A 0-0 draw on Saturday evening between Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar was the third consecutive home game that Perth Glory has failed to score a goal and was just the second game of the season that Brisbane Roar haven’t registered a goal.
Despite the lack of goals, the 1200-strong crowd at Macedonia Park were still treated to a game of incidents, near misses, great saves and even a referee change.
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Heat, Humidity and Travel
For the first 70 minutes of the game, Brisbane Roar were the dominant team and would have had a well-deserved lead but for a fine first half penalty save by Morgan Aquino. Their high press kept Glory pinned back in their half – it was Roar who looked like a team in 2nd spot rather than their hosts, and the visitors were certainly the team who seemed more likely to win.
However, Roar’s energy levels dropped dramatically as the humid conditions took their toll, and their press became less organised, leaving larger gaps for Glory to exploit and almost win the game in added time when they missed two big chances.
Brisbane Roar coach Alex Smith mentioned the conditions as being a factor in his team’s performance:
“At the end there, everyone’s cramping and falling over and you know the result could have gone either way. We play a high-intensity pressing style of football so you know the girls are going to get tired at the 70-75 minute mark and that’s what happened today. The pitch was also quite spongy and quite heavy, so I think that’s probably the reason for all the cramping, but in terms of a team performance away from home (and) the long trip with the late kick-off for us (it was 9.30 pm QLD time), it’s a positive performance.”
The conditions were the same for both teams, but the travel factor for Brisbane was a possible reason for the way their players suffered in the latter stages of the game. Even the referee, Mikayla Ryan, suffered a cramp and was replaced by the 4th official, Shane Skinner, in the 62nd minute.
Playing a winter game in an Australian summer means that heat management and fatigue are constant factors in games. With little likelihood of games being moved to the winter months for the foreseeable future, perhaps it’s time for the league to allow full benches rather than just five players, to let coaches better manage the conditions.
Perth Glory Are Misfiring
At the start of the season, Perth Glory flew out of the blocks with four consecutive wins, including three straight at home. Since then though they have registered just two more wins and none at home. The draw on Saturday was the 3rd consecutive game they have failed to score at home and their 4th home game without a win. This has put a dent in Perth Glory’s title aspirations and whilst they still look likely to earn a top six spot, recent form must be a concern for coach Alex Epakis.
The stats show that Perth takes the least number of shots but also faces the most shots. There was no change in those numbers on Saturday with Brisbane having 26 shots to the 11 for Glory.
In his post-match comments, Epakis discussed his team’s lack of a cutting-edge:
“We definitely need more goal-scoring opportunities and then we need to ice a few more of those chances, and we need to create them earlier in the game, not just at the end when we’re chasing a result.”
The flip side of this is that Glory are very difficult to score against, and even though they have faced more shots than anyone else, their goals-against record is equal second in the league with just 13 conceded. This is not just down to the defenders, but a defensive mindset within the team and Epakis touched on this as well:
“I thought defensively we were superb today (with a) clean sheet, and there were some really good defensive efforts. Structurally, we were really good and I think you know if you’re misfiring up front then you definitely need your defence to keep you in the game.
“We also need to look at the amount of work that (the forwards are) doing without the ball, they press well, (and) they recover well. I think we have some of the hardest-working attackers without the ball in the competition and that’s something that we really value. I think it’s the work that they do also without the ball that’s put us in a position that we are competing week in, week out.”
Tameka Yallop Setting the Standard
The Matilda has had a quiet season so far in terms of goals scored and chances created, but on Saturday she performed at the highest level. She created the highest number of chances in the game for her team and also had four shots. Defensively she was also working hard as she harried the Glory defenders throughout the game. Smith was full of praise for her effort and impact on the team:
“She’s fantastic, a model professional. (She’s a) very experienced player (and) the girls look up to her for things. What impresses me the most is she comes off the pitch and there are girls behind the bench screaming her name and asking for an autograph and a photo. She doesn’t ever turn anyone down (and) it’s something that only she has to deal with (in the team). She’s a top person and a great footballer as well.”
Is Morgan Aquino the Best Goalkeeper in the League?
Morgan Aquino has been having a standout season, and her penalty save on Saturday was another example of the form she has been in so far. With 81 saves and an average of 6.3 saves per match, Aquino leads the league in both stats and she was named as player of the match on Saturday.
Aquino has always been a fine goalkeeper and has played for the Young Matildas, but she has lifted her level of performance to new heights this season, keeping Sally James out of the side despite James being one of the most promising young keepers in the country.
Aquino knows only too well the difficulties of being a backup keeper, as she has played second fiddle to the likes of Eliza Campbell, Georgie Worth, Courtney Newbon and Sarah Langman. She seems determined to keep James warming the bench this season. The Glory coaching staff have done an excellent job with Aquino this season and she must surely be on the radar for a national camp call-up if she continues this form.
Confidence Is Key
As Brisbane Roar started to tire and gaps began opening up in their defence lines, Glory went a little more direct and had their brightest moments in the game.
In the 73rd minute, a long ball out from Georgia Cassidy beat the Brisbane defence and enticed Jordan Silkowitz out of her area to try and sweep up. Millie Farrow beat Silkowitz to the ball and lifted it past her, but Farrow’s touch was just too heavy and by the time she took her shot Holly McQueen had recovered her ground to make a goal-line clearance.
Just two minutes later Farrow was again through on goal from a long ball, but her shot was straight at Silkowitz, who made a smart save from close range.
In the 90th minute, Tash Rigby was released down the right wing by another long ball and her cutback found Susan Phonsongkham in space just outside the 6-yard box, but her shot went over the bar.
Two minutes later Phonsongkham again pushed the ball over the bar from inside the penalty area.
These chances were the sort that Glory were putting away regularly at the beginning of the season and demonstrated that there may well be a lack of confidence and belief amongst the players in the front third. This is hardly surprising given that they have only scored three goals in the last six games and one of those was an own goal.
The upside is that confidence can come flooding back once the goals come again, and this is something that Epakis must be hoping will come soon.
