Week 24: Melbourne Derby

[smooth_pockets]

Craig Foster, Francis Awartefe etc are talking about it on twitter, calling for a lengthy ban.

Hopefully common sense prevails, that's no way for a professional to act.

I wonder what Ernie will say about this one...

Ernie is wondering why Zahra didn't get booked for diving

[Max Power]

Imagine if that tackle happened at Adelaide Oval but it was Leckie getting floored..

I honestly think the team bus would not get out of the ground..

[David Votoupal]

That's the problem here. We want fierce rivalries in the A-League but not something that becomes like Aberdeen v Rangers, for instance, where the hate becomes ugly. Although tbh we don't have the farked up social situation like in Scotland to breed that.

[oztrainspotter]

Sarkies, maybe, kevin; but for goodness sake not zahra

[Agostinho]

MELBOURNE Victory captain Kevin Muscat is shattered by the season-ending injury he caused to young Melbourne Heart winger Adrian Zahra in last night's A-League derby and is preparing for a hefty ban.

A thrilling game at Etihad Stadium ended 2-2, but the main talking point was Muscat's 79th-minute red card for a reckless tackle that badly damaged Zahra knee and prompted Heart officials to express concern for his football future.

Facing massive fallout from the public and a hefty suspension from the FFA, Muscat admitted his fault today and wants to extend an olive branch to Zahra while accepting whatever criticism and sanctions come his way.

"Having had a sleepless night I felt it was important to front up and accept everything that is going to be coming my way in relation to bans and suspensions and being criticised and my character and my performance and all that comes with it,'' Msucat said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/fears ... 5993014291

He goes on to say that his only concern is the welfare of Zahra, that he didn't intend to hurt the player (I call bollocks - you can't miss the ball by so far, in the manner that he did without meaning it), that it was a dreadfully mistimed tackle and that he deeply regrets it.



Good for you Kev, you disgusting, scummy human being.

[Agostinho]

As someone just tweeted, the face of concern and regret...

[shinAUFC]

I pthink he went in with the intent to get the ball, i honestly belive that.

About halfway through i think he realised he was beaten and tried to hold zahra up, from the it got messy, if it was any other player i could write it off as they were caught in two minds and the end result was this.

But this is muscat and the victory, It seems the melbourne way that if your beaten throw in a leg that will disable the opponent, i know all clubs around the world do this, but the way MV go about it isnt just a simple shirt tug its down right dangerous.

Did anyone see the hernandez goal where muscat knew he was out of the refs view so he pushed the wall.

I dont think anyone can deny MV are really a liability for the league now, players like flores and perez looking to come here will see this sort of thing and just say a polite "no thankyou" to any aleague contracts, not to mention no fan wants to see SPL style games, look at brisbane they commit very few fouls yet have destroyed the league this year.

Lets not forget muscat is inline to take over the reigns at MV as head coach at this stage, what will we expect of the team then?

[Nash]

off memory, the tackle that earnt Muscat his yellow in this match was also a horrible challenge. player on goal and Muscat came in studs up, missed everything but the man with the balls foot... was close to cleaning up his ankle. and again on that occassion, he had the nerve to point at the ball and go nuts at the ref for the free kick call. an absolute wanker. a joke of a player with zero respect for the game and it's rules.

u really can understand why MV have so many violent and threatening supporters when this is their clubs interpretation of football and their all round image.

[Shane]

No need to become literally airborne and jump in two-footed to clear a ball - He was nowhere near it and got everything *but* the ball.

You won't see me making any excuses for him.

I hope that's the last game he plays. Ever. Outright filth.

[David Votoupal]

I can't think of any league in the world where you can actually get away with this. And I can't think of any league in the world where one team and one person can be so protected for so long at the cost to any integrity.

[terry tibbs]

Plenty of us have talked about the fact that these incidents hurt the A League, and by extension the game in this country. Just another reason we need an independant A-League. This wouldn't have gone on like it has under the current FFA.

I really hope The World Game get on some overseas commentators (Tyler for starters) and discuss this tackle and how it would be dealt with in some of the European leagues.

[RedsFan31]

Horrific tackle and its going to take away an entire year of a promising young mans career. You really feel for Adrian Zahra, it was only recently he signed his first professional contract and now he's been dealt something like this. I'm furious as an adelaide united fan and a fan of football in general. If i was a heart fan i would be seething. Heres hoping the FFA take the opportunity to make a stand and make it clear that this type of thing will not be tolerated in our league. Adios Kevin

[shinAUFC]

Its a shame because it over shadowed a big crowd, and great fight back from heart.

There are so many positives for the aleague right now that go unoticed due to things like this

[Hammerzeit]

AWFUL Tackle, unbelievable that Robbie SLater tried to defend it at first!!!! Bozza condemned it.

Retire you piece of shit, 10 weeks for that at minimum.

I agree. Robbie Slater must go.

Seriously though, how many serious injuries can a single player cause without learning that shit like that does not fly? From memory, Dugarry, Bellamy, Matty Holmes, and now Zahra.

I hope that when Kevin sits down to reflect on his glorious career, he looks beyond the trophies and the successes and realizes that he actually is a dick.

[double07]

Let's not let Muscats shocker also overshadow Brebner's potential leg breaker on Skoko:



Don't even think a foul got blown?