For the first time in the Hyundai A-League, Melbourne take on Sydney in the Grand Final.
Hyundai A-League 2010 Grand Final
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
Local kick-off: 7.00pm AEDT
Referee: Strebre Delovski
Assistant referees: Ben Wilson and Matthew Cream
Fourth official: Matthew Breeze
Live and exclusive broadcast on FOX Sports 3HD & 3 and Sky Sport 3. Hyundai A-League club broadcast partner is 774 ABC (Melbourne). To purchase tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com.au
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Mitchell LANGERAK (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT (c), 3.Mate DUGANDZIC, 5.Surat SUKHA, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 8.Grant BREBNER, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 11.Marvin ANGULO, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 13.Nathan ELASI, 15.Tom PONDELJAK, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Matthew FOSCHINI, 19. Evan BERGER, 20.Glen MOSS (gk), 21.Robbie KRUSE, 22.Nick WARD, 23.Adrian LEIJER, 25.Aziz BEHICH
*three to be omitted*
In: Aziz BEHICH (promoted from NYL), Mate DUGANDZIC (promoted), Nathan ELASI (promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Billy CELESKI (knee – season), Matthew KEMP (knee – season), Nik MRDJA (suspended – 1 match)
Sydney FC squad: 1. Clint BOLTON (gk), 2. Sebastian RYALL 3. Stephan KELLER, 4.Simon COLOSIMO, 5. Hayden FOXE, 6. Karol KISEL, 7. Brendan GAN, 8. Stuart MUSIALIK, 12. Shannon COLE, 13. Antony GOLEC, 14. Alex BROSQUE, 15. Terry MCFLYNN (c), 16. Chris PAYNE,19. Mark BRIDGE, 20. Ivan NECEVSKI, 22. Sung-Hwan BYUN, 31. Joe GIBBS
*one to be omitted*
In: Shannon COLE (returns from injury), Joe GIBBS (promoted)
Out: John ALOISI (hamstring – season)
Unavailable: Kofi DANNING (knee – season), Matthew JURMAN (foot – season), Steve Corica (hamstring – season), Rhyan GRANT (ankle – season), Adam CASEY (hamstring – indefinite), John ALOISI (hamstring)
HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE 2010 GRAND FINAL – SNAPSHOT
MELBOURNE VICTORY v SYDNEY FC
Melbourne Victory-s Tom Pondeljak is set to make his 100th Hyundai A-League appearance. Pondeljak spent three seasons (55 appearances) with Central Coast Mariners before joining the Victory in 2008.
In terms of all national league Grand Finals, Tom Pondeljak will become Australia-s most experienced Grand Final player of all time if he makes an appearance in the 2010 Hyundai A-League Grand Final.
Leading in to the 2010 decider, Pondeljak is tied with Damian Mori on seven Grand Final appearances.
In terms of all national Grand Final victories, Melbourne-s Tom Pondeljak is aiming to become the country-s all-time leading Grand Final winner (five Grand Final victories) this weekend. Leading into the 2010 decider, Pondeljak is tied with Alex Tobin and David Cervinski on four Grand Final victory appearances each.
Pondeljak-s previous Grand Final successes were in 1996 (with Melbourne Knights), 2002 (Sydney Olympic), 2004 (Perth Glory) and 2009 (Melbourne Victory).
HEAD-TO-HEAD: In 17 previous Hyundai A-League encounters, Melbourne Victory have won 6, Sydney FC have won 4 with the two teams drawing 7 times; Melbourne have scored 22 goals to Sydney-s 20.
In their 9 previous encounters in Melbourne, the Victory have won 4, Sydney have won 2 (3 draws); Melbourne have scored 13, Sydney have scored 10.
MELBOURNE V SYDNEY GRAND FINALS: For the first time in the Hyundai A-League, Melbourne take on Sydney in the Grand Final.
In 24 previous national league Grand Finals (NSL and Hyundai A-League), a Melbourne-based team has taken on a Sydney-based team four times, with Melbourne teams winning all previous Melbourne-Sydney Grand Final confrontations.
The last time a Melbourne-based team played a Sydney-based team in a national league Grand Final was in 1999, when South Melbourne defeated Sydney United 3-2 at Melbourne-s Olympic Park.
Overall Head-To-Head Record
Played 17; Melbourne Victory FC 6, Sydney FC 4, Drawn 7
Head-To-Head at this venue
Played 8; Melbourne Victory FC 3, Sydney FC 2, Drawn 3
Record Crowd These 2 Clubs: 50,333
At Etihad Stadium, 08 Dec 2006, Drawn 0-ALL
Last 5 Matches Head-to-Head
Won By Score Venue Crowd Date
2-All Sydney Football Stadium 23818 07 Mar 2010
Melbourne Victory FC 2-1 Etihad Stadium 18453 18 Feb 2010
Sydney FC 2-0 Sydney Football Stadium 25407 14 Feb 2010
0-All Etihad Stadium 27344 19 Dec 2009
Sydney FC 3-0 Etihad Stadium 30668 09 Oct 2009
Biggest Head-To-Head Wins
Melbourne Victory FC 5-0 Olympic Park 16 Oct 2005
Sydney FC 3-0 Etihad Stadium 09 Oct 2009
Total Goals Head-To-Head
Melbourne Victory FC 21, Sydney FC 19
Total Cards Head-To-Head (Yellow-Red)
Melbourne Victory FC (32-1), Sydney FC (36-3)
Top Goal Scorers Head to Head:
Thompson, A (Melbourne Victory FC) 7
Bridge, M (Sydney FC) 4
Most Yellow Cards Head to Head:
Muscat, K (Melbourne Victory FC) 10
McFlynn, T (Sydney FC) 4
Most Red Cards Head to Head:
Mrdja, N (Melbourne Victory FC) 1
Corica, S (Sydney FC) 1
