Melbourne City's already extensive injury list grew even longer when Andreas Kuen suffered a hamstring injury just 19 minutes into their clash against the Wellington Phoenix, forcing him to leave early. Despite this setback, City secured a dominant 2-0 victory. The win was primarily thanks to the youthful energy of the club's academy products, which boosted the team's performance. This experience should help build their confidence as they take on more significant roles while the team's star players recover, as head coach Aurelio Vidmar aims to have a fully fit squad by the time the Finals Series arrives.
Andreas Kuen is the latest star to join Melbourne City's growing injury list. (Image: Aleksandar Jason/Melbourne City)
Harry Politidis scored the opening goal for Melbourne City within the first 10 minutes, placing a beautifully executed shot into the bottom corner. This goal was the first of his A-Leagues career. The 22-year-old has taken on a more significant role this season due to his ability to play multiple positions, making him a valuable asset for Aurelio Vidmar as the team navigates through an injury crisis.
However, despite his contributions, Politidis has yet to prove that he possesses the quality needed to be a reliable starter for Melbourne City. When playing as a winger, he hasn’t delivered enough attacking output to justify a starting position, significantly when the regular starters are not injured.
So far this season, Politidis has scored just one goal and has not provided any assists. His underlying statistics indicate that he has struggled to create, having set up only four chances in his 608 minutes on the field, with an expected assists tally of just 0.27.
Politidis should focus on improving his passing game and overall vision on the field as he continues to develop.
As the fixture against the Wellington Phoenix progressed, Melbourne City focused on mastering the basics, particularly their strategy of winning the ball high up the pitch through persistent pressing. They kept the ball in the Phoenix's half to apply constant pressure when they were in possession. The match statistics further highlighted City's dominance over Wellington, with 339 passes completed in Wellington's half compared to the Nix's mere 41. Additionally, they restricted Wellington to just one shot throughout the entire match.
Youngster Mikey Ghossaini marked his debut with a spectacular back-heel assist that secured victory for Melbourne City late in the second half. Ghossaini is a highly rated prospect from the City Football Academy, having joined at 15. Since his arrival, he has scored over 55 goals for the club across various competitions and age groups.
When asked about how the young players coming through performed against Wellington, Aurelio Vidmar made clear that they still have a lot to learn, but he was happy.
“Those guys there, they're quality, quality players, and they're still learning,” Vidmar said post-game.
“Kavian (Rahmani) made the pass into Stevie (Ugarkovic), Stevie into Mikey (Ghossaini), Mikey with a little flick behind his back, and Mikey's got those sort of qualities, he's a real inside-the-box type player and you can't teach that. That's just natural ability. But those guys, if they keep working, keep listening, keep believing, I think they've got a big future.”
READ MORE ON FPF
MORE A-LEAGUE MEN: The Melbourne Derby: A Wellington Phoenix fan's perspective
AUSSIES ABROAD: Boyle's big-time brace, Nestor's loan, and keepers impress
NST UPDATE: The National Second Tier's teething issues
Melbourne City now sit fourth on the table, only one point behind their cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory, who are just above them in third. Now that City’s young players are starting to taste first-team football, they must take their opportunity with both hands and prove they deserve to be given the chance.
If they consistently perform at the level we saw on Friday evening, Melbourne City can time a charge into the Finals Series with their team fully fit. When that time arrives, if Melbourne City have qualified with their star players back in contention and a more experienced group of young players, they may be considered a dark horse for the Championship.
But there is still a long way to go in this A-League Men's season, and Melbourne City must focus on their next test against a Western United side that is in excellent form, having won four consecutive games. That match takes place at AAMI Park tonight and kicks off at 6 pm AEST.
Statistics sourced from FotMob.
Click here to read more of Front Page Football's coverage of the A-Leagues!
Comments