Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory
Date: Saturday August 2
Kick-off (local time): 2:30pm local
Venue: Port Macquarie Regional stadium, Port Macquarie
Head-to-head
Nine A-League meetings: Melbourne - 2 wins, Newcastle - 5 wins, 2 draws
Three Pre-Season Cup meetings: Melbourne - 1 win, Newcastle - 1 win, 1 draw
Previous meeting
Melbourne Victory 1, Newcastle Jets, 3, Round 17, December 2007
Pre-Season Cup Results
Newcastle:
Round 1: Perth Glory 1, Newcastle Jets 1, Hyundai Stadium, Mandurah, Saturday July 19
Round 2: Newcastle Jets 0, Adelaide United 0, Baddeley Park, Cessnock, Saturday July 27
Melbourne:
Round 1: Melbourne Victory 1, Adelaide United 2, Aurora Stadium, Sunday July 20
Round 2: Perth Glory 0, Melbourne Victory 1, Members Equity Stadium, Saturday July 26
Previous Pre-Season Cup Results
Newcastle:
2007: Fifth (Defeated Wellington 4-2 on penalties in fifth-place playoff)
2006: Fourth (Lost to Sydney 2-0 in third-place playoff)
2005: Group Stage (Bottom of Group A)
Melbourne:
2007: Eighth (Lost to Sydney 1-0 in seventh-place playoff)
2006: Fifth (Defeated Perth 1-0 in fifth-place playoff)
2005: Semi-finals (Lost to Central Coast 3-1)
Analysis
The past two Hyundai A-League champions will face off in Port Macquarie on Saturday with a win for either side important if they want to book their spots in Wednesday's Pre-Season Cup final. While both teams have tasted success in the A-League season proper, neither has made a final in this competition.
The off-season player shuffle hasn't been kind to the Jets, but the fact they have got points from each of their two matches to date shows that they are still a force to be reckoned with. Their main attacks in last week's scoreless draw with Adelaide came from the flanks via Jin Hyung Song and Adam D'Apuzzo, and given that Joel Griffiths won't play in this match, you'd assume that would be the likely path forward again.
The club signed Dane Jesper Hakansson and Ecuadorian Edmundo Zura during the week, but only the Dane will play. While triallist Beau Busch is the other inclusion. Jobe Wheelhouse misses through suspension.
Victory have a couple of decent wide men of their own, notably Evan Berger, who has had a stellar pre-season out on the left. His excellent free kick set up Michael Thwaite's goal and in that set-piece combination, the Victory have found a new scoring avenue.
Victory's two new international signings, Ney Fabiano and Jose Luis Lopez, have impressed to date and Lopez's combination with fit-again compatriot Carlos Hernandez will be important for the club. It will be very interesting to see that partnership evolve, as well as that of Ney Fabiano and Danny Allsopp.
Kevin Muscat's return from a hamstring injury is on hold, while Grant Brebner and Daniel Vasilevski remain out for the medium term. Archie Thompson, Leigh Broxham and Billy Celeski are on Olympic duty.
Newcastle Jets Squad: 1.Ante COVIC, 2.Adam GRIFFITHS, 6.Jesper HAKANSSON, 7.Kaz PATAFTA, 8.Matt THOMPSON, 10.Jin-Hyung SONG, 11.Tarek ELRICH, 13.Adam D'APUZZO, 15.Jason HOFFMAN, 16.Ben KANTAROVSKI, 17.Antun KOVACIC, 19.Jason NAIDOVSKI, 20.Ben KENNEDY, 24.Beau BUSCH
In: 6 Jesper Hakansson, 24 Beau Busch (triallist)
Out: 12 Jobe Wheelhouse (suspended)
Unavailable: 3 Jade North (Olyroo duties), 5 James Holland (Olyroo duties), 14 Shaun Ontong (ankle – indefinite), 18 Noel Spencer (ankle – 1 week), 12 Jobe Wheelhouse (suspended).
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Michael THEOKLITOS (gk), 3.Michael THWAITE, 4.Steven PACE, 5.Sebastian RYALL, 6.Steve PANTELIDIS, 7.Matthew KEMP, 9.Danny ALLSOPP, 11.NEY FABIANO, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 13.Nathan ELASI, 15.Tom PONDELJAK, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Jose Luis LOPEZ, 19.Evan BERGER, 20.Mitchell LANGERAK (gk), 22.Nick WARD
*One to be omitted
In: Nathan ELASI (promoted)
Out: N/A
Unavailable: Kevin MUSCAT (hamstring – 1 week), Grant BREBNER (groin – indefinite), Archie THOMPSON (Olyroo duties), Billy CELESKI (Olyroo duties), Leigh BROXHAM (Olyroo duties), Daniel VASILEVSKI (hip – 4 weeks).