You take the good with the bad in football. A good first half was undermined by a sluggish second against Macarthur, yet the Glory escaped with a point thanks to a slice of good fortune courtesy of an absolute brain fade from Filip Kurto.
In team selection this week, the same principle applies. The good – Adam Taggart has recovered from the glute issue which kept him sidelined for the match in Campbelltown and Jaiden Kucharski is good to go after being poleaxed by Kurto.
The bad news is Tom Lawrence. The Welshman is in doubt for tonight with a plantar fasciitis issue, in what would be a massive blow to the Glory’s attack.
The high-flying Jets have landed in Perth and will be looking to extend their six game winning run and lead at the top of the table.
For the Glory, it’s all about staying in the hunt for a finals berth. Defeat at home could see Adam Griffiths’ side two games adrift at the end of the round if Adelaide United and the Melbourne Victory both win, right before a brutal four game spell on the road.
Can the fullbacks nullify Taylor and Adams?
Youthful exuberance is in abundance down in Newcastle this season. The Jets have dazzled with their attacking prowess, wreaking havoc through multiple avenues.
The two gamechangers for the Glory to really concern about are Eli Adams, who has broken Glory hearts at HBF Park in the past, and recent hattrick hero Clayton Taylor.
The no.13 has scored in three consecutive matches, while his teammate wearing the no.7 has four goal contributions in his last four.
The pair didn’t start the previous meeting between the clubs in November (Adams didn’t play), where the Glory came out on top 2-1.
Against Perth, the Jets wingers have had past success. Adams has scored twice in three vs the Glory, and Taylor has gotten a goal contribution in each of his last three starts with Perth.
The one-on-one defensive skills of Charbel Shamoon and Sam Sutton will be tested. That particular element, and how effective they can be going forward to counterpunch, are key elements in vital matchups which the Glory need to win in order to keep the Jets at bay.
Does Tevere make his debut?
Stan Lazaridis didn’t waste any time dwelling on the loss of Rhys Bozinovski to Heracles Almelo.
Less than a week after saying goodbye to the 21-year-old, Lazaridis has found his replacement, turning to the Victorian NPL to sign Luca Tevere from Preston Lions.
Technically gifted, versatile, an eye for goal and a great engine; if Tevere possesses these qualities and can show it at A-League level, the move to bring him over seems astute.
The 23-year-old has been included in the extended squad for tonight, putting him in line for a professional debut years in the making.
A box-to-box number eight perfectly suits the system Adam Griffiths is playing. Expect at least a few minutes off the bench for the new man, and we’ll see how good of a signing this might turn out to be.
And for the Glory girls…
How do they get Badawiya more involved?
Frustrating doesn’t even begin to describe the way I felt watching the Glory girls concede a silly goal right at the end of the first half against Wellington.
It turned out to be the only goal of the game. Stephen Peters’ side barely troubled the Phoenix defence, failing to score for the third game running.
For a side with a decent pool of midfielders and some good attacking options, their fluency in the final third has been severely lacking in recent outings.
Finding a way to consistently put the ball at the feet of their best forward is a good starting point. To help turn their form around, Rola Badawiya needs to be more involved.
In 79 minutes in New Zealand, the star striker recorded 32 touches (one in the opposition box), attempted one dribble and had zero shots.
She must command more of the ball, and her teammates have to improve their service. One goal in twelve from a striker of her calibre doesn’t cut it.
The Glory remain in touching distance of the top six despite their recent form. They’ve shown on occasion their true capabilities. For everyone, but Badawiya especially, now is the time to show it on a more consistent basis.
Predicted lineup
Taggart – Kucharski
Pennington – Freney – De Abreu – Colakovski
Sutton – Wootton – Kaltak – Shamoon
Sutton
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
