While in Italy the day is about to begin, on the other side of the world, more precisely in Melbourne, Australia, the fans are preparing to attend the Yarra derby (which would be the river on whose banks the city was built) between Victory and City scheduled for 7.45pm local time.
It has been established for almost twenty years A-League replacing the National Soccer League, a championship initially made up of 8 teams which subsequently increased to 10 and in 2018 to 12 teams. The formula includes a first phase of direct clashes with 26 days which will serve to decide who will play in the playoffs from which the winner of the championship will then emerge. There is no possibility of relegation.
Melbourne City (Melbourne Heart until 2014 when, after the acquisition by City Group, has undergone a change of colors and name) was founded in 2009 and has since then regularly participated in the top Australian competition. After several participations in which he never reached the end of the competition, for the past four seasons he has continuously played in the final even though he was only able to celebrate on one of these occasions.
The situation of Melbourne Victory is different. They were founded in 2004 following the restructuring of the Australian championship. In these twenty years the Victory have played in 6 finals, taking home 4 titles. After the transition to City Group of the Hearts a certain balance was created between the two Melbourne teams who until then saw a big difference between them. The teams share the same stadium, the Melbourne Rectangular StadiumAlso known as AAMI Park for commercial reasons. The facility was built in 2010 within a sports and entertainment district where various facilities are located. The capacity is approximately 30 thousand seats.
Outside the stadium the atmosphere is serene, with several families preparing to enter to spend this football-themed Saturday evening. City plays at home but in the stands you can see that Victory is the most represented team in the city, despite having had little success in recent years.
The first half is good, teams attacking from both sides hitting a post each and testing the two goalkeepers. The two fans make themselves heard and it is very nice to see the raising of hands and clapping in Italian-Balkan style in a nation-continent which, despite its distance, has taken a lot from these cultures. At the end of the first half the sunset is beautiful, coloring the sky above the stadium pink. The second half is less exciting than the first with the teams not discovering each other, perhaps for fear of losing the match and at the end the result remains 0-0.
Even if the match was certainly not among the most beautiful we have seen, the environment was certainly exciting for those like me who love this sport not only for what happens on the pitch but also and above all for what moves in the stands. The stadium is well divided between those who go to the stands with their families and those who go to the stands to actively participate in the final result of their team, this is certainly a point in favor of a football which, although it will not be at the level of the top European championships profile, it is still pleasant to follow thanks to the atmosphere that reigns around it.
Marco Meloni
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