36 year old Alexandre da Silva Mariano, a.k.a. Amaral, is not one player that you would expect to be the (unofficially) most polite footballer.

Previously playing in footballing danger zones such as Italy (Parma; AC Fiorentina) and Turkey (Besiktas), representing Brazil 31 times, and winning an Olympic Bronze medal (Atlanta 1996), nobody anticipated that the former grave digger would have written a thank you note to his most recent club, Perth Glory.

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In this week's Match of the round, we travel to Etihad Stadium, where Melbourne lost both a match, and their epic pride, going down 4-0 in front of 18,000 fans. A quiet first half and start of the second was ignited by a rampant Central Coast side.

Ernie Merrick left his side unchanged for his side's clash with Central Coast, the standout being Carlos Hernandez, who is in blistering form for the Victory.

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IT'S a cliche to say that a loss is disappointing. EVERY loss is disappointing, from the big thrashings to the winner in the 94th minute.
But what is different is the reasons for the disappointment, well usually.
Yesterday Perth Glory lost 2-1 to Melbourne Victory and it's the third successive lost for the boys in Purple. Click to continue reading...

O 51º jogo do mundial sub-20, foi realizado na cidade do Cairo, no Estádio Internacional do Cairo, com uma temperatura de 33º C, válido pela decisão do 3º lugar.
Jogaram as seleções da Hungria (50º no ranking da FIFA) e a seleção da Costa Rica (43º no ranking da FIFA). Click to continue reading...

O 48º jogo do mundial sub-20, foi realizado no Cairo International Stadium, em Cairo-EGY, com uma temperatura de 28ºC., para um público de 32.935 pessoas.
Jogaram, as seleções dos Emirados Arábes (123º do ranking da FIFA) e a seleção da Costa Rica (39º do ranking da FIFA). Click to continue reading...

A third of the way through the A-League season, and it's a good time to take stock.
After a few games of the campaign, Tony Tannous and I had a chat about the football we'd seen so far; Tony was of the opinion that there had been an upturn in the on-field standard, while I thought that it was a case of same old, same old. Click to continue reading...

O 40º jogo do mundial sub-20, foi válido pelas oitavas-de-final, no Cairo Internacional Stadium em Cairo-EGY, com temperatura de 27º C.
Jogaram as seleções do Egito (32º no ranking da FIFA) e Costa Rica (39º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções nunca jogaram. Click to continue reading...

I saw you Danny putting your finger up to me on the big screen.
Well i did it back louder and longer.
Robbie Kruse v Tiatto and co, great stuff. Fozzie might not have liked it, but Bozzo loved it...me to.
Great game, particularly that first half, and great to see Danny Allsopp out of the Victory side. Click to continue reading...

O 21º jogo do Mundial Sub-20, foi realizado no Port Said Stadium em Port Stadium-EGY, com temperatura de 27º C.
Jogaram as seleções da Costa Rica (39º no ranking da FIFA) e Austrália (14º do ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções nunca haviam jogado.
O quarteto de arbitragem definido foi:
Árbitro: Mohamed Benouza (ALG)
Primeiro Assistente: Nasser Sadek Abdel Naby (EGY)
Segundo Assistente: Angesom Ogbamariam (ERI)
Quarto Árbitro: Frank de Bleeckere (BEL)
A seleção Australiana deu 12 chutes ao gol e a Costa Rica deu 14 chutes ao gol, com 55% de posse de bola da Austrália e 45% da Costa Rica. Click to continue reading...

After a poor start to the season, we can breathe easy again. Two wins on the trot has put Melbourne a point from first place, though the A-League is so tight this season that we're still only in sixth place. But it's good to see the team hit some form at last.

With a third of the season almost done, I thought I'd pop in to share my thoughts on how the mighty Victory are faring this year.

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by Usman Azad, Football Perth Editor
Perth Glory 2 (Jelic 4, 54)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Thompson 9)
Crowd: 8056
SERBIAN striker Branko Jelic scored two opportunist goals, as Perth Glory defeated Melbourne Victory 2-1 at ME Bank Stadium tonight.
Jelic, formerly with German Bundlesiga side Energie Cottbus, scored the game's opener in the 4th minute after Naum Sekulovski's cross into the box was headed to Mile Sterjovski, whose shot squeezed through Victory keeper Glen Moss. Click to continue reading...

by Usman Azad, Football Perth Editor
SO it's Tuesday and we are fast approaching Perth Glory's next match against Melbourne Victory on Friday night.
There's been a tinsy-whinsy bit of confusion on the times for the clash and FP may have found out why.
In the original fixture list released by the FFA, the game was going to be played on Saturday instead of Friday. Click to continue reading...

Aussie Agents up to their neck in it?
You can almost smell the greed of the Aussie Agent. An Agent who seals the deal for the likes of Brendan Santalab to get a gig in the A-League only to work his socks off to move him and any of his other players as quickly as possible to North Asia, the Middle East or even Europe. Click to continue reading...

It's an interesting little fact: in the first three A-League seasons, the winners of the season curtain-raiser went on to claim the premiership. And with that in mind, Lawrie McKinna can afford a little grin after last night's surprising result.
There were, in fact, plenty of parallels with the Mariners' dogged first-up win over Sydney FC in the first round of the 2007/08 season. Click to continue reading...

Or that should read magnificent Tony Tannous from the Half-Time Heroes.
Was he the only football writer in the country to have any real analysis of the opening game?
He picked the Jedinak factor as being important, no surprise their but unlike any other football analyser in the mainstream media he solved the problem, or least found out the solution from the man who knew, Laurie McKinna. Click to continue reading...

In this third and last part to my preview of the upcoming season. Below is an examination of the teams that I believe will fill the top 3 places.
3rd – Brisbane Roar
There is a lot to like about Frank Farina's team, it is beautifully balanced with a strong defence, a midfield full of talent and an attack that oozes class. Click to continue reading...

Jason Culina could be a playmaker for the Gold Coast, and he's Australian. But we need more and when you look around the A-League there is a dearth, particularly from the Aussies
Each club needs a Carlos Hernandez, or someone heading that way, and from that group of ten playmakers only then can we push one or two overseas and only then will we get one good enough to play internationally for the Socceroos. Click to continue reading...

Too young, too quick, too slow, too fragile, whatever the reason, whatever your code I'm sure you've heard the criticism of the A-League.
But with the Socceroos heading to the FIFA 2010 World Cup few fans would expect to see the squad without a pack of A-League players.
Yes that's right the A-League will be sending a host of players to the World Cup,to one if not the greatest stage in World Sport. Click to continue reading...

Earlier today I had the pleasure of speaking with Juan Carlos Hernandez Jr., Vice President, and Cuauhtemoc Rios, Assistant Coach of the Houston Leones. As you know, the Leones are members of the Premier Development League, which is a division of the United Soccer League.

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Over 2,000 people download the radio show each week. We've had listeners from Germany, Scotland, South Africa and now our Aussie and local friends in Costa Rica say g'day
I'm an Australian currently living in Costa Rica. I wanted to thank you for a great show and keeping me up to date with all football news from Australia and around the world. Click to continue reading...

Goalkeepers: Daniel Cambronero (Puntarenas), Ricardo Gonzalez (Herediano), Keilor Navas (Saprissa) Defenders: Dario Delgado (Puntarenas), Junior Diaz (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Freddy Fernandez (Perez Zeledon), Dennis Marshall (Herediano), Gonzalo Segares (Chicago, Major League Soccer), Esteban Sirias (Liberia), Michael Umana (Ramonense), Harold Wallace (Liberia) Midfielders: Armando Alonso (Saprissa), Cristian Bolanos (Start, Norway), Celso Borges (Fredrikstad, Norway), Pablo Brenes (Brujas), Walter Centeno (Saprissa), Esteban Granados (Cartagines), Warren Granados (Ramonense), Carlos Hernandez (Melbourne, Australia), Pablo Herrera (Alajuelense), Cristian Oviedo (Alajuelense). Click to continue reading...

What a goal from Ronaldo.
What made him do it? What made him think he could beat the keeper from that distance with such power and accuracy? One of the greatest indivdual sporting moments in any sport I reckon.
Audacious, and one of the greatest goals ever scored.
32 meters and bang. Click to continue reading...

MLS Transfers of the Week is a brand new column posted every sunday or monday(just depending). It shows the best players to be transfered in and out in MLS and trades from 1(being the best)-however many transfers went down(being the not so best). It explains the pros and cons of the best transfers and tells supporters what they can expect. Click to continue reading...

a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eG5nyD8m7lE/SdUHPMlf3qI/AAAAAAAAApI/S89VrJB8JuM/s1600-h/Carlos+Hernandez.jpg"img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320166492466044578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_eG5nyD8m7lE/SdUHPMlf3qI/AAAAAAAAApI/S89VrJB8JuM/s320/Carlos+Hernandez. Click to continue reading...

If you thought Adelaide's season couldn't get any worse, you either need to watch the highlights below or think again! They must have seriously pissed off some afterlife gods or some shit cause the nightmare only seems to continue. It wasn't enough that they were punished 5-0 on aggregate against Gamba Osaka in the ACL finals, they missed out on the Premiers plate to Melbourne by a point, got drilled in the two legged major semi-final 6-0 and now their coach Aurelio Vidmar has spilt the beans on in-fighting and. Click to continue reading...

If you thought Adelaide's season couldn't get any worse, you either need to watch the highlights below or think again! They must have seriously pissed off some afterlife gods or some shit cause the nightmare only seems to continue. It wasn't enough that they were punished 5-0 on aggregate against Gamba Osaka in the ACL finals, they missed out on the Premiers plate to Melbourne by a point, got drilled in the two legged major semi-final 6-0 and now their coach Aurelio Vidmar has spilt the beans on in-fighting and. Click to continue reading...

It was shaping up to be a rather woeful performance by the Melbourne Victory, until Carlos Hernandez picked up a second yellow in the 57th minute. Down to ten men for the third week in the row, and the Victory suddenly kicks it up half a dozen notches. This time there was no narrow victory or [...] Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

Apparently Ricky Herbert is furious with his sides display last night!
I'm more furious. I had to turn it off at half-time. Yes I lasted that long.
The difference between me and Uber Coach Ricky was I knew what was coming.
Some of the Fox Sports guys have talked the Phoenix up since they started in the league. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

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. Click to continue reading...

The Australian's A-League writer Ray Gatt is insisting on referring to the Roar's new striker Sergio van Dijk as Serginho. Ray is perhaps Australia's foremost football writer so perhaps he knows something I don't. In fact, doing a google search I see they are all at it Four Four Two, bloggers, everyone. Click to continue reading...

My apologies for the lack of posting lately. It is off-season though. Here's some news items you may have missed during the week: Kaz Patafta: Released by Benfica, under-utilised by the Melbourne Victory, young Kaz runs to the wide open arms of Gary Van Egmond. Mark Byrnes: The former Victory player has signed a short-term deal with Apia [. Click to continue reading...

This is bad: Carlos Hernández injured himself at training last week and is expected to miss six weeks. Ernie Merrick said: "It was just one of those training incidents with no one near him. He turned and his foot got stuck and twisted his knee." Six weeks means that the Costa Rican will miss Melbourne's first three matches [. Click to continue reading...