I've made my share of farewells on this blog over the years, but this is likely to be the last one.
Sadly, family commitments and time constraints have made it difficult for me to contribute to TFT frequently enough, and I think the time has come to bow out. My love for the game remains undiminished, but this season it's been difficult to keep up with the A-League (which I've always considered the bread and butter of this blog), and I seem to be repeating myself more and more in the opinion department.

Some time ago, when Michael Zullo and Robbie Kruse were the hottest young prospects in the A-League, I suggested that Kruse probably had the more potential of the two of them. Although Zullo has already made the jump to Europe, and although Kruse endured a long spell on the outer thanks to some off-field problems, my opinion hasn't substantially changed.

And so it looks as if the final chapter is about to be written in the farcical Sydney Rovers saga.
The very first thing that the FFA should do is go hat in hand to the representatives of the Canberra bid, with a genuine assurance that future expansion bids will be assessed on their merits.

The 2018-2022 bidding process has had an industrial-strength spanner thrown in its works over the last few days, with the "allegations" (read gotchas) against two members of the FIFA ExCo. One can assume that the more canny members of FIFA's elite club would have been a little more circumspect in their comments in the company of people they didn't know.

When FIFA gave a strong indication that it wanted the 2018 World Cup to go to Europe, the FFA got the hint and concentrated all their efforts on 2022. It has taken the USA much longer to get the message, and their delay in shifting their strategy could certainly be seen as an admission that they may yet lose out on 2022, despite their current status as favourites.

It is interesting that Craig Foster chose to compose an extended encomium of Harry Kewell on the occasion of another insipid performance for the national team by its most controversial figure. To do Foster justice (and I wouldn't want to do him anything less, of course), the article was probably written well before the game.

More thoughts about this and that from the Heroes this month, with cartoonist Wayne Snowdon giving Ben Buckley et al. the full treatment, and Michael Turner taking an in-depth look at the do-or-die 2022 World Cup bid. Muse away.

How do you know that things just aren't going your way in football?
Well, perhaps when you've been dominating most of the second half at 1-1, and then you suddenly concede a totally unexpected winner in added time. Said winner is scored by a former player of the club, and laid on by a clumsy makeshift striker whose main contribution to the game for the preceding ten minutes has been providing welcome mirth for the fans.

Eight games into the season, and still a goose egg in the wins column for Sydney FC. Not a good look for the defending champions, to say the least.
Last night's game followed what has become something of a familiar pattern. Vitezslav Lavicka's side dominated play, scored a good goal, and then simply allowed the opposition to come back into the match.

I expect that everyone is more or less Conned out by now, so all I will add to the cacophony of commentary on the Newcastle situation is the observation that the Hunter's new knight in shining armour should be eyed with some due scepticism (hat tip to one of my e-friends for that link).
Instead, some thoughts on another piece of news which saw the light of day this week, but was largely buried under the weight of the Newcastle saga.

The hand-wringing over the state of the A-League has reached the stage of repetitive strain injury over the last week, and it is sure to continue. The Newcastle Jets have secured a stay of execution, but no-one seems to know for how long. Another pathetic crowd turned out on the Gold Coast, where the FFA has yet to effectively counter Clive Palmer's turnstile lunacy.

So Adelaide sit alone on top of the A-League ladder after six rounds, and few could argue that they don't deserve to be there.
A very controversial choice for the coaching job given the popularity of long-time assistant Phil Stubbins, Rini Coolen has done a fine job injecting some organisation and self-belief into a side which looked truly rudderless in 2009/10.

In a week which featured a battling friendly win for the Socceroos but little other football news of note, the raging debate over the health of the A-League has dominated the Australian football media. Everyone has had their say, with Archie Fraser venting his spleen at his former employers, various bloggers and commentators joining the fray, and finally Frank Lowy choosing to exculpate himself via Mike Cockerill.

Rarely, if ever, have Sydney FC been so badly outplayed at home as they were against Adelaide last night.
Sydney's midfield play was stilted and unfocused, their movement up front predictable and easily countered. Adelaide, by comparison, looked smooth, organised and dangerous, especially when the opportunity to play in Matthew Leckie on the right presented itself.

Another timely and interesting article in this week's edition of Goal! Weekly, this time concerning the infamous Article 19 of FIFA's transfer regulations. The article has appeared online as well, on the website of Australia's de facto player union.
The article's author, James Johnson, is a former professional player and now a lawyer in the employ of the PFA.