A-League serves up a feast

You never really know what you're going to get with season openers. In some cases, you feel as though you've been sold the sizzle, but not the sausage. In the next queue, meanwhile, you spot those happily tucking into their bangers without a care in the world.

GettyImages

Robbie Fowler got on the scoresheet in his first game.

The FFA can be pretty content with the first round of A-League action. Not only did they sell the sizzle and sausage, but they even threw in the BBQ for good measure.

In all, 17 goals were scored (not a bad return from five fixtures), the league champs were toppled and, at times, some pretty decent football was played. Even some of the marquee players got in on the action.

Sydney FC striker John Aloisi was the first of the big names to get on the scoresheet. Keen to make amends for his dismal showing last season, Aloisi equalled his two-goal tally from last season with a brace against Robbie Fowler's North Queensland Fury.

Fowler was not to be outdone, though, as he too found the back of the net, albeit via the penalty spot. Many questioned Fowler's motives for joining the A-League's newest franchise earlier this year. The naysayers put it down to a superannuation payout - one last payday before those worn-out boots are hung up in the Den.

If Fowler came to Australia to escape the attention, he didn't do himself any favours with his performance on the weekend. While the Fury went down 3-2 to Sydney FC, Fowler - who was named Fury captain before the game - led his team well. He looked sharp, fresh, and had that hunger. Positive signs, indeed.

Gold Coast United's marquee man, Socceroo Jason Culina, also went some way to paying off his hefty wage bill (by A-League standards, anyway) with a goal in United's 3-1 win against local rivals, Brisbane Roar.

While United are the new boys on the block, Culina's 58th minute goal was the product of a well-worked move that exuded understanding, patience, and awareness. It was arguably one of the best team goals of the weekend, and coupled with their destruction of the Roar, they have plenty to brag about.

But Jason wasn't the only member of the Culina clan celebrating an opening weekend win, with Dad Branko guiding his Newcastle Jets to an exciting 3-2 victory against the Wellington Phoenix at home.

The Jets had the exact opposite of an ideal preparation leading into the new season. Coach Gary van Egmond walked out of the club just one month away from the opener, joining a chorus of players who had earlier walked through the exit door. However, Branko Culina managed to jam a steel rod in the rotating door to halt the exodus, and even found some gaffer tape to silence the controversial Ljubo Milicevic.

His handywork paid off handsomely at the weekend, with the Jets playing the better - and more cohesive - football. Marquee signing Fabio Vignaroli was influential and seems to have proved the doubters wrong. Many had questioned whether the Italian could handle the physicality of the A-League. While it's still very much early days, his solid effort suggests it'll be a non-issue.

Also impressive for the Jets were South Korean midfielder Jin-Hyung Song and two-goal hero, Jason Hoffman, who graced the scoresheet for the first time in 21 appearances.

Perth, on the other hand, wouldn't have been overly impressed by their performance away to Adelaide United, particularly with the injection of Socceroos Mile Sterjovski, Chris Coyne, and Jacob Burns into the line-up.

While the Glory attack was starved of any real service - due to a typically grinding Adelaide performance - there were some encouraging signs when the ball did manage to find its way into the Glory's attacking third. A series of successful dummies left Adelaide players grasping at air, and suggests the Glory has reached a decent level of communication and understanding with one another.

GettyImages

Lawrie McKinna led his side to an upset.

With their communication sorted, they'll have plenty of time to sort out other issues on their flight to Wellington at the end of the week - the longest road trip in domestic football.

The opening weekend of the season also wasted little time in providing the first real upset of the campaign. In fact, the 'upset' fixture was the first cab off the rank in the game between champions Melbourne Victory and the team everyone loves to write off, Central Coast Mariners.

The Mariners executed Lawrie McKinna's team plan to a tee. They denied playmaker Carlos Hernandez any space or time on the ball - or any other Victory player for that matter - and they restricted Victory attacks to long balls out of defence - which were dealt with quite comfortably - while crosses into the penalty area were harmless at best.

As if losing 2-0 at home wasn't bad enough, the Victory have lost captain Kevin Muscat to a hamstring injury. Coach Ernie Merrick made a point of not signing a defender during the off-season as he was confident in the defensive players he had.

That confidence will be tested greatly with Muscat expected to sit out a few weeks on the sidelines. Likely replacements for Muscat include Thai international Surat Sukhat, and out of favour duo Steven Pace and Daniel Vasilevski.