Rocky Visconte was the man of this match. Not because he was the best player, but because he played so much better than he has before. Ange starting him over Issy added new Broich like movement to the Roar on attack. For the first time in 5 games, Brisbane had a midfield that was always searching forward, looking to beat the first defender and so drawing the second across and creating space elsewhere.

A failed 'double header' promotion of the youth team game before the main event backfired badly for Brisbane. Not only was the crowd only 10,006 and only a few hundred at best turned up early, but Theo's goal mouth was drenched before the kick off. This water led to Theo's miss kick which gifted Central Coast the game and the Roar 4th straight loss.

Most A-League teams have now demonstrated that they can play the Roar system. If Brisbane wants to grow its fan base it now has to:
1. Take its system to another level.
2. Buy better players that will play the current system better and more consistently.
3. Ensure the squad has a majority of local players (there are about 2 or 3 in there now and sometimes they start with none).

To build a football brand in Brisbane, the Roar had to win last night. While the crowd had already halved from 20,000 to 10,000, Roy Morgan found this week that Brisbane is the most watched (TV) soccer team in the A-League. A shock for Melbourne Victory perhaps.
That was one disappointment from last night.

Brisbane were not in this game. The end of their run was emphatic. From the goal in the first 32 seconds, to their defence regularly looking in disarray, to the off night upfront.
Poor games from Jurman, Smith and Franjic. Very poor passing from Paartalu.
I'd like to see a back-line of Steffanutto, Smith, Adnan, and Hingert.

Brisbane were not in this game. The end of their run was emphatic. From the goal in the first 32 seconds, to their defence regularly looking in disarray, to the off night upfront.
Poor games from Jurman, Smith and Franjic. Very poor passing from Paartalu.
I'd like to see a back-line of Steffanutto, Smith, Adnan, and Hingert.

Kevin Muscat wants to be coach of Melbourne Victory.
Just what he is prepared to do to ensure he gets there is unclear. It is also unclear who his powerful backers are. But they are there and as ABC Offsiders sports commentators noted last week, they or Muscat directly are influencing the Melbourne Victory Board.

The game was over by half time. And all Ferguson had to do then was protect his career. Before the game he had said the pressure was all on Brisbane. That did not ring true. The week before he had admitted his job was on the line, and 8-0 would have done that.
The combination of half time changes in Andrezinho and Steve McGarry plus Brisbane switching down a gear in the humidity saved coach Ferguson's career.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before kick off - say 6pm - could take that long to get in.
It is starting to feel like a very big crowd. People are talking about it who never do. 20,000? more?
Why not.

Early in the first half Brisbane had crazy misses. Besart found himself clear twice. The first time he fell over. The second he took too long. Then Issey failed to take his chance.
Then Newcastle settled into their 3-4-3 formation with Ruben Zadkovich outpacing Erik Paaratlu, Broich having his quietest half of football ever with a few well timed elbows in the head from Kasey Wehrman, and Newcastle playmaker Ryan Griffiths occasionally looking dangerous.

Brisbane Roar will be hoping to not loose to Newcastle so that they get the payoff at the game for their next home game - 26 November - next Saturday night.
16,400 for Wellington will look minor if they can get to Brisbane to battle for the record.

At 16,400 the crowd was best on ground.
The Roar were a mile better than Wellington in the first 20 minutes. Then some really crap referring
changed the game to favour Wellington. How could the ref make rulings that were opposite to ben Williams last week?
Issey was found out badly in this game.

It you have never been to an A-League game this is the one.
Anything could happen. They could lose. Against a team struggling away and struggling to get a team on the park, they could win 10-0.
Eric needs to practice kicking from distance. Just in case.

This says it all:
'Qatari club... failed to qualify for the tournament and was only granted entry after a Vietnamese team was barred for failing to submit the correct documentation... Al Sadd lost both legs in the quarterfinals but still made it to the last four. After losing, 1-0, at home to Sepahan, the Asian confederation gave the losers a 3-0 win after discovering that the Iranian team had fielded an ineligible player.

OK so there was a lot of action in the first 30 minutes or so. But by the 2nd half the game had flatlined. Everyone was exhausted including the referee.
Someone wrote of one of my blogs, probably in season 1, 'don't read this if your name is Ben Williams.' Now I can see a bit more of what Williams is trying to achieve as a ref.