IN professional sport there are highs and there are lows!
IN professional sport there are highs and there are lows!
The highs are usually pretty high and the lows are definitely very low.
In short, there is no in between!
So the chance to enjoy an amazing week that was – a week made in heaven – should be grabbed firmly with both hands.
And to be able to do that with a ticker-tape parade with our wonderful supporters through the streets of Gosford today (Noon-1pm) is a dream come true for the players and staff of the Mariners.
To win the A-League grand final for the first time in the club-s history – yes for the last time it was at the fourth attempt – for our yellow and navy faithful and the entire Central Coast region is the real fairytale of the season.
And to then back up 51 hours later (kick-off to kick-off) and beat rich 2nd-placed K-League heavyweights Suwon Bluewings in Suwon – after a full day of travel and still nursing knocks from the grand final – in the ACL was just phenomenal.
Superhuman in fact!
I-ve run out of superlatives to describe this group of players, I really have.
Everyone speaks regularly about culture, attitude, improvement, development, fitness levels and the rest when talking about the Mariners but hopefully now the words “ability” and “class” are added to their repertoire for not only beating a multi-million dollar outfit like Suwon in their own back yard but also playing them off their picture perfect World Cup pitch!
It is a night – and a week – that will be cherished by us all.
It was two games in 51 hours that made the whole nation sit up and take notice – and hopefully (especially in Tuesday night-s case) puff out their chest with good old fashioned Aussie pride.
The Asian Champions League has its downsides for Australian clubs both from a financial and scheduling point of view and that is something the FFA must address and quickly.
But purely from a football perspective, it gives players and coaches the chance to test themselves against the best Asia has to offer. If you succeed it can open doors on and off the pitch. If you don-t it gives you a gauge on where you need to be.
It gives supporters the chance to witness first hand the reach the World Game has.
To win the club-s first ever away game in the ACL and take qualifying for the second round to the last group game against Kashiwa Reysol at Bluetongue Stadium on Tuesday night – a game every Mariners fan should make the effort to get to in a bid to help get us over the line but also to celebrate our landmark season – is the stuff made of legend.
But let-s now rewind to last Sunday at Sydney-s Allianz Stadium and a day that everyone involved with the Mariners will never forget.
To go there and end Western Sydney-s so-called “fairytale”, to put to one side their crowd, to execute the game plan so clinically on the biggest day of the season and deliver a trophy that every person who has ever had an association with the Mariners has craved for eight years was just brilliant!
There wasn-t a dry eye in the place at fulltime and to see the joy it brought to our supporters and our families was priceless.
The A-League Grand Final trophy has finally come up the F3 to confirm the Mariners as the A-League-s most consistently successful club in the competition-s history.
Graham Arnold is the architect without a shadow of a doubt and the players are wonderful disciples of his football vision and philosophy.
It-s about playing to a team structure while also having the licence to entertain and I for one would happily pay the admission fee to watch this football team in action any day of the week!
For now though, today (Friday), it-s time to celebrate a wonderful season, so let-s get down to Gosford and show Australia how the Central Coast of Australia can really party!
