Round nine of the A-League marks one third of the competition being completed , and commenced last night with the clash between Brisbane Roar and an improving Central Coast Mariners side.
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A score draw perhaps if I'm risking a prediction, but on a Thursday evening anything may have happened.
The Jets step up on Friday night, away to Adelaide, never an easy task, although the Jets did win there last season. We will have a closer look at that fixture shortly.
On Saturday across the ditch, third-placed Wanderers tackle league leaders Wellington, and I have to admit I didn't envisage writing that sentence back in mid October. Wellington recovered from their stumble against the Jets a fortnight ago, with an emphatic 3-0 win at Macarthur on Monday evening, and will test themselves against a good Wanderers side.
The Wanderers have made things hard for themselves with sluggish starts in recent weeks. Can Santa or coach Marko Rudan conjure up a snappier start and three points on Saturday?
Can Sydney FC kick-start their season for a second time in nine games? Surely three points at home to Western United is an absolute must for the Sky Blues on Saturday, having lost six games already?
The Melbourne Derby offers City the chance to end the only unbeaten run in the competition by defeating their closest rivals Victory in prime time on Saturday night. This could well be the match of the round, an improving City against a well-balanced Melbourne Victory outfit not short of confidence.
Perth face Macarthur in the west on Sunday and really need some Christmas cheer, sitting bottom after conceding in the 97th minute against the Jets last weekend, and watching two points float out the window in heartbreaking fashion.
Newcastle's late escape produced euphoric scenes, as late escapes tend to do, and the hope is some of the psychological charge carries over to Adelaide this evening. It will need to because Adelaide are a better opponent than Perth, and will be seething after three consecutive losses for the first time in donkey's ages.
In truth, they were in a position to win two of those games in the final 15 minutes, and led the corner count 12-2 at half-time in the other clash, against Brisbane. They have squandered some very winnable points in recent weeks, and coach Carl Veart will surely have them primed tonight?
The Jets may have been the only team to win at Coopers Stadium last season, if not maybe one or two more succeeded late in the season. On the other hand, I know I have described Adelaide as the "Friday night bankers" in a previous column this season.
A point for the Jets would feel as good as last week's late, late show I reckon, and the clash promises excitement and goals, or so I think.
One of the match-ups I'm really anticipating as a highlight is the clash between Lucas Mauragis, Newcastle's aggressive left fullback, and the exciting Nestory Irankunda, on the right wing for Adelaide.
One of the match-ups I'm really anticipating as a highlight is the clash between Lucas Mauragis, Newcastle's aggressive left fullback and the exciting Nestory Irankunda, on the right wing for Adelaide.
The Adelaide flyer is on the way to Bayern Munich at season's end, and the Jets' feisty left back will be looking for a big performance against him.
Also interesting will be the form of AS, as he is known in this column, on return to his home town, and in a rich vein of scoring form, and the battle for supremacy and control in midfield. Clayton Taylor and Zach Clough loom as potential gamebreakers for their respective teams from that area and should be closely monitored throughout.
It's an important game for both teams, side by side on the league table right now, and I have to admit to feeling that one point for the Jets would be more than satisfactory.
