2007–08 Melbourne Victory FC season

Melbourne Victory
2007–08 season
ManagerErnie Merrick
A-League5th
Pre-Season Challenge Cup8th
AFC Champions LeagueGroup Stage (2nd)
Top goalscorerLeague:
Daniel Allsopp (7)

All:
Daniel Allsopp (9)
Highest home attendance31,884 vs Sydney FC (10 November 2007)
Lowest home attendance14,558 vs Chonburi FC (21 May 2008)
Average home league attendance24,439

Season summary

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Looking to capitalise on their successful 2006–07 campaign, Melbourne made some strong off-season signings including Costa Rican international Carlos Hernández to cover the hole left by the departure of Fred to MLS club D.C. United.[1] Again with the league's largest crowds and a record membership of over 20,000,[2] Melbourne were undefeated after 7 rounds but the season slipped away with some poor home performances and a mounting injury list. A late season rally gave Melbourne a hope of making the finals up to the second last round but they finished 5th, 4 points out of the finals.

Players

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First team squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   AUS Michael Theoklitos
2 MF   AUS Kevin Muscat (captain)
3 DF   AUS Daniel Piorkowski
5 DF   AUS Ljubo Milicevic
6 DF   AUS Steve Pantelidis
7 DF   AUS Matthew Kemp
8 MF   SCO Grant Brebner
9 FW   AUS Daniel Allsopp
10 FW   AUS Archie Thompson
11 DF   ENG Joe Keenan
12 DF   AUS Rodrigo Vargas
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 MF   AUS Kaz Patafta
14 MF   AUS Adrian Caceres
15 FW   BRA Leandro Love
16 MF   CRC Carlos Hernández
17 MF   AUS Daniel Vasilevski
18 MF   AUS Leigh Broxham
19 MF   AUS Evan Berger
20 GK   AUS Eugene Galekovic
21 DF   AUS Sebastian Ryall
30 GK   AUS Mitchell Langerak

Transfers

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In
Player From League Date
  Mitchell Langerak AIS   VPL 23 February 2007
  Ljubo Milicevic BSC Young Boys   Swiss Super League 20 February 2007
  Joe Keenan Willem II   Eredivisie 30 March 2007
  Matthew Kemp Adelaide United   A-League 11 April 2007
  Evan Berger Marconi Stallions   NSWPL 29 May 2007
  Carlos Hernández LD Alajuelense   Primera División de Costa Rica 12 June 2007
  Kaz Patafta Benfica   Portuguese Liga 20 June 2007
  Leandro Love Vissel Kobe   J-League 25 July 2007
  Sebastian Ryall AIS   VPL 28 August 2007
  Steven Pace Preston Lions   VPL 30 October 2007
  Nick Ward Queens Park Rangers   Football League Championship 5 December 2007
Out
Player To League Date
  Michael Ferrante Wellington Phoenix   A-League 1 March 2007
  Mark Byrnes released - 1 March 2007
  Fred D.C. United   MLS 30 March 2007
  James Robinson Perth Glory   A-League 17 March 2007
  Vince Lia Wellington Phoenix   A-League 21 March 2007
  Simon Storey Partick Thistle F.C.   Scottish First Division 21 March 2007
  Kristian Sarkies Adelaide United   A-League 30 March 2007
  Adrian Leijer Fulham F.C.   Premier League 4 August 2007
  Eugene Galekovic Adelaide United   A-League 30 October 2007

Matches

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Pre-season matches

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  • The match against China was played over three 30-minute periods.

2007 Pre-Season Cup

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Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts
1 Adelaide United 3 1 2 0 6 3 +3 3 8
2 Perth Glory 3 2 1 0 4 2 +2 1 8
3 Newcastle Jets 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 0 3
4 Melbourne Victory 3 0 1 2 2 4 −2 0 1
Source: [citation needed]
22 July 2007 Group Stage Melbourne Victory   0 : 1   Newcastle Jets Skilled Stadium, Geelong
Attendance: 8,500
28 July 2007 Group Stage Perth Glory   2 : 1   Melbourne Victory Darwin Football Stadium, Darwin
Attendance: 2,700
11 August 2007 Seventh Place Play-off Melbourne Victory   0 : 1   Sydney FC Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
Attendance: 3,400

2007-08 Hyundai A-League fixtures

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25 August 2007 Round 1 Wellington Phoenix   2 : 2   Melbourne Victory Westpac Stadium, Wellington
16:00 UTC+12 Daniel   79'
Smeltz   84'
Muscat   19' (pen)
Allsopp   60'
Attendance: 14,421
Referee: Mark Shield
1 September 2007 Round 2 Melbourne Victory   0 : 0   Perth Glory Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Melbourne
19:00 UTC+10 Attendance: 31,545
Referee: Peter O'Leary
7 September 2007 Round 3 Adelaide United   1 : 1   Melbourne Victory Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
19:30 UTC+9:30 Dodd   83' (pen) Vargas   80' Attendance: 13,231
Referee: Peter Green
21 September 2007 Round 5 Newcastle Jets   2 : 2   Melbourne Victory EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
20:00 UTC+10 A Griffiths   5'
Musialik   21'
Thompson   65'
Caceres   83'
Attendance: 11,179
Referee: Matthew Breeze
28 September 2007 Round 6 Melbourne Victory   2 : 0   Queensland Roar Telstra Dome, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+10 Muscat   68' (pen)
Thompson   85'
Attendance: 25,622
Referee: Ben Williams
6 October 2007 Round 7 Sydney FC   0 : 1   Melbourne Victory Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
19:00 UTC+10 Corica   25' Allsopp   82' Attendance: 18,436
Referee: Mark Shield
12 October 2007 Round 8 Adelaide United   4 : 1   Melbourne Victory Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
19:30 UTC+9:30 Milicevic   14' (o.g.)
Dodd   15',   54'
Pantelis   90+2'
Thompson   45+2' Attendance: 13,372
Referee: Mark Shield
21 October 2007 Round 9 Melbourne Victory   2 : 1   Perth Glory Telstra Dome, Melbourne
16:30 UTC+10 Hernandez   24'
Thompson   34'
Harnwell   42' Attendance: 25,598
Referee: Simon Przydacz
26 October 2007 Round 10 Melbourne Victory   0 : 2   Newcastle Jets Telstra Dome, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+10 Pantelidis   66' A. Griffiths   8'
J. Griffiths   88'
Attendance: 27,123
Referee: Matthew Breeze
4 November 2007 Round 11 Central Coast Mariners   2 : 1   Melbourne Victory Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
17:00 UTC+11 Petrovski   83',   73'   90'
Pondeljak   88'
Keenan   22'
Hernández   77'
Vargas   90'
Attendance: 11,354
Referee: Mark Shield
10 November 2007 Round 12 Melbourne Victory   0 : 0   Sydney FC Telstra Dome, Melbourne
19:00 UTC+11 Attendance: 31,884
Referee: Mark Shield
16 November 2007 Round 13 Queensland Roar   1 : 0   Melbourne Victory Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
19:00 UTC+10 Kruse   10' Attendance: 17,207
Referee: Ben Williams
24 November 2007 Round 14 Melbourne Victory   1 : 1   Wellington Phoenix Telstra Dome, Melbourne
19:00 UTC+11 Muscat   34'   35'
Allsopp   43'
Lia   58' Attendance: 20,938
Referee: Peter Green
2 December 2007 Round 15 Perth Glory   3 : 1   Melbourne Victory Members Equity Stadium, Perth
17:00 UTC+9 Harnwell   18'
Rukavytsya   27'   46'
Caceres   38' Attendance: 8,030
Referee: Ben Williams
8 December 2007 Round 16 Melbourne Victory   2 : 2   Adelaide United Telstra Dome, Melbourne
19:00 UTC+11 Muscat   71' (pen)
Alagich   90+2' (o.g.)
Agostino   18'   50' Attendance: 22,466
Referee: Peter Green
16 December 2007 Round 17 Melbourne Victory   1 : 3   Newcastle Jets Telstra Dome, Melbourne
17:00 UTC+11 Hernández   11' Denni   41'
J. Griffiths   54'   76'
Attendance: 22,626
Referee: Matthew Breeze
31 December 2007 Round 18 Central Coast Mariners   2 : 5   Melbourne Victory Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
18:00 UTC+11 Jedinak   32'
J.Aloisi   63'
Caceres   4'
Allsopp   23'   61'
Thompson   36'
Muscat   43' (pen)
Attendance: 18,686
Referee: Mark Shield
5 January 2008 Round 19 Queensland Roar   1 : 2   Melbourne Victory Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
19:00 UTC+10 Marcinho   73' Allsopp   56'
Thompson   63'
Attendance: 21,475
Referee: Matthew Breeze
11 January 2008 Round 20 Melbourne Victory   3 : 0   Wellington Phoenix Telstra Dome, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+11 Hernández   31'
Ward   35'
Patafta   88'
Attendance: 25,489
Referee: Peter Green
20 January 2008 Round 21 Sydney FC   2 : 2   Melbourne Victory Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
17:00 UTC+11 Corica   4'
Brosque   62'
(Report)
(Summary)
Milligan   46' (o.g.)
Allsopp   76'
Attendance: 33,458
Referee: Peter O'Leary

Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Central Coast Mariners 21 10 4 7 30 25 +5 34 Qualification for 2009 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series[a]
2 Newcastle Jets (C) 21 9 7 5 25 21 +4 34
3 Sydney FC 21 8 8 5 28 24 +4 32 Qualification for 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship and Finals series
4 Queensland Roar 21 8 7 6 25 21 +4 31 Qualification for Finals series
5 Melbourne Victory 21 6 9 6 29 29 0 27
6 Adelaide United 21 6 8 7 31 29 +2 26
7 Perth Glory 21 4 8 9 27 34 −7 20
8 Wellington Phoenix[b] 21 5 5 11 25 37 −12 20
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ First place qualifies for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage.
    Winning the 2008 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
  2. ^ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

2008 AFC Champions League

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Warm-up matches

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Matches

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Gamba Osaka 6 4 2 0 14 8 +6 14
  Melbourne Victory 6 2 1 3 10 11 −1 7
  Chunnam Dragons 6 1 3 2 8 10 −2 6
  Chonburi 6 1 2 3 7 10 −3 5
Source: [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Victory sign Costa Rican star". The Australian. 12 June 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. ^ Ormond, Aidan (31 August 2007). "Victory Hits The Magic 20K Mark". FourFourTwo Australia. Haymarket Group. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.