City Insider - City v Newcastle - Thursday 29 April

CITY INSIDER

MELBOURNE CITY FC vs NEWCASTLE JETS THURSDAY 29 APRIL, 2021 KICK-OFF 7.05PM

MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS

CITY INSIDER THURSDAY 29 APRIL

CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE THERE ARE FEW EXPERIENCES AS EPIC AS GETTING TO PLAY IN FRONT OF OUR HOME CROWD UNDER THE LIGHTS OF AAMI PARK, SO WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR RETURN LATER TONIGHT AND CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOUR CITY BLUE FLOODING THE STANDS. Tonight’s game looms as another challenge that we’ll have to overcome as a group if we want to secure our position at the top of the table that we worked so hard to earn in the first place.

Whilst we were disappointed not to come away with the three points last Saturday, Macarthur FC have proven that they are a quality side and it was always going to take our very best to be able to earn that victory on the road.

Heading towards the end of the season we are in a strong position and our destiny is well and truly in our own hands - which is exactly the position we want to be in heading towards the end of the season.

After that draw, we’re as hungry as ever for a victory in front of our home fans, but we know that those three points won’t come any easier just because of the table position of our opponents on the night.

Make no mistake, there are never any ‘easy’ games in the A-League.

Newcastle have proven that they’re a fearless group who will take it up to any opponent they face come game day, and having already lost once to the Jets this season, we’re determined to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

It is no exaggeration to say that we’ll need to be at the top of our game or risk getting punished by a side eager to start converting their effort and performances into points, so preparations in training this week have been as intense as ever.

Come 7:05 tonight, it’ll be 11 players against 11 players; we’re just lucky enough to have the extra edge that your support in the stands gives us.

Can’t wait to see you all there in full voice.

C’mon City!

Scott Jamieson Melbourne City FC captain

Together We Move

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MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS

CITY INSIDER THURSDAY 29 APRIL

RAMPANT CITY LOOK TO

GROUND JETS

THREE POINTS AT HOME WILL BE A MUST FOR PATRICK KISNORBO’S SIDE AS CITY LOOKS TO CREATE A GAP AT THE TOP OF THE LADDER AGAINST THE LOWLY JETS WHO HAVE STRUGGLED TO TAKE OFF ALL SEASON. The City boys will be looking to get back on the winners list when they face Newcastle Jets in tonight’s A-League action.

Our imminent clash against the Jets follows a 1-1 draw against Macarthur FC last Saturday, where the Bulls were much-improved from our earlier 3-0 meeting at AAMI Park and were able to push the visiting City side right throughout the encounter.

The boys in City blue were eventually able to snag a lead in the second half when Connor Metcalfe rifled home from Craig Noone’s cross from the left, rattling the back of the net with his volleyed effort.

Just as we looked like holding out for a win, Macarthur substitute made an impact off the bench and was able to equalise in the 77th minute and

despite chances to both teams to win it, the fixture ended in a draw.

Whilst fans may have been disappointed initially, other results around the league ensured that the boys would finish the weekend on top of the table and with a game inhand on the trailing pack.

Tonight’s opposition, the Newcastle Jets, started the season competitively but have since failed to win any of their past 10 A-League fixtures, most recently going down 2-0 away to Western United.

As has been the case in recent weeks, Newcastle matched its opposition for shooting opportunities but just couldn’t take their chances, conceding an unfortunate own-goal before Dylan Pierias sealed the result with a well-placed finish up the other

end.

The City boys will no doubt be out for revenge in tonight’s game, with the memory of our earlier 1-0 loss – our third-consecutive at that time – still fresh in the minds of players and supporters alike.

However, history is on the home team’s side this time around, with Newcastle having failed to win any of the past seven meetings between the teams at AAMI – a run that stretches back to October 2015.

The team could potentially welcome back midfield enforcer Rostyn Griffiths and defensive powerhouse Nuno Reis for tonight’s clash, with the pair having missed the Macarthur game through injury. Check our Club socials channels at 6pm for all the team news!

DANGER PLAYER

SEASON STATS - NEWCASTLE JETS

A-LEAGUE PREVIEW

STEVEN UGARKOVIC 26-year-old Steven Ugarkovi is one of the top defensive midfielders across the whole A-League. He’ll be tasked with slowing down City’s midfield which has been on fire as of late, with the mix of Adrian Luna, Connor Metcalfe and Aiden O’Neill used last time out.

Ugarkovic has made 16 clearances and 14 interceptions this season, wins 58.6% of his duels and completes most of his passes – 87.4% to be exact.

12

3

LEAGUE POSITION

GAMES WON

16

29

GOALS SCORED

GOALS CONCEDED

A-LEAGUE LADDER

LAST RESULT

LAST TIME WE MET

WESTERN UNITED

2

NEWCASTLE

1

NEWCASTLE

0

MELBOURNE CITY

0

A-League 2020/21 - Match Week 18 Monday 26 April, 2021 AAMI Park

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

A-League 2019/20 - Match Week 7 Sunday 7 February, 2021 McDonald Jones Stadium

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

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MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS

CITY INSIDER THURSDAY 29 APRIL

CITY’S KEEPING STOCKS BOOSTED BY TALEB A PRODUCT OF CITY’S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ACADEMY, AHMAD TALEB WAS LAST WEEK REWARDED WITH A TWO-YEAR DEAL. Taleb follows in the shoes of a long list of former Academy products to sign on at City, and the former Fawkner Blues and Moreland Zebras junior is now more than comfortable at the Club he first walked into as a 14-year-old.

Following a standout performance at the 2016 National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour, Taleb was offered a trial at City – ultimately being successful and joining the Club’s Under 18 Academy.

“It was a big step-up,” Taleb said.

“When you go from NPL as a kid into Melbourne City, it can be pretty daunting.

“Obviously you’re nervous and stuff but I think I was fine pretty quickly; it didn’t take me long to adapt to the demands of the coaches and the pace and the intensity of the training sessions.”

As it has done for many young players, the first-class facilities and set-up at City Football Academy have been massive for Taleb, who had a simple response when asked if he’d be where he was today without the Academy.

“No way,” he said.

Along with these facilities, Taleb credits his development with the assistance of the coaches, who he said have always been second to none.

“The coaches we have at the Club are really, really, good. They help not just the player, but the individual.

“The coaches I have had around me have been very welcoming and are always wanting to teach you and help in any way possible.

As long as you do those onepercenters, they’ll see those things and it’s just been a blessing.”

After years of hard-work and development throughout his time in the Academy, Taleb was rewarded with his first taste of A-League action at the beginning of this season – making the substitutes bench for City’s Round 1 and 2 fixtures against Brisbane and Adelaide respectively.

With Matthew Sutton getting injured on the eve of the season, the door was open for Taleb, and although he would only watch the fixtures from the bench, he said it was a great experience and huge for his development after a ‘really tough’ pre-season.

“When you get called up into those games, you get to see how everybody is preparing and you see the demands that the fans and the coaches put on the players.

“As a young kid, I was always going to A-League games and just thinking, ‘Wow, this is what I want to be a part of,’ so it was great to

be there on the bench.

“I just want to help the team in any way possible and if I got to get on, then it would’ve been amazing, it’s the stuff that you live for but I just took it all in my stride.”

Although first-team selection may still appear to be a little way down the track, Taleb is in no way disheartened and more than happy to continue to work hard and bide his time waiting for an opportunity.

“I’m still only 18 but the goalkeeper union we have at City is really good and Matty (Sutton) and Tommy (Glover) are both exceptional goalkeepers.

“We’re all really young, so the thing is we all want it and every training session is always really good and we’re always pushing each other to get better.

“They support me and I support them, they’re both really good guys.”

In the short-term, Taleb is looking to continue to work hard and improve everyday.

Long term though, he is motivated by one big carrot.

“Of course being the first-team goalkeeper for the Club would be amazing, it’s a dream of mine and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

MATCH SQUADS

HEAD COACH: PATRICK KISNORBO

A-LEAGUE

1. TOM GLOVER

2. SCOTT GALLOWAY

3. SCOTT JAMIESON

4. NUNO REIS

7. ROSTYN GRIFFITHS

8. AIDEN O’NEILL

9. JAMIE MACLAREN

10. FLORIN BERENGUER

11. CRAIG NOONE

13. NATHANIEL ATKINSON

14. NAOKI TSUBAKI

15. ANDREW NABBOUT

16. TARAS GOMULKA

17. STEFAN COLACOVSKI

18. CONNOR METCALFE

19. BEN GARUCCIO

20. ADRIAN LUNA

22. CURTIS GOOD

23. MARCO TILIO

33. MATT SUTTON

35. RAPHAEL BORGES RODRIGUES

36. KERRIN STOKES

37. BERNADO OLIVEIRA

38. JORDAN BOS

42. AHMED TALEB

20 23

LEWIS ITALIANO JACK DUNCAN

3 4 18 22 24 44

JASON HOFFMAN NIGEL BOOGAARD JOHNNY KOUTROUMBIS LACHLAN JACKSON CONNOR O’TOOLE NIKOLAI TOPOR-STANLEY

5 6 8 11 14 16 18 19 21 32

BEN KANTAROVSKI STEVEN UGARKOVIC LIRIDON KRASNIQI RAMY NAJJARINE ALI ABBAS MATTHEW MILLAR JACK ARMSON KOSTA PETRATOS LUKA PRSO ANGUS THURGATE

9 15 17 26 31 33

ROY O’DONOVAN TETE YENGI VALENTINO YUEL ARCHIE GOODWIN YERASIMAKIS PETRATOS APOSTOLOS STAMATELOPOULOS

HEAD COACH: CRAIG DEANS

NEWCASTLE JETS

MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS

CITY INSIDER THURSDAY 29 APRIL

CITY YOUTH FACE NPL3

PACE-SETTERS

OUR NPL3 SIDE WILL BE EAGER TO GET BACK TO RETURN TO ITS EARLIER SEASON FORM AGAINST WESTERN UNITED IN ROUND 6 AFTER OUR THREEGAME WINNING STREAK WAS SNAPPED IN LAST SATURDAY’S 3-2 LOSS AWAY TO BOX HILL UNITED. The clash was a see-sawing affair all the way through, with goals to Max Caputo and Lucas Byrns seeing the boys into a 2-1 lead in the first half before a Stuart Edgar double ensured the three points would be staying with Box Hill.

The young City side was without a host of its star personnel heading into the game, with Stefan Colakovski, Marco Tilio, Matthew Sutton, Kerrin Stokes, Alec Mills and Raphael Borges Rodrigues all missing from Petr Kratky’s starting lineup.

With City missing so many top talents, it was Box Hill who made the faster start and struck first, rattling the back of Ahmad Taleb’s net in the 17th minute.

Parity would be promptly restored

in the 26th when Max Caputo was brought down in a one-on-one tangle in the box, the striker stepping up to convert it with composure from the spot.

Moonib Adus was able to forge a second for City in the 39th, weighting a perfect ball from the left to find Lucas Byrns who had cut inside to finish neatly near the back post.

However, Box Hill were able to net an equalising goal in added time, with the game poised at 2-2 as the referee blew to signal the end of the first half.

Unfortunately, the second period was dominated by the home side, with United striker Edgar finishing off a 64th minute counterattack to enable his side to hold on comfortably for

DANGER PLAYERS

SEASON STATS - MELBOURNE CITY NPL

WEEKEND DOUBLE UP

NPL PREVIEW

the remainder of the 90, ensuring the 3-2 win.

The City boys will face a significant test when they face the unbeaten Western United at ABD Stadium in Round 6.

Last time out, Western United downed Ballarat City by five goals away from home, cementing the losing team’s place at the bottom of the table.

United have scored 14 goals to start the season, with Manyluak Aguek leading the way with four.

Given this week’s NPL match will fall after the Club’s A-League fixture, Kratky will likely welcome back a number of stars for this week’s match up against the undefeated Western United. With tonight’s A-League match also played at home, you can expect to see the likes of Colakovski, Tilio, Stokes, Mills and Sutton.

Obviously providing a big boost of quality to the line-up, City will be hungry to return to winning ways as these names continue to push for minutes at A-League level.

4

3

LEAGUE POSITION

GAMES WON

15

7

GOALS SCORED

GOALS CONCEDED

NPL 3 LADDER

LAST RESULT

NEXT MATCH

BOX HILL

3

WESTERN UNITED

MELBOURNE CITY

2

MELBOURNE CITY

NPL 3 Victoria 2021 - Round 5 Saturday 24 April, 2021 Wembley Park

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

NPL 3 Victoria 2021 - Round 6 Friday 30 April, 2021 KO: 8.30pm ABD Stadium

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MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS

KID’S ZONE

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CITY INSIDER THURSDAY 29 APRIL

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