A-League grand final, Melbourne Victory v City live: news, scores, updates
Melbourne City are A-League champions for a second time after holding their nerve to deny local rivals Melbourne Victory a record-equalling fifth grand final triumph on Saturday night.
Yonatan Cohen's 10th-minute goal, the third fastest in men's grand final history, was the difference in the showpiece conclusion to the competition's 20th season watched by an AAMI Park sporting-record crowd of 29,902.
The matchwinner would have had himself a brace but headed a gilt-edged opportunity wide from Marco Tilio's cross with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Aurelio Vidmar's side were nevertheless content with their advantage, albeit slender, surviving a handball shout against Germán Ferreyra and sticking rigidly to the principles which have guided them to a fourth shot at glory in six years.
City's Yonatan Cohen celebrates his goal. Picture: Getty Images
The only adjustment was the super-human level of tenacity with which they performed - epitomised by Mathew Leckie sporting a bandage to patch up a busted nose after taking a boot to the face.
City pack punch in end-to-end first half
Victory, backed by a majority crowd, many of whom had been inside more than an hour before kick-off, endeavoured to feed off a combination of this fervour and momentum from their surprise semi-final win, with Daniel Arzani and Zinédine Machach having plenty of touches in the final third, whilst a loose Patrick Beach touch gifted them an early corner.
But their supporters were soon silenced and, because of the early promise, shellshocked, as Cohen read the play intelligently once Aziz Behich's cute backheel had given Andreas Kuen space to centre for Max Caputo, and was placed to pounce on his teammate's effort crashing out off the crossbar.
Nine minutes later, Jack Duncan had to be alert under his crossbar to keep out a towering header from Socceroo Leckie making his first start since March.
Meanwhile, Beach had settled his nerves and at full stretch, got gloves to Machach's fizzing as the last line of City's tigerish defences.
City's Aziz Behich and Victory's Zinadine Machach compete for the ball. Picture: Getty Images
No more bad luck against the Vucks for Vidmar
The outcome exorcises any demons lurking in Vidmar's mind from 2009's grand final when - facing Victory - his Adelaide United side suffered an early red card in a contest they would go on to lose by a single goal.
City's first championship triumph in 2021 will not be forgotten, but this glory - secured by winning the first-ever Melbourne Derby grand final - will be etched into folklore.
It also provided a full stop to the run of seven matches without success over Victory, although in these circumstances, an exclamation mark would be more fitting.
Tempers fray during the grand final. Picture: Getty Images
Devastation for Diles despite tremendous turnaround
Victory's season was at a crossroads after Patrick Kisnorbo left for Yokohama F. Marinos on the eve of the Christmas derby, and assistant boss Arthur Diles was thrust into the hot seat. It then appeared in reverse as his tenure started with six winless outings.
But three successes from four steered them back toward top-six contention, and when it comes to finals football, they are a different beast.
Driven by Diles' 'kill or be killed' mantra, they ended Western Sydney Wanderers' 12-game unbeaten streak in the elimination match, and caused another surprise by overturning a first-leg deficit away to Premiers Auckland FC.
They could not, however, become the first team to claim the championship after finishing outside of the top four and missing the acceleration of the injured Nishan Velupillay, struggled to penetrate 2024/25's meanest defence.
With the game slipping away, Josh Rawlins headed their clearest opening off target.
Originally published as A-League grand final, Melbourne Victory v City live: news, scores, updates
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Perth Now
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Glenn Maxwell announces retirement effective immediately
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The Advertiser
19 hours ago
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All grown up: Vidmar ready to kick on from ALM triumph
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"But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special." With a maiden A-League Men championship finally in his grasp, Aurelio Vidmar feels a long way from the young coach who used to shoot his mouth off. Now he's ready to take Melbourne City up another gear, at home and in Asia. "Sometimes in life, sporting life, you can have all the luck in the world and be blessed and win multiple championships," Vidmar told AAP on Sunday, after City's 1-0 grand final win over Melbourne Victory. "And sometimes as a player, you can go 10 years, 15 years, your whole career, and not win anything. "So does that define you, who you are as a coach or as a player? Probably not. But everyone always likes to see, is he a winner or has he won a championship? "So if you want to call it a monkey off the back, whatever, it doesn't really faze me, but I'm rapt." The former Socceroos captain's early days as Adelaide United coach included coaching a young Mathew Leckie and taking the Reds to an Asian Champions League Final and ALM decider. But those achievements were arguably overshadowed by Vidmar's outbursts, which included calling Adelaide "a pissant town" and blaming "politics" for his team's 4-0 semi-final loss to Victory in 2009. "Well, when you're young, you sometimes do some silly things," Vidmar, now 58, said with a laugh. "You regret it when you get a little bit older, but sometimes you've got the passion, and those moments sort of just pop up and things happen. "But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special."
West Australian
a day ago
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All grown up: Vidmar ready to kick on from ALM triumph
With a maiden A-League Men championship finally in his grasp, Aurelio Vidmar feels a long way from the young coach who used to shoot his mouth off. Now he's ready to take Melbourne City up another gear, at home and in Asia. "Sometimes in life, sporting life, you can have all the luck in the world and be blessed and win multiple championships," Vidmar told AAP on Sunday, after City's 1-0 grand final win over Melbourne Victory. "And sometimes as a player, you can go 10 years, 15 years, your whole career, and not win anything. "So does that define you, who you are as a coach or as a player? Probably not. But everyone always likes to see, is he a winner or has he won a championship? "So if you want to call it a monkey off the back, whatever, it doesn't really faze me, but I'm rapt." The former Socceroos captain's early days as Adelaide United coach included coaching a young Mathew Leckie and taking the Reds to an Asian Champions League Final and ALM decider. But those achievements were arguably overshadowed by Vidmar's outbursts, which included calling Adelaide "a pissant town" and blaming "politics" for his team's 4-0 semi-final loss to Victory in 2009. "Well, when you're young, you sometimes do some silly things," Vidmar, now 58, said with a laugh. "You regret it when you get a little bit older, but sometimes you've got the passion, and those moments sort of just pop up and things happen. "But it is what it is. I'm so rapt for everyone here, the players are really working their backsides off and really deserved that last night." Vidmar hopes to keep most of his squad together, including Marco Tilio, whose loan from Celtic is ending. Grand final goal scorer Yonatan Cohen is off-contract. In finishing second behind Auckland FC, City were the highest-ranked Australian team and qualified for the Asian Champions League Elite. Vidmar noted that would help on the recruiting front as City attempt to stay at the top. He can't wait to return to Asia after City flopped in the group stages in their last involvement in 2023. "It's a great competition," he said. "Some of those nights have been the most memorable nights in my football career and there's so much more respect for it than it used to be 10, 15 years ago. "Now we've seen all the money that's been thrown out to the Saudis, for example; theirs are going to be strong. The Japanese are always going to be strong. "So a great tournament. We deserve to get there. So looking forward to that. It's going to be special."
