THEY SAID IT: "I think the first 10 minutes of the second half we were OK. After that we were non-existent. Too many players went hiding and weren't prepared to do the work, it's as simple as that. We didn't keep the ball, we didn't look to play forward. It was just not good enough for a team that's pushing for a top-two spot - that was unacceptable." - coach Carl Veart lashed Adelaide's performance in their 1-1 draw with Brisbane.
MAN OF THE WEEK: Melbourne City's young striker Max Caputo was at the heart of everything good against Macarthur. Still hitting his straps after a horrific pre-season leg injury, the 19-year-old scored a wonderful opener from a tight angle against Macarthur, then added a second half penalty to complete his double. He arguably could have been sent off before the second goal, but somehow dodged a second yellow card for an elbow to the face of Matt Jurman.
TALKING POINT: Is the race for the premiers plate back on? Auckland's draw leaves them six points clear of Western United, who aren't letting up, while Melbourne City, Victory and Adelaide aren't far back either.
STAT ATTACK: All three of Melbourne's A-League Men clubs played at home and are inside the top six. But the crowds on the long weekend didn't reflect that. City had 3569 fans at Friday's clash with Macarthur, Victory had 8206 against Central Coast and Western United had 3993 against Wellington. The local crowd of the week actually came from the NPL, where Preston beat South Melbourne 2-0 at home in front of a crowd of 9036.
BEAT THAT: This was a round for bangers. In Adelaide, Henry Crawford skipped past two defenders before cutting inside and bending a left-footed curler into the far top corner. Then, Roar substitute Jacob Brazete cut inside from the left and in almost an exact copy of Crawford's goal at the same end, whipped his shot into the top far corner. Melbourne Victory midfielder Zinedine Machach unleashed a wonderful long-range strike against Central Coast, while Eli Adams' blistering solo goal bamboozled Auckland.
UNDER PRESSURE: Wellington coach Giancarlo Italiano has conceded the Phoenix's finals hopes are over. Now, with his job potentially on the line, he's urged his players to start playing for pride.
UP NEXT: City and Newcastle face off in midweek football on Wednesday. Adelaide will seek a response against Macarthur on Friday night. On Saturday, in-form Western Sydney host Victory, while strugglers Perth and Brisbane face off. Auckland take on the struggling Mariners on Sunday, when Newcastle host Western United and Sydney play Wellington.
22°C