide enters the fray against the Mariners, the Melbourne Derby explodes on Saturday night at AAMI Park, and Perth needs their fans in the house and an immediate comeback against the Phoenix.

Sydney FC look dangerous and travel to Auckland for an intriguing clash, before Western United and the Wanderers close out the round on Sunday. Good luck with your tips and be sure to enter them in the sheet below to have an active voice in the roar of the crowd.

Join David Shilovsky for live coverage of the Melbourne Derby from 7:15pm (AEDT) on Saturday evening.

Here is the way the panel sees all the action unfolding.

Mike Tuckerman

Macarthur, Adelaide, Draw, Wellington, Auckland, Draw.

The Bulls go into this clash brimming with confidence after smashing Perth Glory last weekend. They also look strong across the park, with one of the league’s best keepers in Filip Kurto and the mercurial Valere Germain up front, both looking to prove influential here. The Jets put up stern resistance in their 1-0 defeat to Melbourne City, but this looks like another home victory.

The Reds started their campaign with a 3-0 win over the Mariners last season, and they’ll be looking for a similar result here. They’ll have to cope without Nestory Irankunda, but they’ll face a Central Coast side coming back from AFC Champions League duty in Shanghai. The defending champions were fortunate to draw last weekend, but won’t be so lucky in Adelaide.

The first two Melbourne derbies of last season ended in scoreless draws, and it’s hard to separate the two rivals here. Paddy Kisnorbo’s defection to Victory should give the rivalry some added edge, but in truth, he looks a curious addition. The one-time Troyes coach is already under pressure, but with both teams easing into the season, this one could finish all square.

You’d expect a response from Perth Glory, who played like they were meeting for the first time in their opening 6-1 defeat to Macarthur in Campbelltown. Coach David Zdrilic claimed his side looked ‘underdone’ in that defeat, and they’ll come up against one of the best-drilled teams in the league. This one should be tighter than last week, but I expect the Nix to nick it.

Auckland FC never really looked troubled in a maiden 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar, but they’ll face a tougher task against a Sydney FC side brimming with talent. They also have a coach in Steve Corica itching to get one over the club that sacked him. The Sky Blues were in AFC Champions League Two action in Hiroshima midweek, and that will count against them here.

Western United were somewhat fortunate to come away with a 1-1 draw from their trip to Wellington last weekend. They’ll fancy their chances back home at Ironbark, but Western Sydney Wanderers were themselves slightly unlucky not to take something from the Sydney Derby. With both sides looking to play themselves into some form, a draw looks the likely outcome.

Stuart Thomas

Macarthur, Adelaide, Victory, Wellington, Sydney, United

The likelihood of Macarthur continuing the goal-fest that Perth allowed them with woeful defence last week is low. Newcastle will be a much feistier opponent and push them harder. It still looks like a Macarthur win to me. Adelaide will start with a bang against a tired Mariners outfit.

The Melbourne Derby looks a good one, with both sets of fans having plenty to be hopeful about early in the season. I’d suggest Victory have a little more decent football under their belts and that City looked well off their best last weekend. Victory to win. Is Perth on the bounce back? Hard to see after the disaster that was last time out. Wellington by two clear goals.

Another sellout crowd for Auckland is likely and Sydney FC will be a little fatigued after another busy week. Sadly, the new fans will taste defeat for the first time. The Sky Blues look like one of the teams to beat this season and they will get it done on the road.

It is a dangerous one away from home for the Wanderers and a winless opening fortnight would be concerning for them. Western United are resilient, but is that enough against a team that does look to have an edge in class? It could be this time. United in a very wild affair.

David Shilovsky

Macarthur, Mariners, draw, Wellington, Sydney, Western Sydney

It won’t be as easy for the Cup-winning Bulls on Friday evening, but I can’t see the Jets putting up too much resistance, despite their encouraging showing against City.

Adelaide will be a bit rusty after their bye in Round 1, while the Mariners will be tired yet more match-sharp. I’ll go for the back-to-back champions in a tight clash.

Patrick Kisnorbo’s first game against City will be an interesting clash as the two central Melbourne sides meet for the first time since the former centre-half crossed town. Neither side showed much attacking prowess in Round 1 with just one goal scored between them. I think City edge this game 2-1.

I’m not sure what to make of the Distance Derby. The Nix were alright against Western United, while Perth were obviously terrible. David Zdrilic will need to adjust his set-up because the aggressive press clearly isn’t going to work with the cattle at his disposal. 1-0 Wellington.

An interesting trip for the Sky Blues to Mount Smart Stadium. Auckland impressed in their opening game, they just can’t match Sydney’s firepower if this one becomes a bit of a shootout. I’ll stick with Ufuk Talay’s men, despite their continental defeat in Japan on Wednesday evening.

Finishing off the second round, it’s a western clash as United face the Wanderers at Ironbark Fields. The home-ground advantage will be something United can leverage – but I can’t see Western Sydney dropping points here. After a cagey opening half, the Wanderers pull away in the second stanza for a comfortable victory.

Andrew Prentice

Macarthur, Adelaide, Draw, Wellington, Auckland, Western Sydney

It’s hard to resist the Bulls after last week’s demolition of Perth. While the Jets won’t prop open the door and paint a big sign saying SCORE HERE like Perth did, Macarthur’s attacking assets should be too much for a Newcastle side still finding their combinations.

The Mariners have been on another magical mystery tour via the ACL, while Adelaide has been resting up, ready to renew hostilities with a recent rival. The Champions League well remains dry for Central Coast, whose early season form is mirroring their treble year (still, that ended up okay!) Adelaide should take the points at home.

It was a scratchy opening by both City and Victory. Patrick Kisnorbo knows the lay of the City land so this will be a fascinating instalment in the Melbourne derby. I fancy a score draw, given the sides have names such as Marco Tilio, Bruno Fornaroli, Mathew Leckie and Nishan Velupillay to call on.

Perth (my most improved tip!) was anything but that in Round 1. While fortunes can turn around quickly, and they are a much different prospect at home, the Phoenix are a tough nut to crack. Wellington won’t pile six on the Glory but they’ll do enough to keep the Perth cupboard bare for another week.

What a game in prospect in Auckland. Hopefully another sellout, and do you think Steve Corica will be up for this or what? Sydney got away with the spoils in a great derby game last week. However, there is a groundswell happening in the City of Sails, and they are ready to make an early season statement against one of the league’s heavyweights. Jake Brimmer will play a big role.

The clash of the Westerns will give us a glimpse of how the Wanderers cope away from the frenetic derby drama. Juan Mata needs more game time in his legs, but class is ever-present, and he could be the key to unlocking Western United, who will be relying heavily on Hiroshi Ibusuki to resolve another looming scoring crisis. The Wanderers in a close one.

Texi Smith

Macarthur, Adelaide, Victory, Wellington, Sydney, United

Last Sunday was a free hit for the Bulls against a ramshackle Glory team. They’ll be expecting another breeze against the Jets, but we’ll see some Brazilian magic from Wellissol and some stout defending. Two early goals from Jed Drew and Valere Germain to turn the game in the second half and the home team will run away with the win.

Forgotten team Adelaide United have a fantastic opportunity to dent the champions’ hopes of a good start to the season. Weary and scarred, the Mariners will collapse as the home team runs riot in the first half. But they take their foot off the gas and only scrape home after a spirited second-half fightback from the battling Mariners.

Both teams were a little under-cooked last weekend, so a rip-snorter of a Melbourne derby will wake both from their comfortable slumbers. City proved that life goes on without their departed goal machine, but they’ll be found out here. Bruno Fornaroli and Zinedine Machach to terrorise the City backline and Victory run out comfortable winners.

Perth Glory return home and need all the help they can get in the original distance derby at HBF Park. The utter chaos of the Glory team and the support from their rabid fans will be enough to spur them on to a superb half of fast-flowing attacking football. Adam Taggart scored from close range for a slender lead at the break, Kazuki Nagasawa with the equaliser and Kosta Barbarouses with a cheeky winner at the death to silence the home fans; it’s a shocker of a start for the Glory under David Zdrilic.

Sydney FC were superb in the derby last weekend, and Auckland swept aside a generous Brisbane Roar. A tense battle here, with the visitors soaking up the pressure, but hitting the Kiwis on the break with a devastating counterattack, finished by the silky Anthony Caceres. An ugly win for the Sky Blues and a reality check for the league’s newcomers.

Western United was unlucky not to come away with the points in Wellington, the Wanderers were second-best against their arch-rivals in Sydney but could have easily gone on to win the game with a bit more verve and intention. Ironbark Fields is not exactly within easy reach for the casual fan, so don’t expect the stadium record of 3,500 to be broken, and don’t expect a classic. The more functional and organised Western United will win, a single goal enough, and a first of many from hotshot Hiroshi Ibusuki.

Round 1	Mike	Stuart	David	Andrew	Texi	Crowd
MAC v NEW	MAC	MAC	MAC	MAC	MAC	?
ADL v CCM	ADL	ADL	CCM	ADL	ADL	?
MCY v MVC	DRAW	MVC	MCY	DRAW	MVC	?
PER v WEL	WEL	WEL	WELL	WEL	WEL	?
AUK v SYD	AUK	SYD	SYD	AUK	SYD	?
WUN v WSW	DRAW	WUN	WSW	WSW	WUN	?
Last week	6	4	4	2	3	5
Total	6	4	4	2	3	5

As always, get involved as part of The Crowd to take on The Roar’s expert tipsters.