Macarthur FC Bulls begin their third A-League campaign in Queensland tomorrow, where they will take on local side, the Brisbane Roar.
The round one match at Suncorp Stadium will start at 5pm Sydney time.
The last clash of these two sides was in April and the Bulls prevailed 2-1.
But it was the Queenslanders who won bragging rights in their previous two encounters, defeating the Bulls 3-1 in the most recent clash in Brisbane last February.
This time around though the very talented Daniel Arzani, pictured above, will be part of the Macarthur FC side that runs out on to Suncorp Stadium.
It will be the young wizard’s first A-League match since 2018, although he played a pivotal role in the Bulls winning the Australia Cup last weekend.
Arzani was directly involved in five goals in his five games in the 2022 Australia Cup campaign for the Bulls, with three goals and two assists to his credit.
One statistic Macarthur FC will be keen to avoid is going winless for five games in a row.
They drew one match and lost three games at the end of the last A-League season and will be looking to avoid making it five without a victory.
On the plus side, Macarthur FC scored 19 set piece goals in the 2021/22 A-League season, the most of any team in the competition, while Brisbane Roar FC conceded 16 goals via this method – the second most of any team.
Statistics can only reveal so much, and the truth is the main focus will be on the playing style the Bulls will have under head coach Dwight Yorke.
The rookie manager – it’s his first senior gig at this level – has looked calm during the Australia Cup.
Yorke would know that while winning the Cup was nice, it’s the A-League that really counts when it comes to football in Australia.
- The Bulls first home game at Campbelltown Stadium is in round two when they will host Adelaide United on Sunday, October 16, with a 3pm kick off.
