Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Semi-Finals Round 2 Tipping

Keeping it simple, the scores so far, in this still very tight contest:

Jacob: 37
John: 34
Tony: 33
Drsimmo: 33
Hamish: 32
Dave: 31

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Drsimmo is the only one who scored at all!

Thanks for playing Mike, by the way. You didn't score anyway, but forgive me if I don't include you in the list at this late stage of the season.

My tips for this round:
Newcastle Jets FC vs Sydney FC
Newcastle 2:0

Melbourne Victory FC vs Adelaide United FC
Adelaide 1:0

Jacob's tips:
Newcastle Jets FC vs Sydney FC
Newcastle 2:1

Melbourne Victory FC vs Adelaide United FC
Melbourne 1:0

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8 Comments:

Blogger drsimmo said...

G'day Hamish!

I have a quick question/suggestion regarding the tips this week. Could we have a bonus round to the pick the team that goes through in the Newcastle v Sydney game? I notice that Jacob has picked Newcastle to win 2-1, but that would lead to a penalty shoot-out since the teams would be on equal goals... this would not be the case with the Melbourne v Adelaide... plus it might provide a chance for those of languishing in midtable ;-)

Anyway, here are my tips for the 2nd leg:

Newcastle v Sydney: Draw 1-1
A tight game in front of a record crowd at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Newcastle must win, but also not allow Sydney any goals, something they haven't managed to do this season. It will come down to defence in the end. Sydney to go through.


Melbourne v Adelaide: Adelaide 0-1
Melbourne were woeful in the first leg, and I'm not sure if the can turn it around, even with 56000 fans willing them home. Expect, ah, fireworks if they don't make it through.

January 31, 2007 2:53 am  
Blogger john said...

drsimmo - how can I say it, Sydney may have the best squad in the league and the worst coach. The Roar taught Alex B how to score, he was desperate to play for Sydney and then Butcher left him, Sasho and Brockie on the sidelines for most of the season. Then he brings Alex into the starting line and he gets them into the finals. Oh if only we could have kept him, if only he had been loyal to the club that saved him from 2nd division europe abyss. We offered Sasho a contract and his wife wanted to stay in Sydney and now she has to go and live in Japan. Does she know what she is in for there? Two years of nothing. If only she'd have agreed to come up here to God's country. Sasho would have played every game and scored countless goals. And Brockie, the best player for NZ last year and this year he played 232 minutes. Oh how NZ needed him this year. Sydney kept and poached all these players and for some games they struggled to field a squad. And now they have signed Mori?

Newcastle Jets FC vs Sydney FC
Newcastle 1:0

Melbourne Victory FC vs Adelaide United FC
Melbourne 1:0

Who can pick this? Compare this to the tennis and the cricket eh? Where are the media? Worrying about whether butcher is getting sacked and Frankie boy taking over, eh?

January 31, 2007 9:51 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After an abyssmal week last week, I'm hoping for some redemption this week.

Despite a sparkling first half last week, Sydney still haven't convinced me they have what it takes to beat Newcastle over 2 legs. They looked flat in the second half last week. Also, the Jets are a much tougher prospect at home than on the road - something Melbourne found to their cost recently. In front of a full house, the Jets should do the business - Jets 2 Sydney 0; Jets win 3-2 on aggregate.

If Sydney were flat against Newcastle in the second half, Melbourne were downright boring. They hardly looked like scoring against Adelaide and their already defence-heavy back 5 was more like a back 8 for most of the game. The Reds however will have to be concerned about their inability to score. Press reports have said Merrick was having his troops practice penalties - suggesting he might be contemplating another defence-oriented game from the Victory. But that will only work for a 0-0 scoreline. I think it'll be a draw, but not a scoreless one - Victory 1 Adelaide 1; Reds go through on the away goals rule.

Best of luck everyone.

February 01, 2007 10:48 am  
Blogger drsimmo said...

John, I certainly don't think that Sydney have the best squad in the league! :-) They only have 17 players in the squad for a start, which has caused all sorts of strife this season. I reckon Newcastle probably have the best squad.

As for our coach, I don't think that Terry Butcher is the worst in the league. Very difficult to put a label like that on any of them this season. Last season was a different matter - Richard Money and John Adshead were a tie IMO. This season? I've never been a fan of Frank Farina or John Kosmina really. Ernie Merrick is okay, but he may have stuffed up the finals... we'll have to wait and see. Butcher is okay, I reckon Sydney's squad needs to shoulder a lot responsibility too.

Oh, and BTW, I stated above that Melbourne and Adelaide couldn't go to penalties. What was I thinking after last week's game? It's probably more likely to go to penalties...

February 01, 2007 4:16 pm  
Blogger john said...

Ok drsimmo. Just stirring. But what if you get Frank?

February 01, 2007 9:36 pm  
Blogger The Round Ball Analyst said...

good luck all, enjoy the weekend, hoping for two crackers....

i reckon both games this w-end could well be eliminators as the loser of melb/ad won't look forward to the prospect of meeting either syd or newc.

so there'll be plenty of pressure on sund, so I'm tipping another cagey spectacle and a 0-0 draw at full time. melb deserve a bit of luck this season, so maybe they can sneak one in et. 1-0 to MV.

as for who adelaide will be hosting next week, Sydney will try and get an early one, meaning NU would have to score 2 to go to et. Syd haven't conceded 2 in 13 games, tough ask for NU. For the sake of a spectacle, would be nice if NU went 1 up to see if SFC could come back. 1-1.

can't wait to see who handles it all.

February 02, 2007 3:33 pm  
Blogger drsimmo said...

Ok drsimmo. Just stirring. But what if you get Frank?

Fair enough, I'm a bit slow sometimes :-)

And thanks goodness Frank has signed another two seasons with you guys and not us!

February 02, 2007 5:22 pm  
Blogger john said...

So Hamish you picked the score but did you see the match. Expect more from FFA after an all in brawl on half time - even Sydney's bench dived in - phew

February 03, 2007 11:20 am  

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