A more spirited outing wasn’t enough to get more points on the board last time out, as the Glory fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Melbourne Victory in front of a 11,000+ crowd at HBF Park.
Short periods of good spells failed to materialise into goals, and couldn’t be maintained for longer periods against a side who’ve had to regain their rhythm after losing Patrick Kisnorbo.
The Glory are back at home tonight to face the Mariners, while the women are in Adelaide still searching for a first away win of the season.
Here are the big questions as the Glory sides aim for big wins going into the weekend.
The Risdon redemption arc – is it coming?
Josh Risdon faced a bit of heat for his performance against the Victory after switching off for the first goal and getting left behind for the second.
Age is becoming a factor; the 32-year-old hasn’t got the pace to be constantly pushing forward and charging back for 90 minutes.
Yes, it was a poor game by his high standards, but some of the calls regarding his future are unwarranted.
He’s been consistently good for most of the season; just a month ago he was brilliant in the upset win over Auckland.
Tonight, he faces a young opponent with quick feet and decent speed. It’s a player he will be very familiar with in Abdul Faisal, returning to Perth for the first time since leaving the Glory.
It’s a fascinating matchup between an experienced campaigner versus an exciting young talent. Risdon will relish the challenge, and can prove some of the doubters wrong with a strong showing.
Anasmo and Wales to start?
The noise is getting louder. Once again Joel Anasmo and Lachie Wales were brought on late and added spark to the Glory attack.
They didn’t impact on the scoresheet this time, but their energy and drive lifted the HBF Park crowd in the later stages of the contest.
Jaylan Pearman’s absence should make the decision easier. Both should be starting, but I’m confident at least one will be on the pitch from the get-go.
Given Pearman had been shifted to the left to make room for Patrick Wood, it makes sense for Anasmo to fill the role on his preferred side.
With Wales, match fitness is the only question mark. If he’s not fully match fit, he shouldn’t be rushed in like we’ve seen with other signings.
As for other selections, the left back spot is up for grabs in the absence of Zach Lisolajski. Yuto Misao is likely to get a starting debut, while Anas Hamzaoui may be given a chance to prove his worth and get back into selection contention.
Predicted lineup
Wood – Taggart
Anasmo – Pennington – Freney – Ostler
Misao – Mourdoukoutas – Mrcela – Risdon
Sail
And for the women…
Can Brown save the Glory attack?
It was an all too familiar tale for the women’s team last week, failing to convert in front of goal and paying the price for it.
Glory’s 16 shots and 5 on target couldn’t get past Sally James, but Canberra’s one on target from Liz Anton did find the back of the net to give Canberra a 1-0 win.
They remain on the road this week, facing Adelaide this afternoon. The Reds haven’t lost a game this year and will be boosted by the return of Fiona Worts.
The only saving grace for Stephen Peters is the return of Kelli Brown, who has been out for six weeks with an injury.
With Gabby Hollar out for this week and Caitlin Doeglas soon to be out as well, Brown’s return couldn’t have come at a better time.
The frontline desperately needs her; goals have to come from somewhere, and the New Zealander is the most likely source.
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
