MVFC Blog

Some people are talking about tonight’s clash with the Wellington Phoenix as a critical one for the Melbourne Victory’s finals aspirations.

Sure. It’s critical. If the Central Coast Mariners do us a favour and beat the Newcastle Jets (preferably by a big margin), everything could come down to the last round - which would make for a wonderful climactic end to the season.

But there’s another reason why beating the Phoenix tonight is important - nay, essential:

Victory fans need to be able to sing their Victory song.

Only twice this season have we enjoyed that pleasure - and the last time was way back on the 21st of October. Twice. Even in the humiliating first season, when we finished 7th, fans had four opportunities to sing the song. Tonight is not just about keeping finals hopes alive: it’s about giving fans a cause to sing.

Unfortunately, the Victory’s hunt for a third home win could be hindered by the absence of Kevin Muscat, Danny Allsopp and Nick Ward, all of whom are struggling with injury/illness. If the worst-case scenario - none of them can play - should come to pass, Merrick will be playing without three players who were instrumental in the wins against Central Coast and Queensland.

The gap left by Ward and Allsopp could be covered by Kaz Patafta and Carlos Hernández, with the Costa Rican playing up front alongside Archie Thompson. But it’s hardly an ideal use for Hernández, who showed on Saturday why he’s at his best playing behind the strikers, threading balls through for Archie and Allsopp.

Muscat’s absence could prove a bigger problem, especially if Grant Brebner is still unavailable due to injury. Without Muscat or Brebner, Leigh Broxham - the only remaining defensive midfielder - has some heavy weight on his shoulders. In my opinion, bringing Steve Pantelidis into the squad as a midfielder would be a wise move, with him and Broxham locking down the centre of the park.

Wellington will also be playing without their captain, Ross Aloisi, who picked up a one-match ban last week. The Phoenix are out of contention for the finals, but remain a realistic possibility for the wooden spoon. If the Perth Glory can beat Adelaide United tonight, a Wellington loss would see them sink to 8th. Personally, I’d like to see Wellington finish better than that - they’ve played some excellent football this season and certainly deserve to break the New Zealand curse of always finishing dead last.

But for tonight, my main desire will be to fire up at full time and roar, at full voice: “Melbourne hear the sound of drumming…”

My tip: Melbourne Victory 3, Wellington Phoenix 1

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