MATCH PREVIEW
Date: Sunday, 16 November 2014
Who: Melbourne City FC v Central Coast Mariners
Where: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-Off: 5:00 PM (Local) (5:00 PM AEDT)
Referee: Adam Fielding
TV Broadcast: Live and exclusive coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 (FOX SPORTS 4HD & 4) from 4.30pm (AEDT) and Sky Sport 3 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: ABC Grandstand Online/ ABC Radio Mobile phone app
Hash-tag #MCYvCCM
Melbourne City FC: 1.Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3.Robbie WIELAERT, 5.Erik PAARTALU, 7.Iain RAMSAY, 11.Damien DUFF, 14.James BROWN, 15.David WILLIAMS, 17.Jason HOFFMAN, 18.Paulo RETRE, 19.Ben GARUCCIO, 20.Tando VELAPHI (GK) 23.Mate DUGANDZIC, 24.Patrick KISNORBO (C), 25 Jacob MELLING, 26.Marc MARINO, 27.Ross ARCHIBALD, 28.Liam MILLER
***One to be omitted***
Ins: 19.Ben GARUCCIO (promoted), 28.Liam MILLER (National Replacement Player)
Outs: 6.Aaron MOOY (international duty)
Unavailable: 4.Connor CHAPMAN (glandular fever – ongoing), 8.Massimo MURDOCCA (groin 1-2 weeks), 10.Robert KOREN (calf 2-4 weeks), 13.Jonatan GERMANO (hamstring – TBC), 21.Stefan MAUK (international duty)
Central Coast Mariners Squad: 1.Matt NASH (Gk), 3.Josh ROSE, 4.Jacob POSCOLIERO, 5.Zac ANDERSON, 7.John HUTCHINSON (C), 8.Nick MONTGOMERY, 9.Mitchell DUKE, 10.Anthony CACERES, 11.Nick FITZGERALD, 12.Liam REDDY (Gk), 14.Malick MANÉ, 15.Matt SIM, 17.Richárd VERNES, 18.Glen TRIFIRO, 21.Michael NEILL, 23.Isaka CERNAK, 25.Eddy BOSNAR, 26.KIM Seung-yong
***two to be omitted***
Ins: 5.Zac ANDERSON (promoted), 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (promoted), 26.KIM Seung-yong (promoted)
Outs: 2.Storm ROUX (International Duty)
Unavailable: 6.Brent GRIFFITHS (Injury – Indefinite), 19.Matt SIMON (Injury – Indefinite)
Bluffer's guide
Melbourne City, having secured their first win of the season away to Brisbane Roar on Saturday night, will be determined to build on that victory at home against another of the competition's strugglers.
Central Coast lost their third game in succession on Wednesday, going down 3-2 away to Adelaide United in the FFA Cup semi-finals.
Phil Moss's side showed plenty of fight in the second half but lost striker Matt Simon to a quad injury soon after the substitute scored.
It's a big blow to a team struggling for goals and starring down the barrel of one of their most disappointing seasons in some years. Could an unlikely revival begin at AAMI Park on Sunday?
Opta Data stats
Perhaps it's gone unnoticed amid their slow start and the hype surrounding David Villa, but City have demonstrated impressive tactical flexibility so far in 2014-15. In Round 1 they edged out Sydney for possession with 50.6 percent away from home, before dominating at home to the Newcastle Jets (62.1 percent).
By contrast, in their previous three outings, John van 't Schip's team have largely ceded control of the ball. Against Melbourne Victory (45.2 percent), Adelaide United (42.3 percent) and Brisbane Roar (38 percent) they've spent plenty of time out of possession, perhaps not always through choice, but certainly to considerable effect away to the champions last time out, when their swift counter-attacking game cut apart Mike Mulvey's side.
It's likely to be a different story again on Sunday, when, faced with a compact, defensive Mariners outfit, they will become the hunters rather than the hunted. Do City, without their probing midfield lynchpin Aaron Mooy (absent on Socceroos duty), have what it takes to break down a stubborn opponent camped in their own defensive half?
Route to goal
They haven't been their usual solid selves at the back in 2014-15, but there are plenty of concerns about the Mariners' forward line too. Malick Mane and Kim Seung-yong were hauled off at half-time away to Adelaide, while Simon is back on the sidelines for several weeks at least and Richard Vernes has yet to impress. Mitch Duke, nearing a return to his 2012-13 title-winning best, has been one of the few bright spots. But his tireless running alone won't be enough for Central Coast to score the goals they need to turn their campaign around.
Who's been in the spotlight this week?
After walking away from Brisbane Roar following a falling out with Mike Mulvey, Liam Miller has signed the shortest of short-term deals with Melbourne City, eligible to play only in the absence of Mooy and Stefan Mauk (Olyroos) under Football Federation Australia's National Team Player Replacement rule. With Massimo Murdocca injured, the former Manchester United and Celtic man could start at AAMI Park this weekend. Will his City stint last beyond Round 6? Watch this space.
NEWS | @MelbourneCity has signed midfielder Liam Miller on a short-term contract. Read More > http://t.co/enWUf4PTfF pic.twitter.com/OnvW4uLfMJ
— Melbourne City FC (@MelbourneCity) November 11, 2014
Form lines
City's 3-1 win in Brisbane was their first of the season and came as a major relief after a 2-1 loss at home to Adelaide and 5-2 thumping at the hands of Victory in the Melbourne derby.
The Mariners' reverse in Adelaide followed hot on the heels of a 1-0 loss to Perth - their first home defeat to Glory in A-League history - and a 2-0 defeat away to Sydney FC.
Did you know?
The old Melbourne Heart only defeated the Mariners once in 12 meetings, a 1-0 win in February 2012. John van 't Schip was in charge during his first spell at the club and Eli Babalj, yet to make a senior appearance for AZ Alkmaar since leaving for the second time, got the only goal. Mate Dugandzic and Jonatan Germano are the only survivors of the matchday squad, while Josh Rose and John Hutchinson are still with Central Coast.
Prediction
Melbourne City 2-0 Central Coast
City are surely buzzing after their drought-breaking triumph in Queensland so we're backing them to capitalise on the Mariners' recent struggles and kick-start their campaign with consecutive wins.