The Football Sack | Grabbing the A-League by the balls

2013/14 A-League fixtures announced; Analysis

2013-05-22T13:46:00.002+10:00

The Hyundai A-League fixtures for the 2013/2014 season have been revealed, setting up a scintillating year of football ahead. Matt Greenlaw analyses some of the finer details of the A-League competition. Grand Final Rematch Central Coast Mariners will commence their Hyundai A-League...

Seven things to do during the A-League offseason

2013-04-22T12:23:00.001+10:00

With season eight of the Hyundai A-League done and dusted, the harsh reality of a near six month offseason is starting to sink in. Thankfully though we've put together a list of things to keep you occupied and offset the withdrawal symptoms. Looking to support a state league club? Why not...

Wanderers players clean up after embarrassing fans

2013-04-21T23:21:00.000+10:00

Dozens of flares in the stands, bottles thrown in the direction of players, flares thrown onto the pitch, seats broken - unruly Wanderers fans got the better of Sydney Football Stadium at Sunday's Grand Final, and it was the team they support that had to clean up the mess. READ THE FULL MATCH...

Patty Z leads Mariners to A-League Grand Final victory

2013-04-21T18:00:00.000+10:00

A Patrick Zwaanswijk header followed by a McBreen converted penalty sealed the 2012/2013 Hyundai A-League Championship for the Central Coast Mariners, their first in four attempts. What's inside the ball, you ask? The A-League trophy of course.It was just reward for a team that outplayed the...

FIFA 13 Grand Final Simulation

2013-04-21T11:22:00.001+10:00

To get you pumped up for today's A-League Grand Final we at The Sack got our hands on FIFA 13 (PC) and simulated the match to see who may well be crowned 2012/13 A-league Champions. We put it on 'Legendary' and '5 minute halves' and tried to pick out the line-ups that will be making...

Western Sydney's tall tale; the journey from inception

2013-04-17T15:00:00.003+10:00

The Western Sydney Wanderers have only been around for a short time but have already caught hearts and souls of the Western Sydney community with their red-and-black-coloured net. They're blooming with success on and off the pitch and it can only get better from here. The club led by...

5 reasons not to watch the A-League Grand Final

2013-04-17T14:55:00.002+10:00

A jam-packed 5 reasons this week in honour of the 2012/2013 Hyundai A-League Grand Final. Guys, really, it's not going to be anything special. Promise. The only thing good about this match is that it signals clear airways for the proper sports. Like golf. Man, Adam Scott can fairly hit a ball. But...

Ono is number one, Ono is lots of fun

2013-04-12T23:04:00.001+10:00

Wanderland was ablaze with Red and Black as the Western Sydney Wanderers’ fairytale continued with a clinical dispatching of Brisbane Roar 2-0. The icing on the cake for the dominant performance was a sublime piece of skill from Shinji Ono in the second-half picking out the top right corner over...

Mulvey hails Brattan; "he can hit a ball"

2013-04-08T21:03:00.003+10:00

Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey has singled out Luke Brattan as the best striker of a ball in the competition after his side progressed to the semi-finals of the A-League’s ‘Sudden Death’ Finals Series. CreditL Brisbane RoarThe 23-year-old broke the deadlock in the 27th minute when Roar Captain Thomas...

Reds dead, no redemption

2013-04-07T19:06:00.002+10:00

Brisbane Roar have ended Adelaide United's finals campaign with a 2-1 win providing the Reds an emphatic 'sudden death’ end to their 2013 season. United were hoping to reverse their poor form leading up to the finals, earning just two wins in their past 11 matches. There would be no...

Crossbar: Unbelievable A-League season

2013-04-02T12:01:00.000+11:00

Don't you just love it when the product meets expectation? The season that we were all so looking forward to six months ago has lived up to the hype. Not many of us could be disappointed with what we have seen in the A-League 2012/13 regular season. Obviously the big winners are the FFA and...

Capital Idea: A-League ditches NZ for Canberra

2013-04-01T09:08:00.000+11:00

Football Federation Australia has dramatically moved to conform with the AFC's instruction to consolidate the Hyundai A-League into a solely Australian competition by announcing the Wellington Phoenix will be moved to Canberra. Credit: Canberra PhoenixThe team, to be named Canberra Phoenix, will...

Fear factor not an issue for Glory says Edwards

2013-03-31T22:07:00.000+11:00

Perth Glory will face Melbourne Victory on Friday as the Hyundai A-League finals series kicks off, and coach Alistair Edwards believes his team has nothing to fear. A point at home to Adelaide United in front of a bumper crowd of 16,707 at nib Stadium last night was enough to clinch sixth spot at...

Job done as Glory head to the finals

2013-03-30T23:47:00.000+11:00

Despite being outside the top six for the last ten weeks, Perth Glory will play finals football after drawing 1-1 with Adelaide United tonight. Adrian Zahra's goal arrived just before the hour mark when he turned home a low cross from Steve McGarry right in front of The Shed. Jake Barker-Daish...

Wanderers do it like they do on the discovery channel

2013-03-30T09:40:00.004+11:00

Western Sydney Wanderers have clinched the Premier's Plate in the final game of the regular season but it was ultimately an easy task against a weak Newcastle Jets. Credit: Dennis GonzalezWanderers bent the Hunter side over and went to town - as they have done the whole of the A-league -...

5 reasons to stop watching the A-League before finals

2013-03-29T15:04:00.001+11:00

Brisbane Roar have hit the Finals Series running faster than a gun touting South African pleading not guilty. Del "All-Star" Piero will be treated to an early holiday before teaching MUFC a thing or two come July. And McBreen has secured 1.6 contracts with the Mariners, whom we're assured are...

Focused Mulvey confident of finals run

2013-03-29T11:31:00.000+11:00

Brisbane Roar boss Mike Mulvey has declared his side "ready" for finals following their crucial 3-1 win over Sydney FC at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night. Credit: Brisbane RoarRoar secured a shot at a third consecutive A-League championship with goals from Besart Berisha, Steven Lustica and Ivan...

Sydney beaten at Suncorp as sun rises in morning

2013-03-28T21:59:00.001+11:00

Good Friday? More like Great Thursday for Brisbane Roar fans. Brisbane's win was the warmest appreciation of Thursday since Rebecca Black's Friday was released. The night was Roar's from an early stage as they led from the midway point of the first-half. After Besart Berisha's chest touch had...

Premier's Plate presentation perplexing

2013-03-28T15:33:00.001+11:00

The 2012/2013 Hyundai A-League regular season will conclude this weekend in somewhat climatic fashion. Western Sydney Wanderers travel to Newcastle on Friday and with a win or draw will claim top spot and the Premier's Plate. Should they lose however the Central Coast Mariners, who play Saturday,...

Roar's lottery hopes needing justification

2013-03-27T18:04:00.002+11:00

It's a lottery, they say. Anyone can win it, they say. Whoever says it, few arguments can be made to say this season's finals structure offer equal perks for higher-finishing teams than in previous years. Credit: Brisbane RoarBut let's contend that Brisbane Roar, the two-time reigning champions...

Reds coach hails Mariners and Wanderers

2013-03-26T23:08:00.001+11:00

Adelaide United coach Michael Valkanis has described the Central Coast Mariners and Western Sydney Wanderers as the benchmark teams of the competition after witnessing his side fall 2-0 to the boys from Gosford last weekend. “The Mariners and Western Sydney are the fittest and strongest teams in...

Crossbar: Football first please

2013-03-25T23:49:00.002+11:00

With one week remaining the A-League is in great shape. Every game this week has something riding on it and with a little luck it will go down to the last minute of the last game. With a little more luck we could be seeing some massive games in the first week of the Finals Series...

Adelaide United fail finals audition

2013-03-24T20:59:00.000+11:00

The Reds warm-up prior to their clash with the MarinersAdelaide United’s dreams of a filibuster flourish to their Hyundai A-League season were shot down after suffering a 2-0 loss to the Mariners at Hindmarsh Stadium. The Reds went into their audition for finals football full of hope but were...

Red-hot Roar pick off Heart

2013-03-24T18:59:00.000+11:00

A match featuring the bright orange of Brisbane, a skin-searing afternoon, Andrew Redmayne and the flame-headed Corey Brown, few were left questioning the tastiest flavour of the day. For once, it wasn't Samboy's Atomic Tomato chips. Brisbane were hot from the opening whistle and won an early...

Perth Glory have Risdon to believe

2013-03-23T19:40:00.000+11:00

Perth Glory has made their way into the top six after a thrilling win over the Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park. Veteran defender Adrian Leijer opened the scoring for the hosts before Chris Harold and Travis Dodd handed the visitors the lead heading into half-time. With less than a minute of normal...