Result Archive
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Hatred from the Heart
Date: March 29th 2010
Author: Michael Lynch
From: The Age
HATRED is an emotive word. But Melbourne Heart's latest big-name signing, former Sydney striker John Aloisi, lost little time in fanning the flames of local rivalry when he predicted that will be the dominant emotion when the A-League's newest club plays its first derby against the competition's established powerhouse, Melbourne Victory.
''I can't wait to play Melbourne Victory … this year we finally got the rivalry with Sydney [and Victory] that was missing for the first four years.
''Now with the Heart it's going to be even bigger, the rivalry. This is what the A-League wants and needs, to have two sides from Melbourne going head to head. Hatred is a big word, but I think there's going to be a lot of hatred there.''
Not that the decorated former Socceroo is tipping that feeling will run so high that it will bring crowd trouble.
''No, I don't think there will be clubs causing problems. Everyone is going to want to win for their club. The supporters will be OK. I don't think there will be many problems.''
He says the game has moved on from the old days when some bitter rivalries and clashes between fans of traditional teams, many established on ethnic lines, generated headlines and television images that held the game back.
But, after a career in which he played in Italy's Serie A, England's Premier League and Spain's Primera Liga, Aloisi knows better than most that passionate local rivalries are the lifeblood of the game.
Aloisi has already been to two A-League grand finals and won premierships and championships with first Central Coast and then Sydney in his 2½ seasons in the competition.
Now the Socceroo legend - scorer of the most famous penalty kick in Australian soccer history - is aiming to finish his career with a premiership and championship hat-trick with his third A-League club.
Aloisi will play next season with the Heart, and then take up a position on the club's coaching staff.
The veteran is not the club's marquee player. It had hoped that Socceroo Mark Bresciano could be tempted by an early return to his home city but the midfielder is only just 30 and is expected to seek at least one more contract in Europe.
Aloisi revealed that Heart had first contacted him as long ago as last October. Now the striker, who will wear the number 15 shirt he wore for the national team when he scored against Japan in the 2006 World Cup, says that Heart is a realistic chance to bid for the title in its first season.
''I think this is going to be a massive club and [it's great] to be in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world. We can build something here. I want to make sure I am part of it for a long time.
''Melbourne can handle two sides.
''On the pitch we will try and win everything. Off the pitch we will try and win over the supporters.
''I am not going to come out and say that we will go undefeated because that's a bit tough but with the players that we are getting we should be talking about winning it.''
Aloisi, who won a premiership but lost in the grand final in his first season back home with the Central Coast Mariners, said the time was right to leave Sydney after a season when the club had won the premiership and the championship.
''I had a lot of friends in Sydney … we won everything possible this year and it was a good time to end on a high.
''I have spoken to [coach] John [van't Schip] … there won't be pressure on me to play every single game.
''I have made two grand finals and won two minor premierships, so hopefully that's a good omen for Melbourne Heart.''
Aloisi is the second Sydney grand final winner confirmed as a Heart player, after goalkeeper Clint Bolton.
HEART AND SOUL
THE SIGNINGS
John Aloisi (Sydney)
FORWARDS
Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets)
Eli Babalj (AIS) forward
GOALKEEPER
Clint Bolton (Sydney)
DEFENDERS
Dean Heffernan (Huddersfield)
Simon Colosimo (Sydney) TBC
MIDFIELDERS
Matt Thompson (Newcastle Jets)
Rutger Worm (NEC Nijmegen)
Wayne Srhoj (Perth)
Kristian Sarkies (Adelaide)
Kamal Ibrahim (AIS)
THE TARGETS
Josip Skoko (Hajduk Split)
MIDFIELDER
STRIKER
Mark Viduka (free agent)
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/hatred-from-the-heart-20100329-r89n.html
Author: Michael Lynch
From: The Age
HATRED is an emotive word. But Melbourne Heart's latest big-name signing, former Sydney striker John Aloisi, lost little time in fanning the flames of local rivalry when he predicted that will be the dominant emotion when the A-League's newest club plays its first derby against the competition's established powerhouse, Melbourne Victory.
''I can't wait to play Melbourne Victory … this year we finally got the rivalry with Sydney [and Victory] that was missing for the first four years.
''Now with the Heart it's going to be even bigger, the rivalry. This is what the A-League wants and needs, to have two sides from Melbourne going head to head. Hatred is a big word, but I think there's going to be a lot of hatred there.''
Not that the decorated former Socceroo is tipping that feeling will run so high that it will bring crowd trouble.
''No, I don't think there will be clubs causing problems. Everyone is going to want to win for their club. The supporters will be OK. I don't think there will be many problems.''
He says the game has moved on from the old days when some bitter rivalries and clashes between fans of traditional teams, many established on ethnic lines, generated headlines and television images that held the game back.
But, after a career in which he played in Italy's Serie A, England's Premier League and Spain's Primera Liga, Aloisi knows better than most that passionate local rivalries are the lifeblood of the game.
Aloisi has already been to two A-League grand finals and won premierships and championships with first Central Coast and then Sydney in his 2½ seasons in the competition.
Now the Socceroo legend - scorer of the most famous penalty kick in Australian soccer history - is aiming to finish his career with a premiership and championship hat-trick with his third A-League club.
Aloisi will play next season with the Heart, and then take up a position on the club's coaching staff.
The veteran is not the club's marquee player. It had hoped that Socceroo Mark Bresciano could be tempted by an early return to his home city but the midfielder is only just 30 and is expected to seek at least one more contract in Europe.
Aloisi revealed that Heart had first contacted him as long ago as last October. Now the striker, who will wear the number 15 shirt he wore for the national team when he scored against Japan in the 2006 World Cup, says that Heart is a realistic chance to bid for the title in its first season.
''I think this is going to be a massive club and [it's great] to be in the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world. We can build something here. I want to make sure I am part of it for a long time.
''Melbourne can handle two sides.
''On the pitch we will try and win everything. Off the pitch we will try and win over the supporters.
''I am not going to come out and say that we will go undefeated because that's a bit tough but with the players that we are getting we should be talking about winning it.''
Aloisi, who won a premiership but lost in the grand final in his first season back home with the Central Coast Mariners, said the time was right to leave Sydney after a season when the club had won the premiership and the championship.
''I had a lot of friends in Sydney … we won everything possible this year and it was a good time to end on a high.
''I have spoken to [coach] John [van't Schip] … there won't be pressure on me to play every single game.
''I have made two grand finals and won two minor premierships, so hopefully that's a good omen for Melbourne Heart.''
Aloisi is the second Sydney grand final winner confirmed as a Heart player, after goalkeeper Clint Bolton.
HEART AND SOUL
THE SIGNINGS
John Aloisi (Sydney)
FORWARDS
Jason Hoffman (Newcastle Jets)
Eli Babalj (AIS) forward
GOALKEEPER
Clint Bolton (Sydney)
DEFENDERS
Dean Heffernan (Huddersfield)
Simon Colosimo (Sydney) TBC
MIDFIELDERS
Matt Thompson (Newcastle Jets)
Rutger Worm (NEC Nijmegen)
Wayne Srhoj (Perth)
Kristian Sarkies (Adelaide)
Kamal Ibrahim (AIS)
THE TARGETS
Josip Skoko (Hajduk Split)
MIDFIELDER
STRIKER
Mark Viduka (free agent)
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/hatred-from-the-heart-20100329-r89n.html
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