Our City boys head into a fourth-consecutive Grand Final tomorrow night and eye off the prize of a second ALM Championship if they can defeat a spirited Central Coast Mariners side.
The past fortnight has conspired to produce a number of generally pro-Mariners narratives in the build-up to the contest at Sydney's Commbank Stadium, and with the local team set to command the attendance of around 20,000 supporters to their 'away' fixture, it feels like City will be up against more than just 11 opposition players on Saturday night.
With so much riding on the game's outcome for both sides, a preview of the clash deserves a little more than just the usual discussion of talking points. For this Grand Final preview, we've compiled the opinions and predictions of several Talking City writers to answer a number of key questions surrounding the contest.
Here's what to expect from the 2023 ALM Grand Final:
What's the biggest talking point for you?
Regan: “Scott Jamieson’s final match. Nick Montgomery may not care, but the City faithful will look back at Jamo’s tenure with a tear in their eye. He embodies the soul of the club; we work hard and get results. Jamo has played in the midfield, all across the defence, and even scored important goals for us. He may be remaining a City lad as a coach, but will be missed out on the pitch.”
Josh Gribling: "The threat of the opposition. Not only are the Mariners a genuinely good team, they'll also have an enormous advantage on Saturday: the power of a fairytale narrative (and about 20,000 fans to push it)."
Josh Grech: "It's gotta be going up there and sticking it to the APL. The Semi-Final against Sydney FC felt like the first time that a lot of supporters from around the league were hoping for a City win, and to a lesser extent that should apply here too - even with all the condescension of the David vs Goliath narrative that has been rife in the weeks leading up to the match."
Which opposition player are you most concerned about?
Regan: “Marco Tulio. He is an absolute baller - just see how he made Adelaide look silly over the course of the Semi-Final. However, with a strong defence taking no prisoners, we could certainly lock him down and prevent him from being the best Marco on the field.”
Josh Gribling: "Danny Vukovic. The longer we go without a lead in the match, the more that every one of his saves are going to hurt, and he made a lot of them last time we met. If the Mariners take us to penalties, there's something about his coolness and experience that unsettles me."
Josh Grech: "Danny Vukovic. The elder statesman of the league was a tough bastard to beat last time we visited the palm trees and sauce bottles and no doubt he will be again. But, if we pass it around well enough, there's no stopping a J-Mac tap-in from point-blank range."
Where's the contest going to be won and lost?
Regan Connor: “It may actually be the battle of the goalkeepers. Both Tom Glover and Danny Vukovic sit at a save percentage rate of 70.9% and 71.9% respectively (FBRef.com), which indicates just how good these guys can be on a consistent basis. If they’re both up for it, we could see a great war fought between two of the best Aussie keepers in the league, especially considering the artillery up front for each side.”
Josh Gribling: "I'm confident we'll score at least once, so the challenge is shutting out the Mariners' dynamic front four of Silvera, Cummings, Tulio and N'Kololo. It'll be interesting how we counter the number of attacking threats they have. Reis might get the nod over Talbot as a more defensively-assured right-back option, but will Bos also be asked to play more conservatively over on the other side of defence?"
Josh Grech: "In our backline, if it's anything like the last match, we're in for an end-to-end affair with the Coasties skipping over the midfield entirely. Credit to them, they are one of the few teams in the A-League Men's to actually take the game on so we know we'll get our chances up the other end. Our boys will have to be switched on and not get caught too far upfield or it could come back to hurt us."
Alright, let's get it over with then. What's your score prediction?
Regan: “No-nonsense 2-0 win. We might have a few scares, but in the end solid as a rock at the back.”
Josh Gribling: "1-1 after 90. City to win 2-1 late in extra time."
Josh Grech: "3-1 to City. We're in for a great game, it won't be a boring cagey final, but we'll be too good in the end. And won't the tears be tasty."
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