9:43pm: FULL TIME - Melbourne Victory 0 drew Melbourne Heart 0
On the day that the sacking of Socceroos boss Holger Osieck overshadowed A-League action, the Melbourne Derby produced a match worthy of being overshadowed.
45,202, a derby record, watched a first half with the occasional half-chance that whet the appetite for the second 45 minutes.
But the second half whimpered out with only the occasional counter attack or fast break to excite.
Melbourne is in Adelaide on Friday night in round two while Melbourne Heart hosts Central Coast from 5.30pm next Saturday.
For Michael Lynch's match report and further coverage of football, stay logged on to this website.
9:39pm: 90.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
There will be four minutes of time added at the end of this one...but little evidence that either team will be able to capitalise.
9:36pm: 87.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Dugandzic is down in midfield and getting treatment...that might be enough to ensure three minutes of stoppage time once the 90 expires.
Heart makes its second sub with Dugandzic off and Nick Kalmar on.
9:35pm: 86.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Finkler running with the ball for Victory...he plays it to Traore on the left, then a cross to Pain in the middle!
But Pain's first-time shot on the left is straight up in the air and an easy collect for Redmayne.
9:34pm: 85.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Five minutes plus stoppage remaining. Will we see a goal?
9:33pm: 83.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Third substitution for the Victory. Troisi is off and Scott Galloway on.
Heart win a corner...Victory counter through Nabbout...but he is run into a two-on-one against Behich and Ramsay and can only produce a softly-hit shot into the keepers' hands.
9:31pm: 82.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Tonight's crowd is 45,202 which is a new record for the Melbourne Derby.
Still some way off Victory's regular season record of 50,333 against Sydney FC back in 2008. Which ominously, was a 0-0 draw.
9:28pm: 79.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Another sub for Melbourne. Rashid Nahazis' A-League debut ends and Gui Finkler is on. Back for the first time in an A-League match since his season-ending knee injury last campaign.
9:25pm: 75.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Andrew Nabbout is ready to come on for Melbourne.
Victory try to attack through the middle with Traore advancing but he clipped Kisnorbo's heels and gave away a foul.
Archie Thompson is subbed off for Melbourne and Nabbout is on.
9:23pm: 74.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Contreras has looked increasingly impatient at the back and finally went on a run into the attack half, staying forward after passing the ball to the left.
Troisi swung in a cross from the left with numbers waiting in the area...Archie Thompson is on his own for a free header!
Buty he put it wide to the left! Victory's best chance yet goes begging!
9:20pm: 71.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Corner for Victory after a clever one-two between Nichols and Broxham won a corner on the right.
But Heart gets a first head on Troisi's corner to clear.
9:18pm: 69.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Free kick to Melbourne 15m outside the area, slightly left of centre.
Nichols hits it straight into the wall though.
9:17pm: 68.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Thompson threads through Nichols on the left...he then hits a ball into the box but it's four on none...Pain was coming form deep but not in time.
Heart makes its first change of the night with Kewell off to a chorus of boos, by far the biggest of the night, and Iain Ramsay is on.
9:12pm: 62.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Leijer bowls over Williams...no booking, Leijer has made a few tough challenges sitting on a yellow.
Heart cannot capitalise as Coe comes out to claim the resultant free kick.
9:10pm: 60.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Corner for Heart...Kisnorbo gets first head on the ball but there's no power and Coe makes an easy save.
Victory counter and Wielart goes in the book for a professional foul on Troisi to break up the attack!
9:08pm: 59.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Kewell hits the free kick from the Traore foul into the wall...Heart retain possession in attack.
Kewell takes possession from a throw and slips a pass to Williams on the right...Williams wastes no time and has a pop from the left! It sails over the top right of the goal.
9:05pm: 56.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
There's been an incident off the ball...Dugandzic was trying to run past Contreras and the Victory debutant raised an arm-bar that felled Dugandzic!
No further action taken by the referee.
But moments later after play re-starts Traore goes in the book for a foul on Murdocca!
9:02pm: 52.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Nichols in possession on the right for Melbourne...he runs to the right flank and crosses but Kisnorbo heads it behind for a corner.
Heart clear the corner. Broxham is booked for a foul to stop Heart's fast break through Williams.
9:00pm: 51.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Corner for Heart...it doesn't get past Mahazi at the front post. Victory clear.
8:59pm: 49.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Corner for Heart...cleared by Victory.
Heart keeping the ball in attack with Kewell...it's knocked away from him for a throw.
8:56pm: 47.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Traore with a shot...shouts for a handball but not paid!
Replays suggest Victory may have been unlucky...Kisnorbo had his hand away from his body when it hit!
8:54pm: KICK-OFF - Victory 0 Heart 0
Victory gets the second half started. Will we see a goal in this Melbourne derby?
8:39pm: HALF TIME - Victory 0 Heart 0
Just a smattering of applause to greet the half-time whistle. It feels like this game has plenty to offer but so far has delivered little more than a tease!
Both teams had chances to open the scoring but for the most part it is defences on top at half time.
8:38pm: 45.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Just the one minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
8:36pm: 44.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Kewell heads a ball from the left side of the penalty area into the path for Mebrahtu!
He swings a left-foot volley at goal...just over!
Heart's best chance of the half.
8:35pm: 40.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
A surprise chance for Kewell!
Victory shanked a defensive clearance and it rebounded off Contreras into Kewell's path.
He swung a left-foot shot at goal from outside the area but it was wide to the right!
Mahazi was booked at the end of the passage for a tackle earlier in the play. He goes into the book along with Adrian Leijer.
8:31pm: 38.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Kewell found Williams on the left for Heart...he cut back in board and then squared to Migliorini! But his shot was blocked and Victory cleared the danger.
Victory respond with Thompson trying to do a blind turn on a pass from Traore to open up some space...but he loses possession to Redmayne.
8:28pm: 34.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Another shallow clearance from the backline presents a half-chance to Melbourne but Murdocca is awake to the danger.
Melbourne press and win the ball on the right through Thompson. Thompson crosses to the top of the area where Broxham takes a shot! But it's juggled and then held on the second attempt by Redmayne.
8:24pm: 31.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Victory back in control of possession but no clear-cut chances created.
Redmayne puts the ball out for a throw with an errant clearance.
8:21pm: 27.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
The offside flag again denies Heart as Williams' link-up with Behich down the left was mis-timed.
Victory respond by wining a corner.
It's not cleared straight away and Leijer gets a chance from close range! But he is foiled by a block from Redmayne!
The best chance for either side so far.
8:18pm: 25.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Leijer is called for a jumping foul on Kewell. An elbow to the head! No thoughts of a second yellow from the ref though.
Kewell needs treatment and is bandaged up on the sidelines.
The boos for Kewell have not been quite as fierce as the build-up may have suggested.
8:16pm: 23.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Heart now getting on top.
A great through ball from Williams drew Coe off his line...but before Coe could get to the ball Mebrahtu was there first!
Mebrahtu had to run wide though, and his attempt to curl the ball into the net from out on the left flank was blocked by Leijer! No goalie, no worries!
The offside flag then ends Heart's next attack.
8:15pm: 17.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Heart's pace on the counter looks good. Dugandzic flashes a shot wide right from the top of the area after a break by Williams.
Leijer goes into the book for a mistimed challenge on Mehbrahtu.
8:14pm: 11.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Corners at both ends come to nothing.
Kisnorbo is first into the book as he picks up a yellow for a crude challenge in midfield.
7:59pm: 6.30 - Victory 0 Heart 0
Victory controlling possession early.
Happy to play the ball around the half-way line.
Pain goes on a run down the left flank but can't beat Hoffman about 5m from the top of the area.
7:56pm: 2.00 - Victory 0 Heart 0
A big tackle in midfield from Broxham on Migliorini. Migliorini gets up quickly but it's a tough welcome to the derby from the Victory skipper!
Mahazi has had an early touch in centre midfield to settle the nerves, while the veteran Contreras looks comfortable at centre back.
7:54pm: Kick-Off! A-League is back in Melbourne for 2013-14.
7:49pm: Both teams are out of the tunnel and onto the pitch. Kick-off is not far away.
7:41pm: Both teams have finished their warm-ups out on the ground. It looks like they have got through unscathed and teams will be unchanged.
7:28pm: The final whistle goes in Gosford. Tomi Juric's late equaliser has earned West Sydney Wanderers a 1-1 draw with Central Coast Mariners.
7:26pm: The next chapter of Harry Kewell's career starts with the captain's arm-band, while Heart welcomes back Mate Dugandzic from last year's season-ending injury.
Dugandzic and Kewell are just two of five named on the Heart team sheet tonight to have previously played for the Victory. The other three players are Behich, Velaphi and Retre.
7:24pm: So in a night full of club and A-League debuts, it is Rashid Mahazi who trumps all as the selection surprise.
Victory has opted for the teen midfielder in the starting XI, while last year's surprise packet Andrew Nabbout is on the bench.
7:23pm: Melbourne Heart
1. REDMAYNE Andrew (gk), 3. WIELART Robbie, 8. MURDOCCA Massimo, 10. KEWELL Harry (c), 14. MEBRAHTU Golgol, 15. WILLIAMS David, 16. BEHICH Aziz, 17. HOFFMAN Jason, 23. DUGANDZIC Mate, 24. KISNORBO Patrick, 25. MIGLIORINI Andrea.
Bench: 5. GERHARDT Patrick, 7. RAMSAY Iain, 20. VELAPHI Tando (gk), 22. KALMAR Nicholas, 28. RETRE Paolo
7:21pm: Melbourne Victory
1. COE Nathan (GK), 2. CONTRERAS Pablo, 3. TRAORE Adama, 6. BROXHAM Leigh (c), 10. THOMPSON Archie, 11. PAIN Connor, 14. TROISI James, 15. NICHOLS Mitch, 16. MAHAZI Rashid, 23. LEIJER Adrian, 25. GERIA Jason.
Bench: 4. ANSELL Nicholas, 7. FINKLER Gui, 13. NABBOUT Andrew, 20. THOMAS Lawrence (gk), 24. GALLOWAY Scott
7:17pm: Welcome to tonight's live blog of the Melbourne A-League derby. Melbourne Victory v Melbourne Heart from 7.50pm at Etihad Stadium.
No comments:
Post a Comment