Ugly, scrappy, but absolutely priceless in the grand scheme

Back on track. Just. A win is a win, and boy didn't the Socceroos need this one.

The pressure is on the Socceroos, and that is very good

Ange Postecoglou likes living on the edge. No, let me re-phrase that. He loves it. So he's got what he wished for. A loss to United Arab Emirates in Sydney, and the prospect of the Socceroos missing out on the World Cup is better than real. The pressure pot is boiling. Let's see if anyone gets burned.

Abuse of coaches, by coaches, is a blight on the A-League

• ANALYSIS

Does the A-League have the worst behaviour on the sidelines in the world? Could be. Six of the 10 clubs have now had their coaches banned or fined during the season. And it's not just coaches.

For the first time, a potential Socceroo has chosen New Zealand over us

Dane Ingham has made history, as far as I can tell. The first player to choose to play for New Zealand rather than Australia. As the debate swirls about whether the youth system is nearing collapse, what should we read into this?

Will the Phoenix ever rise?

• COMMENT

Who can save Wellington Phoenix? Not Rob Morrison, I fear. The chairman of a club which almost passed into history last season is showing few signs of learning from the bruising experience.

National second division is kicking off with or without FFA

A second division is off and running, whether Football Federation Australia likes it or not.

Do the people of Wollongong truly want an A-League team?

Instead of talking about a third Sydney team joining the A-League, everyone's talking about Wollongong. Unloved and unwanted for more than a decade, all of a sudden there's a tug of war for the Steel City's affections.

Bobo the proof that Australia needs a football partnership with Brazil

Bobo scores the goal which should deliver Sydney FC their first silverware after seven barren years, and I'm thinking, once again: "Maybe this will finally make some people see sense." Maybe.

Postecoglou is man to lead game out of gloom

• ANALYSIS

So Ange Postecoglou is going to have to save the game. Again.