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match this Sunday in order for the Central Coast Mariners to reach an all-time aggregate of 500,000 spectators at Bluetongue Stadium.

Sports “I DON’T CARE IF CHELSEA SACKS ME!” World People are beginning to ask, “Is Luiz Felipe Scolari With LAKIS KONISTIS really the right man for the Blues?” The board at Stamford Bridge seem to be mulling VERBEEK PICKS HIS “21” over the same question, and it is thought that anoth- er change of management will ensue if is no new sil- Qantas Socceroos Head Coach has s- verware in the club’s trophy case by the end elected a squad of 21 players for the upcoming AFC of May. Asian Cup 2011 qualifier match against Indonesia in But Scolari is totally indifferent to whether or not Jakarta on Wednesday 28th January. he remains with the Pensioners. “I don’t care. If I lose my job, I have another job. Verbeek has drawn his squad solely from Hyundai 1st will go head-to-head to secure their positions. A-League clubs, with six (6) players (, Maybe tomorrow, maybe after one year or two. I’ve Meanwhile Adelaide United, Victory worked for 25 years, so no problem,” he said in The , , Nikolai Topor-S- or Queensland Roar could take home the Premier’s tanley, Danny Allsopp and Matt McKay) having pre- Sun. Plate. “I like Chelsea. I like Cobham, where I live, I like viously represented the Qantas Socceroos at senior The regular season is also set to culminate in the A International level. the school my son is at, I like my job here, the peo- magic million mark with Season 2008/09 needing on- ple, even the press. It’s not a problem for me. I like The Qantas Socceroos have been drawn in Group ly a little over 45,000 fans to total 1 million spectators B of the AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualification stage a- every day in London. But if I go back to , I will through the gates. like Brazil the same. When I was in Kuwait, I loved long with Indonesia, Kuwait and Oman. The top two Let’s look at the games in further detail: teams from each group of the qualification stage will Kuwait. I had three fantastic years in Saudi Arabia. I love life, finish. If I lose or not lose my job, I will be progress to the AFC Asian Cup 2011 which will be Melbourne Victory (2nd) v held in . the same.” Wellington Phoenix (5th) You will, but how much longer will Scolari be with The players selected in the Qantas Socceroos Friday 23 January, Telstra Dome, 8.00pm AEDT squad will complete their club duties in the final Chelsea remains to be seen. round of the Hyundai A-League this weekend and ☛ A win for Wellington Phoenix could help them will assemble in Jakarta from Sunday 25 January to secure an historic spot in the Top 4. LOTS OF ADVICE FOR KAKA prepare for the match. Players also involved in the ☛ Will or Danny Allsopp fire to put WHO STAYS PUT! Hyundai A-League 2009 Finals Series will be avail- their team ahead? able for their respective semi-finals on 6 or 8 Febru- ☛ After having won each of their past five games With every passing day it seemed more inevitable ary 2009. at Telstra Dome, Melbourne Victory are aiming to that Kaka, AC Milan’s Brazilian genius, would leave create a new Hyundai A-League record of winning Italy and join Manchester City in a world-record QANTAS SOCCEROOS SQUAD six consecutive home games. deal. And there were plenty ready to offer free advice to NAME CLUB Queensland Roar (3rd) v Perth Glory (7th) him in relation to such a move. Danny ALLSOPP Melbourne Victory Saturday 24 January, Suncorp Stadium, David Beckham for example, made it patently Billy CELESKI Melbourne Victory 7.00pm local (8.00pm AEDT) clear that he disapproved of the whole affair, and he Shannon COLE FC still disregarded the cashed-up Citizens as a serious Robert CORNTHWAITE Adelaide United ☛ Will the golden touch of Queensland Roar’s threat to his beloved Red Devils. Newcastle Jets see him fly to the top of the leading “I only care about Manchester United personally,” Adelaide United goal scorers chart this season? he told The Sun. “For me, United are the only team Central Coast ☛ Having already obtained more competition in Manchester.” Adelaide United points this season (33 points) than last season (31 Manchester City’s reported offer of more than 100 Dylan MACALLISTER Central Coast points), Queensland Roar are now set to finish high- million euros ($131 million) for AC Milan’s Kaka is Matthew McKAY Queensland Roar er on the final Hyundai A-League ladder than in any ‘mad’ and shows soccer needs a salary cap, Queens Craig MOORE Queensland Roar previous season. Queensland Roar’s highest final Park Rangers co-owner Flavio Briatore said. Tom PONDELJAK Melbourne Victory placing was 4th in the 2007-08 season. He too had this too say about Kaka’s possible Paul REID Adelaide United move. “If you had put (Ferrari’s retired seven times Central Coast Sydney FC (6th) v Newcastle Jets (8th) world champion Michael) Schumacher in a Minardi, Michael THEOKLITOS Melbourne Victory Sunday 25 January, , it would have gone nowhere,” he said. “If you put Archie THOMPSON Melbourne Victory 5.00pm AEDT Kaka in this club, it is going nowhere anyway. I think Matthew THOMPSON Newcastle Jets it is completely mad. You have the people in the Nikolai TOPOR-STANLEY Perth Glory ☛ Antun Kovacic from Newcastle Jets is set to grandstand who make 14,000 pounds ($20,290) a Rodrigo VARGAS Melbourne Victory make his 50th Hyundai A-League appearance- that’s year. Seeing all this money go to one player for me is Central Coast about the only highlight here! not moral at all”. Queensland Roar Manchester City are now considered the richest Central Coast Mariners (4th) v club in the world after being bought by Abu Dhabi’s BIG WEEKEND FOR HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE Adelaide United (1st) Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, whose wealth Sunday 25 January, Bluetongue Stadium, 7.00pm is estimated at 15 billion pounds. It’s a big weekend coming up! AEDT The club, long overshadowed by local rivals Man- It is down to the wire this weekend during the last chester United, are 11th in the 20-team Premier four games of Hyundai A-League before the finals. 5 ☛ Could this be the match that determines the fi- League but still only four points clear of bottom- teams– only 4 spots. And lots of possible possibilities. nal 4, as well as the premiership-deciding match? placed West Bromwich Albion. Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory, Queensland ☛ Central Coast Mariners have recorded an ag- In the end, and in a way a BIG slap in the face of Roar, Central Coast Mariners and Wellington gregate attendance of 490,137 people over 44 Manchester City, Kaka decided to stay where he is. Phoenix are still in the race to secure a spot in the Hyundai A-League home matches to date. This Stay connected to the people that matter most Top 4. This comes as teams ranked 2nd, 5th, 4th and means only 9,863 football fans need to attend the with a smarter inbox. Take a look.