Sport
Coast Community News - April 30, 2014 - Page 23
Mariners end their season in a blaze of glory
Socceroo fan day at Central Coast Stadium he Socceroos will hold a fan day and open training session at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford on Sunday, May 18, in a bid to unite fans behind the team before they depart for Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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The Socceroos will spend two weeks on the Central Coast and Sydney as Coach Ange Postecoglou starts preparations on home soil before fine-tuning the squad in Brazil ahead of the first match against Chile on June 13. The Socceroo squad will assemble on the Central Coast on May 15 and spend seven days training at Central Coast Stadium before shifting to Sydney on May 22 where they will prepare for the farewell match against South Africa on May 26. “The Socceroos have the ability to unite all Australians like no other National team and the Fan Days give football supporters an opportunity to wish them well and show their support before the team departs Australian soil,” said FFA CEO David Gallop. “The Socceroo fans days have been organised on
the weekends to give fans on the Central Coast and Sydney the best chance to get behind their heroes as we all look forward to the World Cup with a sense of pride and unity.” Postecoglou also declared that Socceroo Fan Days were an equally important way for the players, coaches and staff to feel the support of Australian football fans before they leave for Brazil. “The Socceroos are a team for all Australians, not just the 30 players and staff, and inspiring the next generation of players and fans is an important part of being a Socceroo,” Postecoglou said. “We want the fans to feel part of the team and we also want the players to feel the energy and support behind them.”
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Media release, 9 Apr 2014 David Mason, Football Federation Australia
he Central Coast Mariners secured a 1-0 win over Adelaide United in Gosford on Saturday, April 19.
A strike from attacker Bernie Ibini in the 67th minute proved enough for the yellow and navy to record their second win against Josep Gombau’s side this campaign, and elevate Phil Moss’s men into a sudden-death Grand Final qualifier against Western Sydney Wanderers. After a relatively even first half at Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast Mariners turned up the heat on Adelaide United in the second stanza to book their place in week two of the 2014 Hyundai A-League playoffs. Mitchell Duke was straight into the action after the break as he struck an effort at goal that Eugene Galekovic saved. The pacey pair of Duke and Ibini combined in the 58th minute.
Smoking Dragon
Duke played in Ibini, however, the on-loan Shanghai SIPG man’s shot was collected by the sometimes Socceroo’s custodian. But Galekovic could do little to prevent what would prove to be the game’s only, and thus decisive goal in the 67th minute of play. After a combination between Anthony Caceres and Duke, Ibini thundered an effort beyond Adelaide’s number one to send the vast majority of the 9,045-strong crowd into raptures. While Adelaide threw men forward as the clock wound down, Central Coast remained cool, to seal yet another finals date with the Wanderers. The Mariners met the Wanderers the following Saturday night in the grand final qualifier at Parramatta’s Pirtek Stadium but were defeated 2-0.
Their AFC Champions League campaign also came to an end in Japan on Wednesday, April 23, when they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against back-to-back J.League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima. While it wasn’t to be for the Mariners in Hyundai A-League season nine, Moss said he believed a positive future existed for the Club on and off the field. “I said to someone the other day that our transfer market was done and dusted in January – we had enough player turnover in one month to last us a couple of years,” he said. “I am pretty happy with the nucleus that we’ve got and we’re pretty settled for next year which is a big thing because we’ve had a massive five months with five new additions in January and obviously my first year as head coach.
“I only see bright days ahead … there’s a lot of positives to come out of this season.” After a few deserved days off, Central Coast Mariners will return to training throughout May. The squad will then go on annual leave throughout June, before the team of 2014/15 reconvenes to commence preparations for season 10 of the Hyundai A-League in July. The Central Coast Mariners were named the Club of the Year by the Football Media Association at Football Federation Australia’s A-League Awards night on Monday, April 28. The award is given in recognition of a club’s relationship with, and responsiveness to, the football media. Media releases, 19 & 27 Apr 2014 Central Coast Mariners media
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