Re: The Official A-League Thread.
Isn't it weird how by the time the champions of the A-league are drawn into the AFC, it is midway through the season and they are well down the table.
I am not going to say they cannot progress though. If a side as limited as Adelaide can make it to the final, anyone can.
On the A-League in general, it has just become stagnant. The adrenaline of the first two seasons has evaporated. The sooner we have a Brazilian domestic attitude that our best players will simply not wish to play in the country but rather in Europe and adjust accordingly is the day football really goes forward in this country. Then, players in the A-League have motivation to perform at the top level - specifically, youth are encouraged to see the A-League as a finishing school of sorts.
In time, European clubs will pay transfer fees that will be small to them (say $1 million) but massive to an Australian club. The money will become self perpetuating, leading to transfer fees, the eventual abolition of the salary cap, a higher standard of competition, and, hopefully, acceptance from the Australian public outside of Melbourne.
Or am i being too utopian?