Summer of Football set to sizzle!

Are you ready for 10 cracking games in 11 summer days? The Hyundai A-League’s Summer of Football kicks off on Friday night appropriately in the Sunshine State, and here’s why the fans will love it.

 

Pre-Christmas cracker in Brisbane

The Summer of Football kicks off on Friday night with another clash in the growing rivalry between Roar and Wanderers. A big crowd is expected and these two have shared had some epic games, from a grand final in 2014 to that unbelievable 5-4 Semi-Final win by the Wanderers last season. If this clash is half as good as those ones, it will be a ripper!

Timmy and Bruno on the Coast

The Mariners’ traditional New Year’s Eve fixture is always a special night in Gosford but it has some extra star power this year with the legend Cahill, super-striker Fornaroli and their City mates coming to town. Expect fireworks. Literally. What a way to see in 2017!

‘Bes’ into the record books

Berisha has drawn level with Archie Thompson [90 goals] on the all-time goal-scoring charts but when will he take the mantle on his own? With Victory enjoying back-to-back home games against the Mariners and Jets either side of New Year’s Eve, surely Bes will find the net and claim the record. Although there’s someone else on his tail….     Smeltz’s return in the west

With the Hyundai A-League transfer window opening in early January, recently-signed Wellington striker Shane Smeltz will make his A-League return in the Nix’s Distance Derby against his former club in Perth. Smeltz is currently just one goal behind Berisha and Thompson. Will he mark his comeback with a goal at nib?

His #Nix return means @ShaneSmeltz can regain his status as the @ALeague all-time top scorer https://t.co/hqrLL1ng7V pic.twitter.com/XBiXvt4Ovo

— Wellington Phoenix (@WgtnPhoenixFC) December 21, 2016

City v Glory: Part II

Glory handed City a sobering 3-2 defeat when the two sides met at AAMI Park in round 3 in a bruising and fiery 90 minutes. It had a bit of everything. Andy Keogh’s hat-trick, a contentious penalty decision and Glory boss Kenny Lowe sent to the stands. What will the rematch dish-up?

Big crowds, big atmospheres, plenty of thrilling action The beauty of the festive period and summer football is the holidays and with 10 games in 11 days there’s plenty of football for fans to get to. And they generally flock to matches, ensuring massive crowds and plenty more noise and colour at all Hyundai A-League matches.

Top of the table blockbuster in Sydney Brisbane Roar is one of the few sides in the 2016/17 Season that hasn’t been blown away by the rampaging Sky Blues. John Aloisi’s troops come to Allianz on Friday, December 30 in what promises to be one of the matches of the season between two of the league’s most in-form outfits.

Transfer window opens For club’s looking to bolster their squads, January means the opening of the transfer window and the chance to make some crucial mid-season signings. We’ve already seen a couple (Janjetovic to Wanderers, Smeltz to Wellington) but who else will bring players in. If names like Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane – who have been mentioned as potential targets – come to fruition, it’s going to be a huge summer transfer window.

Adelaide v Victory rivalry continues In early January, Kevin Muscat takes his Victory side back to Adelaide for another huge clash with the Reds. Even though the sides are at different ends of the ladder this season, when does this clash not deliver? It was an injury-time Marco Rojas winner which got Victory over the line earlier this season in a thriller at Coopers.

 

Football Federation Australia

Melbourne Victory’s ‘Kiwi Messi’ Marco Rojas bosses assist stats

The assist stats reveal Marco Rojas is bossing it this Hyundai A-League season, though a Wanderers midfielder leads “chances created” and a Sydney FC star is way ahead in “passes into the final third”. Opta Data has more.

Melbourne Victory’s Rojas has enjoyed a seamless return to the league after three years abroad in Germany.

A mix of international duty and injury has meant he has made just seven appearances for the campaign but still leads the competition for assists.

While he has also got on the scoresheet six times himself, Rojas has set up six goals for team-mates, more than anyone else in the Hyundai A-League.

Player	Games	Goals	Assists	Chances Created	Passes, Into Final Third	Crosses	Cross Accuracy
Rojas, Marco	7	6	6	20	8	8	25
Ninkovic, Milos	11	5	5	17	87	13	38.46
Nichols, Mitch	11	1	4	27	56	26	34.62
Oar, Tommy	11	0	4	17	28	37	24.32
Brandán, Fernando	11	3	3	8	23	25	20
Nicolás Martínez	11	2	3	20	57	21	0
Harold, Chris	11	0	3	11	18	24	8.33
Kamau, Bruce	10	0	3	6	15	15	20
Nabbout, Andrew	8	2	3	13	22	18	38.89

Just behind the Kiwi international is Sydney FC’s Serbian star Milos Ninkovic.

“Ninko” has arguably been the Hyundai A-League’s best midfielder over the first three months of the season, with five assists for the league-leading Sky Blues.

His five goals is also an impressive return but as the stats shows, Ninkovic is key at getting the ball into Sydney’s attacking third, playing 87 passes into that area.

Mitch Nichols is one of two Western Sydney Wanderers in the top nine when it comes to assists, and is currently equal third with four for the campaign.

Nichols, along with Brisbane Roar’s Tommy Oar, both have set up four goals but the Wanderers playmaker is perhaps unlucky not to have laid on more.

Nichols’ 27 chances created is the most of any on the list, but the Wanderers’ wasteful attack often hasn’t capitalised.

Oar’s best work has come from wider areas, notching 37 crosses from his 11 appearances. Only Sydney’s Michael Zullo (41) has made more.

While Oar is still searching for his first goal, no other Roar player has managed more than one assist, making him the team’s chief creator so far.

Wanderer Nico Martinez, Melbourne City duo Fernando Brandan and Bruce Kamau, Perth Glory’s Chirs Harold and Newcastle Jets star Andrew Nabbout are the other assist masters, all with three for the campaign.

 Football Federation Australia

O que impede Milton Neves de assinar contrato com a Fox Sports?

Paquera
Já de muito tempo o canal Fox Sports acenou interesse na contratação de Milton Neves.

Em várias ocasiões, essa conversa já aconteceu, mas ainda não foi possível chegar a um entendimento.

Milton Neves: Fox e Band querem exclusividade

imagem: Arquivo pessoal

Grande questão
O problema é que para o Milton, fazer a Fox é interessante, desde que isso não interfira no seu trabalho na Band, principalmente na rádio.

E isso, nenhuma das duas, Fox e Band, concordam. Elas querem exclusividade.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José CarlosdNery

José Silvério renovou contrato com a Rádio Bandeirantes

 

Silvério renovou
Depois de ter dito que pensava em parar no final deste ano, José Silvério acaba de renovar contrato com a rádio Bandeirantes.

E não foi uma renovaçãozinha qualquer não. Assinou até 2022.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Besart Berisha v Shane Smeltz: all-time goals race is back on!

It’s one of the great subplots to this fabulous season. Would Besart Berisha overtake Archie Thompson on the all-time goal-scoring charts? Now, there’s a new twist with the return of a goal legend to the Hyundai A-League.

New Wellington Phoenix signing Shane Smeltz is poised to put the pressure back on Berisha just days after the Victory striker equalled Archie Thompson’s all-time record in the Melbourne Derby.

The announcement Smeltz was back in the competition for the rest of this season has not only boosted Phoenix’s Finals Series hopes but re-ignited the battle at the top of the all-time scoring charts.

Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha scored his 90th Hyundai A-League goal in his side’s Derby win on Saturday night, joining ex-team-mate Archie Thompson at the top of the list.

Smeltz is just one goal further back with 89 goals from 178 appearances in the league.

With Thompson retiring at the end of last season and Smeltz spending the last half season with Kedah FC in the Malaysian Super League, Berisha had a clear opportunity to pull clear as the league’s most prolific frontman.

But the Albanian won’t have it all to himself anymore.

Smeltz began training with his Phoenix team-mates on Tuesday and will play out the second half of the season with the club.

And you wouldn’t bet against the 35-year-old immediately returning to his Hyundai A-League scoring best.

Not only did he find the net 11 times in 18 appearances for Kedah FC during his Malaysian stint but he has been a consistent scorer at all of his previous A-League clubs.

Smeltz scored 21 goals in 39 games during his first stint at Phoenix, found the net 28 times in 38 appearances for Gold Coast United, had 28 in 58 for Perth Glory while in 43 matches for Sydney FC he scored 12 times.

In a Phoenix side with the likes of Kosta Barbarouses, Gui Finkler, Roy Krishna and Roly Bonevacia providing service, Smeltz should get plenty of chances to add to his tally.

Of course, Berisha’s goal-scoring record is phenomenal.

The Albanian hitman has scored his 90 goals in just 140 games, with 48 in 76 matches for Brisbane Roar, followed by 42 in 64 appearances for Melbourne Victory.

The busy Summer of Football schedule looms as a big opportunity for both players to boost their claim as the Hyundai A-League’s greatest-ever scorer by season’s end.

Phoenix are away to the fifth-placed Jets on Boxing Day, before a New Year’s Day game at home against lowly Adelaide United before a Distance Derby trip to Perth Glory.

For Berisha’s Victory, they have back-to-back home games against the Mariners and Jets either side of the New Year before a trip to Adelaide to play the Reds.

The fixtures present a huge opportunity for both to do what they do best – score goals!

Who will win the race to 100 Hyundai A-League goals?

 

Football Federation Australia

Novela tem que voltar com o arroz e feijão de cada dia

Claudia Abreu, Reynaldo Gianecchini, Isabelle Drummond e Chay Suede, que vivem os mesmos personagem nas duas fases de “A Lei do Amor”

A Globo, seguidamente, tem apelado para o recurso de dividir novela em várias fases, como se isso agora fosse quase uma obrigação para todo autor do horário das 9 da noite.

É difícil até dizer desde quando vem sendo assim, levando todo e qualquer trabalho a ser multiplicado por dois. Novelas contadas em períodos diferentes, em termos práticos, significam dor de cabeça a mais. E dor de cabeça que custa dinheiro, bate no caixa. Há a exigência de dobrar a escalação em duas, além de onerar cenografia, cidade cenográfica, figurino etc.

Muitos atores, inclusive, estão se especializando nessa função de aparecimento de curto prazo. Chay Suede, por exemplo, fez o começo de “Império” e, agora há pouco tempo, “A Lei do Amor”. Assim como ele, outros também.

O arrozinho com feijão, bem temperado, na grande maioria das vezes é insubstituível.

 

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Jamie Maclaren has an impressive scoring record against Western Sydney Wanderers

In Harvey Norman Friday night football, Roar hosts Wanderers in a pre-Christmas cracker at Suncorp. Here’s Opta Data’s take on this intriguing Round 12 clash.

GOALS, GOALS AND MORE GOALSWhen it comes to goals in this fixture, one player clearly loves it more than others – Jamie Maclaren.

The Roar attacker – known as “Macca” simply loves taking on the Wanderers. Since making the switch from Perth to Brisbane, the Caltex Socceroo star has netted eight times in five meetings with the Wanderers in the Hyundai A-League.

There has been two braces in that stretch, while he has also scored the first goal of the match twice in that span.

If history is anything to go by then there should be plenty of goals on Friday night.

In the last three clashes between these two there has seen 16 goals scored, including that unforgettable nine-goal thriller in last season’s Finals Series.

 

In fact, in the last six encounters at Suncorp, only once has a side kept a clean sheet, proving how much both sides likes to attack each other.

The Wanderers have scored 15 goals in 11 matches this season, they have scored six in their last two away games for a win and a draw.

Expect Macca to eat up the chances.

FIXTURE HISTORY AND FORM

There is very little between these two sides over the last couple of seasons.

Including last season’s Westfield FFA Cup clash, the last six meetings between the two sides has seen the Wanderers win three, Roar two, with one game drawn.

But it’s different when it comes to matches at Suncorp Stadium.

With their Orange Army behind them, Roar have won four of their last five home matches against the Wanderers, including a dramatic 3-2 triumph towards the end of last season.

The two sides have never drawn a match in Brisbane.

When it comes to current form, John Aloisi’s side is a clear standout. Roar is unbeaten since round 2 of this season when they lost 4-0 in Newcastle.

That’s nine games without defeat, including a 1-1 draw at Spotless last month, which has seen them jump up to equal second on the Hyundai A-League ladder.

In contrast, the Wanderers have won just one of their last nine games, with six of those ending in draws.

DISCIPLINE AND PHYSICAL BATTLES

While both sides love to play their sexy football, they know they need to win their early battle to be allowed to impose their style on the match.

Only Melbourne City has accumulated more disciplinary points (yellow and red cards) than the Wanderers, with Roar the fourth-best team in the Hyundai A-League when it comes to discipline.

Brisbane has won more fouls (156 to 142) and conceded less (179 to 192) than the Wanderers, while receiving six less yellow cards (27 to 21).

There is little between the two when it comes to tackling, with Roar winning 76% of their tackles compared to the Wanderers 72.7%.

But Tony Popovic’s men are slightly better in their one-on-one duels, just edging out their Roar counterparts 49.2% to 48.4%.

DID YOU KNOW?

This fixture at Suncorp is very special to Wanderers fans. Why? Because in Round 4 of the 2012/13 Season, the club scored their first ever goal in the Hyundai A-League. The history maker? Mark Bridge.

Football Federation Australia

 

Bruna Marquezine e Marina Ruy Barbosa vão disputar Chay Suede em nova das 9

Duas das maiores jovens atrizes do momento, com milhares de seguidores nas redes sociais, poderão se tornar rivais em “O Sétimo Guardião”, novela escrita por Aguinaldo Silva, na fila das 21 horas, na Globo.

Tudo caminha para isso. O sinal verde para suas escalações já existe.

Marina fará a boazinha da história, enquanto que caberá a Marquezine o papel de vilã, as duas em disputa de Chay Suede.

“O Sétimo Guardião” estreia em 2018.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Tom Rogic injury update

Celtic and the Caltex Socceroos have received a nice early Christmas present with news playmaker Tom Rogic has been cleared of a serious ankle injury and could be back before New Year’s Eve.

Rogic was forced off at half-time of the weekend’s 2-1 win over Dundee after he was on the end of a heavy tackle from behind from ex-Hoops team-mate Darren O’Dea.

The 24-year-old missed Wednesday morning’s Scottish Premier League clash with Ryan Edwards’ Partick Thistle, which Celtic won 1-0.

BR on @Tom_Rogic: "He should be fine. He's got a knock to the ankle but we are hopeful he'll back for Ross County."

— Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) December 20, 2016

While it was originally feared Rogic could be set for an extended period on the sidelines, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed the former Nike Chance winner should play again before the New Year.

“He [Rogic] should be fine,” said Rodgers after this morning’s [AEDT] clash with Thistle.

“He’s got a knock to his ankle but we are hopeful he’ll be back for Ross County.”

That clash with Ross County comes on December 29, although Rogic is expected to miss Celtic’s next match against Hamilton Academical on Christmas Eve.

The injury has been the only blemish on a sensational season so far for Rogic, who has 10 goals and five assists in all competitions for the runaway SPL leaders.

 

Football Federation Australia

 

‘Sydney FC can be Manchester United of Oz’: Graham Arnold

Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold says his vision of turning the Hyundai A-League leaders into the “Manchester United of Australia” is right on track.

Speaking following his re-signing for a further two seasons with the undefeated A-League leaders, the Sydney FC boss was in a bullish mood when discussing his ambition for the club.

“When I first came to this club two-and-a-half-years ago I wanted this club to be the Manchester United of Australia and I think we’re getting there,” Arnold told reporters.

 

“We’re 60-70 per cent of our journey and that journey will continue. I have all the confidence in what we’re doing that we will not only win the championship but we’ll be one of the top clubs in Asia.”

It’s not the first time Arnold has looked to the EPL for inspiration with the coach challenging his squad to match the exploits of Arsenal’s “Invincibles” by going through the season undefeated.

Hear from Head Coach Graham Arnold following his re-signing for a further two years with the Sky Blues… #SydneyIsSkyBlue pic.twitter.com/AqtfAjs7cB

— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) December 20, 2016

With Sydney FC still unbeaten nearing the halfway point in the campaign that dream remains very much alive but the ultimate goal remains the double this season.

“We want to do big things at this club and reward not only the board and owners with success but also our wonderful fans that support us every week,” said Arnold.

“Six years is a long time for the fantastic fans that we’ve got and Sydney’s the biggest city in the country.

“So it’s a dream of mine to hand that trophy to Scott [Barlow, Sydney FC Chairman] and to the board and the fans.

 

“We want to win the Premiership and the Championship and that’s what we’re striving for at the moment.”

The league leaders’ next challenge will come against the club that achieved that history-making feat last season. The Sky Blue tackle the Reds on Boxing Day at Coopers Stadium.

While happy to make bold predictions about the future Arnold was careful not to be overconfident heading into the clash despite the sides occupying opposite ends of the ladder.

Perhaps with good reason – Sydney have only won one of their last 11 clashes against the Reds and haven’t won in Adelaide since February 2012.

 

“We’ve had a great start to the competition. We’ve got a fantastic group of players; I’ve got a fantastic staff, that was a big point [in re-signing].

“The boys are hungry and for me the extension is an honour, it’s a privilege but for me the most important thing is next week [against Adelaide].”

 

Football Federation Australia