Postecoglou appointed to Socceroos post as Muscat takes over at Victory Former Melbourne Victory manager Ange Postecoglou filled the vacant Socceroos managerial post week when the FFA announced that the 48-year old would lead our national football team until 2018. It was a momentous occasion in Australian football as Postecoglou became the first A-League coach to take over the role and the first Australian since Frank Farina to lead the side to a World Cup. Postecoglou has been somewhat of a revolution in Australian football since he took over at Brisbane Roar in 2009. 'Roarcelona' was the moniker given by fans as they won two consecutive championships by playing a brand of football unseen before in Australia. Postecoglou left the Roar to join giants Melbourne Victory and after his 18-month stint with the club he now leaves the manager's role to Victory legend Kevin Muscat. Muscat was a formidable character in his six-year career with the Victory, known for his hard man attitude and fierce play on the field. Now, Muscat faces the next challenge in his career, one he has been in training for since he retired from the game he loves. There is no doubt that his passion for the game combined with the knowledge he has gained from his predecessors such as Postecoglou will be benefit him in coaching the biggest club in the A-League. Muscat deserves his chance after being an assistant with Victory since 2011 and time will tell if he can produce the same output as a manager as he did as a player.
No ADP, No Sydney FC
40,388 fans turned through the turnstiles at Allianz Arena for the Sydney derby on Saturday, only for the match to be a completely one-sided affair that saw the Sky Blues humbled by a far superior Western Sydney Wanderers outfit. The 2-0 score line hardly resembled Sydney's defensive woes which were exemplified by Seb Ryall and Tiago Calvano's comical attempt to stop Shinji Ono before the Japanese maestro scored the Wanderers second. The most damning outcome for Frank Farina's side was that after ninety minutes of football they were left with only two shots on target. It is becoming more and more evident that without the influence of star Alessandro Del Piero, the Sky Blues are lifeless in the final third of the pitch. Farina has been praying all week that the Italian can recover from his calf strain in time for his side's clash with Perth Glory.
Sidnei Sciola can be the A-League's next star
The A-League's newest star may have unveiled himself at NIB Stadium on Sunday. After arriving from Cypriot club Alki Larnaca in the offseason, Perth Glory's Sidnei Sciola provided a performance that was etched with creativity and class as the Brazilian simply did as he pleased in Glory's 1-0 defeat of Melbourne Heart. With electric pace and crafty footwork, the left-winger was able to continuously reach the byline to deliver dangerous crosses into the Heart box. The assists and goals didn't come but that was only due to a lack of understanding between himself and his new teammates. It will take time but once the rest of the Glory squad interprets Sidnei's intelligence on the ball, he may very well blossom into one of the league's most prominent players.
