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The top six is set and the finals for the A-League Men kick off on Friday, but they’ll do so without arguably the biggest club in the land after Sydney FC’s inconceivable meltdown.
Has any decision shaped the destiny of a season quite like Ufuk Talay’s move to replace veteran goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne with 28-year-old journeyman Harrison Devenish-Meares back in Round 9?
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That move came on the back of a 4-3 home defeat to Western United, but Devenish-Meares subsequently went on to concede 32 goals in his 19 games between the posts.
And while you can’t exactly blame the goalkeeper for every goal Sydney FC conceded – their defence looked dreadful after they sold youngster Hayden Matthews to Portsmouth in January – you could hardly claim Devenish-Meares ever looked like an upgrade in goal.
Now chairman Scott Barlow has a decision to make about whether Ufuk Talay is the right man on the touchline.
The ex-Sydney FC midfielder replaced his former teammate Steve Corica three rounds into last season, but now it’s Corica who’s just led Auckland FC to the Premiers’ Plate – while Talay will be watching the finals on TV.
That’s after the Sky Blues inexplicably failed to collect the point they needed from their final two games of the season, losing 1-0 win in Tarneit to Western United last weekend, before Melbourne City tore the five-time champions to shreds in an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at AAMI Park on Saturday afternoon.
And Devenish-Meares hardly covered himself in glory once again – looping a punch from a corner that veteran defender Aziz Behich drilled home in response, getting beaten at his near post by Max Caputo, and failing to prevent Marco Tilio from registering a third before half-time.
When the outstanding Andreas Kuen added a fourth for Melbourne City before the hour mark, it was game over.
City were clearly the better team and coach Aurelio Vidmar – who was also under a spot of pressure early in the season – looked like the only tactician with any answers.
So what does that mean for Talay? If reports are to be believed, he’s yet to sign a new two-year contract with the club.
In any other league around the world, he would no longer be given that option.
But one club’s despair is another one’s gain, with Adelaide United improbably sneaking into sixth place at Sydney FC’s expense.
They must be laughing at Sydney FC’s fate in Parramatta, after Alen Stajcic masterminded a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Macarthur in front of a raucous crowd of 9,213 at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday night.
It was the largest ever attendance for a Macarthur game – swelled by a massive contingent of travelling Wanderers fans – and a reminder that when the A-League’s good, it’s really good.
It was also a reminder that Western Sydney have absolutely zero need for their marquee man, Juan Mata.
The 37-year-old came on in stoppage time and it’s clear Stajcic – another coach who has enjoyed an impressive career renaissance in Western Sydney – hasn’t been thrilled at having Mata foisted upon him.
Juan Mata. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Stajcic. Corica. Vidmar. John Aloisi. Aren’t these all coaches who were supposedly past it in the A-League?
They’ll soon be fighting it out for silverware in what looks like a truly fascinating finals series, with Western United hosting Adelaide United and their departing tactician Carl Veart on Friday night, before Western Sydney host Melbourne Victory in Saturday night’s other elimination final.
It’ll be interesting to see how many fans turn up in Tarneit on Friday night – and how many tune in on TV, given that Paramount+ have the exclusive broadcast – but it’s Saturday night’s showdown between two of the biggest clubs in the land that could set the tone.
Whether anyone can stop Auckland FC remains to be seen, although Western United will take plenty of heart from their 4-2 win over the premiers on Saturday evening.
The business end of the season starts now.
This could be one of the best finals series in years.