There was a moment in the 2-1 defeat to Wellington Phoenix on Sunday when it was hard to figure out if we were watching Brisbane Roar or Barcelona.
It came in the 42nd minute when James McGarry launched a long ball over the top that Justin Vidic lobbed home in a manner that looked suspiciously like the sort of finish Robert Lewandowski has been producing for years.
Yes, conceding a 96th-minute winner is hugely frustrating. Especially when it’s scored by one of your former players.
But we saw enough in a game controlled by Michael Valkanis’ team for long stretches to suggest they’ll be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Brisbane Roar were in control in windy Wellington and had Georgios Vrakas managed to bury a Vidic cutback five minutes into the second half, it probably would have been game over.
After dominating for an hour and having right back Youstin Salas flattened by Phoenix striker Ifeanyi Eze – how different would the result have been if the Nigerian had seen red instead of yellow for that incident? – Roar fans could be forgiven for thinking their side had done enough to take something from the Kiwi capital.
But it wasn’t to be, and after Carlo Armiento drove home the winner through a crowded penalty area to break Brisbane hearts, it’s a case of back to the drawing board heading into Round 3.
The good news is the team has already shown plenty of backbone, and that’s something they’ll need heading into a Friday night blockbuster against the defending A-League Men’s champions.
Melbourne City crushed Perth Glory 4-0 on Saturday, with Aurelio Vidmar having forged a team stacked with an eye-catching blend of youthful exuberance and grizzled experience.
But if City have a weakness it’s trying to play through a high press, as the Western Sydney Wanderers demonstrated repeatedly when the two sides drew 1-1 in Parramatta in Round 1.
The Melbourne outfit won’t love Brisbane’s heat and humidity either, even if the weather is expected to cool down over the week.
Valkanis and Vidmar certainly need no introduction to each other, with Vidmar the coach at Adelaide United when he made Valkanis his captain way back in 2007.
Valkanis joined the backroom staff at the end of his playing days in 2009, and such were his leadership qualities even back then that he took charge of the Reds as caretaker manager in 2013.
Having racked up more than a decade of managerial experience around the world, I wasn’t surprised to see Brisbane Roar’s new coach come in and dominate the room in the post-match press conference following the Round 1 win over Macarthur.
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“Teams have realised that we’re not just going to turn up and participate and be happy to lose,” Valkanis said after the 1-0 win over the Bulls.
“Teams will know that we mean business and we’re not going to lay down.”
That’s a stark contrast to last season, where it took 13 games to notch the first win of the season – at which point the men’s team were well out of finals contention.
Valkanis has already bristled at suggestions his team is too physical, pointing out it’s a stigma that doesn’t always allow for refereeing decisions to go his side’s way.
But after that backs-to-the-wall win over Macarthur and another spirited display across the Tasman, there’s no doubt we’re watching a very different team to the one we saw last season.
“If we’re going to play, we can play. If we have to defend, we’re going to defend.
“If we have to fight to win a game, and roll up our sleeves, we’re going to have to do it,” the new gaffer said after the gritty win over the Bulls.
“Any time, anywhere, anyone. We’ll find a way.”
A Brisbane Roar team that digs in and fights for their fans? You couldn’t ask for much more ahead of a Friday night visit from the champions.
Mike Tuckerman
About Mike Tuckerman: Mike is a freelance football journalist and long-time Brisbane Roar watcher. He has written for the ABC, The Guardian, Australian Football Weekly, Football Australia and theroar.com.au.
