Sydney to lose at home, Mariners to do wha Japanese Champs Kashima couldn't..and defeat Adelaide, Melbourne to give Perth a hiding and the Jets to draw with the Wellington mob.
In Canberra news, will Kaz Patafta start this weekend, and what's wrong with Socceroo..make that former Socceroo Nikolai Topor-Stanley.

Ben Kantarovski, 16 year old from Newcastle Jets made the most promising 16 year old debut in the NSL or A-League since Mark Viduka...and it was the youth and debutants that caught my eye in the opening couple of games.
The A-League kicked off four seasons ago. Kantarovski, Chris Payne, Evan Berger, Nick Tsatallios and and established stars like James Holland, and Adam Casey, would have been playing junior football wondering where to next?

National Show:
Download
Dylan Macallister talks about his debut and the standard of the A-League.
Lawrie McKinna discusses Mark Bosnich's debut and Ahmed Elrich's season ending injury.
We talk A-League and Socceroos
Alen Stajic talks Young Matildas and W-League
Local show including Robbie Hooker interview Download

but this time he's Scottish and he's playing for Queensland Roar.
Charlie Miller is doing his best to impersonate Mario Jardel. He's got the whole belly thing off pat.
Even wears the shirt the same.
He looks like he's come from a Scottish pub just before the game, but he did play in the 3 degree Summer A-League kick-off game for the Roar in Wellington.

Central Coast Mariners smashed Queensland 4-2 and Sydney FC put four (4-1) past Perth.
The Mariners lost Ahmed Elrich for the season due to injury and Adrian Caceres before the match.
But they needn't have worried.
Mile Jedinak was back and wiped out any threat from Charlie Miller or indeed any Roar player.

Shannon Cole scored a superb late free-kick to give Sydney FC an away win in Gosford, and Jade North found the net even later for the Jets in Perth.
Goals everywhere in the opening games.
Shannon Cole scored the winner, he almost did the same the week before against Melbourne. Last week his free kick bounced off the post, this week it went in to seal the win against the Mariners.

Kaz Patafta, Matty Kemp and Adam Casey are all in their clubs respective clubs squads for the opening round. Olyroo Nikolai Topor-Stanley may well turn out for Perth Glory on Sunday.
Shaun Ontong is out indefinitely with a dodgy ankle and Ben Wilson will be an Assistant Referee and Ben Williams will control the game in New Zealand and Craig Moore is suspended already:) along with Alex Brosque and a heap of others.

AFL Finals. Big game in Melbourne drew 45,000 to the MCG. Across at the Dome Melbourne Victory passed another test.
They drew 25,000 to watch their 1-0 win over Adelaide United. This was the first time football had been played in Melbourne at the same time as an AFL Final.

Big kick-off tonight with the F3 Derby. Interestingly the first Mariners Jets Derby drew 5,700. And the Mariners started the first A-League season with 600 Members. Canberra, two years out, has 450 and out team doesn't even have a name yet!
Anyway here's ten to watch and most of them aren't Olyroos:)
Central Mariners:
Well if Mark Bosnich signs up it will be him.

Now I love my Yellow Fever fans but the second year in and someone has to help them out....Ricky Herbert is the
New Zealand equivalent to Graham Arnold. It's tedious, deadly to watch and I hold little hope for the season for our loud yellow fans.
Of course they'll be bottom.
Did you see how they played at home, against a Scottish midfielder Charlie Miller who looked like he'd just rocked out of a Scottish pub.

Can't wait to see Melbourne and Sydney playing at home this weekend. Both of the big city clubs have shown they have enough talent and money to keep me awake this year...
Melbourne might have the luxury of leaving Archie Thompson on the bench. Wow!
And Sydney still have John Aloisi to come in.

Wellington won, honest the beat the leaders Sydney FC. I kid you not. And Victory had another sent-off, for what I don't know.
Central Coast thumped Perth, will Dave Mitchell be sacked after Pim Verbeek's vote of confidence, and the youngsters shine for the Kruse less Roar.
Queensland Roar are better away.

A-League Assists
If you look at the FFA Hyundai A-League player assist table it shows after Melbourne Victory's 5-0 demolish of Newcastle Jets that Archie Thompson leads the assist table with 3.
A mistake....
Surely Jade North should be on 3, and after last weeks showing Tarek Elrich should be on at least 2.

Key Questions and answers this week:
Will Mark Bosnich get caught out again either kicking or coming to clear the lines. Yes and it will be fun to watch, or maybe embarrassing.
Can Perth win at home? Not this week.
Will the Jets turn up? Not unless Van Egmond solves the central midfield woes.

Sydney drew 0-0 with a rejuvenated Newscastle Jets in Newcastle. Pity the same couldn't be said about the Ref. Million dollar Aloisi disappoints, Kossie gets it wrong and Van Egmond outsmarts us all.
And still no place for Canberra's Patafta..not even on the bench!
Mitchell Prentice came on as a sub late on, returning from suspension, and got sent-off.

Wellington and Perth, I've bagged them both here, particularly Ricky Herbert's men.
They both won, but I notice Wellington did it by removing Karl Dodd and Richard Johnson from the midfield and played Lei Lei Gao from the start.
Not hard is it Ricky, i mean to read the blog and get free advice, and suddenly you look like a football team at least.