Saturday 13 October 2007

The first loss is always the hardest

I don't particularly like it when my team loses, I guess nobody does unless your name is Cecilia. I also don't like it when we lose to Adelaide, its something about them, maybe it stems from the John Kosmina days. So as you may have guessed the loss last night to Adelaide didn't go down too well. In fact I don't think it went down well with all the people in the rather packed Charles Dickens Tavern who were watching the game as well. I decided to give the 'Dickens' a go after a rather poor effort from the Royal Melbourne Hotel for the Sydney game last weekend. I didn't manage to drag anyone along, not for want of trying so I decided I would just hang out with the hundred or so other Victory fans. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the venue and definitely will back there in the future. The place rocked when the only goal for Victory hit the back of the net.

Pure and simply, last night we were simply outplayed by Adelaide. We were outplayed by a team that wanted it more than we did. We may offer excuses that we were missing key players, but Adelaide were also not at full strength. We did miss the influence of both Muscat and Brebner, who are both so good at breaking up the play. Their replacement Milicevic, who was making his return form injury simply wasn't up for it. He is a central defender, not a central midfielder. The jury is still out for me on Milicevic, I am yet to be convinced of his value. The decision to play Kemp in the midfield was also a mistake and for many fans he is bearing the brunt of their frustrations. The only positive for me last night was the play of Hernandez, who is finally showing us what he is worth with some great passes and control in the midfield. he just wasn't getting the support from his teammates. Otherwise if was a forgettable performance from the team.

It was our first loss for the season (coincidentally we lost our first match last season against Adelaide in Round 8 - I hope that's an omen) and therefore not the the end of the world. Lessons must be learned and sometimes they are hard to take, but if we can take something from this loss we will be all the better for it. Bring on Perth next week I say and plenty of goals.

9 Comments:

Blogger Hamish Alcorn said...

"The first loss is always the hardest." Having watched my team (The Roar) outplay team after team and still fail to win, I find it difficult to sympathise, but ok... I do sympathise a bit.

But here's to hubris! When our teams face each other on your turf (in a few weeks yet), be afraid mate. Be very afraid.

Can you empathise with this? "The first win is always the sweetest."

14 October 2007 at 07:43  
Blogger Neil said...

I can always empathise with the first win is always the sweetest. If I am not mistaken the next two encounters between our two teams will be on your turf. All the going to plan I will be making the journey north for the second of these two encounters. Hopefully I will enjoy it as much as I did last year when I last ventured into Suncorp Stadium.

14 October 2007 at 21:22  
Blogger Hamish Alcorn said...

Cool! Let me know if you feel like catching up with Jacob and myself Neil, or for that matter if you need a place to crash. I won't hold the colour of your supporters' jersey against you, promise.

15 October 2007 at 19:05  
Blogger Neil said...

Hamish, it would be great to catch up with both and Jacob. Thanks also for the offer but I will be staying with some of your fellow Roar supporters, with whom I will be watching the game. Will email you with my details closer to the date.

16 October 2007 at 10:22  
Blogger Cecilia said...

Neil,

Don't listen to Eamonn's podcast this week.

16 October 2007 at 19:12  
Blogger Neil said...

Cecilia, I'm afraid I did listen to Eamonn's podcast. Pretty much agreed with everything you said. Even though I don't like it when we lose I will readily admit when we were outplayed as we were last Friday night.

18 October 2007 at 12:41  
Blogger Cecilia said...

See, it's not that I'm happy we lost, but I'm happy I got to see some football. And that the other team was playing the football and not us, makes it a very easy pill to swallow. Might see you tomorrow, go Melbourne!

20 October 2007 at 22:22  
Blogger Eamonn said...

Neil brilliant mate..good to see your publicing that wishy washy Victorian fan Cecilia..whatever will that state do with her...mayb she should come to Canberra...we're sure to play neat, well ordered footy when we get a team....

and she was so angry after Friday's game she demanded to be interviewed immediately..what's a guy supposed to do

when the best female blogger in the countyr says jump....I say how high!

and I'm coming down for the Sydney game with the family, hoping to meet Cecilia and maybe yourself to talk about the increasing frustrations of a Fredless Victory

cheers

Eamonn

27 October 2007 at 09:52  
Blogger Neil said...

Eamonn,

Would definitely be good to catch up for the Sydney and Melbourne game. Coincidentally the match is on the same day as my birthday so I will be dragging along a whole bunch of friends as part of the celebrations. Instead of talking about a Fredless Melbourne we could talk about a Hernandez inspired Melbourne.

27 October 2007 at 13:33  

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