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The Hyundai A-League is becoming incredibly competitive now that we move into round 9. What originally appeared as though it could be a blow-out 2009 A-league season now has three teams tied for first spot on the ladder.

Gold Coast United took their second loss in a row and third for the season last weekend while Perth Glory won and is now level on points with the top ranked side. Sydney FC, now ranked third, also took a loss.

The remaining 2 games saw Adelaide United take a much needed win while Wellington Phoenix and the Central Coast Mariners had a 0-0 stalemate.

Gold Coast United V Wellington Phoenix

8:00pm Friday Night at Skilled Park

Gold Coast United is in need of a win after losing their last two matches and I believe that they will get it this week. Wellington Phoenix is far from being the strongest outfit in the A-league and that will show on Friday night.

Tip: Gold Coast United – Odds of $1.41

Perth Glory V North Queensland Fury

3:30pm Saturday at ME Bank Stadium

This is a similar story to Friday night’s match. The Perth Glory is far too strong for North Queensland and I would expect them to unleash the fury on the Fury. In fact, I would be very surprised if the Perth side slots in less than 3 goals.

Tip: Perth Glory – Odds of $1.03

Melbourne Victory V Brisbane Roar

7:30pm Saturday at Etihad Stadium

This round 9 match-up will surely be quite competitive. The two teams are ranked equally only one point away from the A-league leaders. I wouldn’t expect a result better than a draw for either side here, but it should be a great game to watch.

Tip: Draw – Odds of $3.10

Sydney FC V Central Coast Mariners

3:00pm Sunday Afternoon at Sydney Football Stadium

Sydney FC has been near the top of the ladder all season so far and a loss here could very well see them fall a fair way down. The Central Coast Mariners have the perfect opportunity on Sunday to take at least a top 3 place and I would expect them to do so after Sydney FC’s recent form.

Tip: Central Coast Mariners – Odds of $3.05

Adelaide United V Newcastle Jets

4:30pm Sunday Afternoon at Hindmarsh Stadium

This should be another competitive game with both teams floating around the bottom of the ladder. Newcastle has lost their last 3 games and I would think that this will become number 4. Adelaide had a much needed win last week and they should easily do it again.

Tip: Adelaide United – Odds of $1.85

It is now time for Round 7 of the Hyundai A-League and after last week Gold Coast United is a game clear on the top of the ladder. The games played last weekend turned out to be rather interesting with some surprising results.

North Queensland Fury was able to take their first win of the 2009/10 A-League season with an excellent 0-1 victory over Sydney FC. This was an upset for Sydney FC to say the least. Adelaide United also took 3 points with a 1-0 victory over the Mariners and Brisbane had an excellent game winning 3-0 against the Jets.

Melbourne had a 1-1 draw with the Phoenix while Perth Glory tied 2-2 with the league leaders, Gold Coast United.

Adelaide United V Melbourne Victory

7:30pm Friday Night at Hindmarsh Stadium

Adelaide gets a second home game in a row here and their win last week jumped them up to 5^th on the A-League table. Melbourne had a tie last week and I would expect much more out of them in Round 7. In my opinion, Adelaide United’s season is only just getting started and they should easily take the win.

Tip: Adelaide United – Odds of $2.26

Central Coast Mariners V Gold Coast United

7:30pm Saturday at Bluetongue Stadium

Gold Coast United is now 3 points clear at the top of the A-League and I cannot see the others catching them any time soon. Their presence on the pitch gobsmacking and their star striker Shane Smeltz has now scored 9 goals for the season. If the Mariners can leave the pitch with some dignity intact I would be surprised.

Tip: Gold Coast United – Odds of $1.54

Wellington Phoenix V North Queensland Fury

3:30pm Sunday Afternoon at Westpac Stadium

Neither team in this round 7 match-up has been performing all that well. However, after the Fury’s win over Sydney last week it is my belief that their confidence will be through the roof. Although this match is hard to pick, I am putting my money on North Queensland.

Tip: North Queensland – Odds of $2.10

Sydney FC V Newcastle Jets

3:00pm Sunday Afternoon at Sydney Football Stadium

Newcastle played horribly last week to lose 0-3. On the other hand, Sydney will be looking to make up for their surprise loss to the North Queensland Fury and will come out with only a win in mind. Newcastle has only won 2 of their 6 games this year.

Tip: Sydney FC – Odds of $1.39

Perth Glory V Brisbane Roar

5:00pm Sunday Afternoon at Suncorp Stadium

Both of these teams are in reasonable form. Brisbane is my pick here after their very tidy 3-0 win last weekend. There is a chance that the Perth Glory can take a top 2 position this week and I believe they will be fighting hard to achieve the victory.

Tip: Brisbane – Odds of $1.44

Round 5 of the Hyundai A-League is set to start and the competition is really coming alive. Gold Coast United has been handed its first defeat of the year by the Newcastle Jets after an impressive season start. Sydney FC has now claimed top spot on the A-League table after a fantastic 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix.

North Queensland Fury has finally taken their first point after a gruelling 3-3 draw with Adelaide United. North Queensland has a desperate need to continue scoring goals and take a win or two in the coming rounds as their season quickly dwindles away.

Shane Smeltz of Gold Coast United has maintained his stunning form that has seen him lead the A-League goal scoring for the first 4 rounds so far. Scoring again last weekend, Smeltz now has a total of six goals from 4 games. The Gold Coast United star is also leading attempts on target with a total of 10.

Danny Vukovic from the Central Coast Mariners is so far the stand out goal keeper of the A-league. Vukovic leads the A-League in saves with a total of seven-teen and in clean sheets with a total of two.

Worst discipline so far his being held by five players. Ljubo Milicevic, Danny Tiatto, John Hutchinson and Steve Pantelidis have all been awarded 3 yellow cards while Tommy Oar has received 2 yellow cards and a red card.

When it comes to soccer betting, CentreBet is the place to go. CentreBet has a great market for soccer betting with a good range of betting options. Check out the site for all the latest odds on the A-League.

My tips for round 5 are as follows.

Thursday 3^rd September @ 7.30pm

Melbourne Victory FC vs. Newcastle Jets FC

Melbourne Victory shouldn’t have too much trouble winning this match. However, the Newcastle Jets will be looking for a win in order to maintain their league position. The match will be played on Thursday night at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, so be sure to get your bets in before the kick-off.

My Tip – Melbourne Victory FC with odds of $1.73 @ Centrebet.com.au

Friday 4^th September @ 7.30pm

Wellington Phoenix FC vs. Adelaide United FC

Both of these teams are not playing the best at the moment and I cannot see any outcome other than a draw. If either team can take the win, they will be looking at a top 5 position in the A-League. The game will be played in Wellington on Friday night at Westpac Stadium.

My Tip – Draw with odds of $3.20 @ CentreBet.com.au

Friday 4^th September @ 8pm

Central Coast Mariners FC vs. Perth Glory FC

Only a single point separates these two teams on the league table. My prediction is a draw with the more likely winner being the Central Coast Mariners. Kick-off has been scheduled for 8pm Friday night at Canberra Stadium.

My Tip – Draw with odds of $3.30 @ CentreBet.com.au

Saturday 5^th September @ 5pm

Gold Coast United vs. Sydney FC

This is the big match for round 5. Again, there is only one point separating the two teams and Sydney FC is undefeated so far this season. Meanwhile, Gold Coast United will be looking to strike back after last week’s upsetting loss. This incredible match will kick-off on Saturday evening at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast.

My Prediction – Gold Coast United with odds of $2.17 @ CentreBet.com.au

Saturday 5^th September @ 7pm

North Queensland Fury vs. Brisbane Roar FC

Although the Brisbane Roar has not had the best start to the season, they should easily take the points over the North Queensland Fury. The Fury has only scored 1 league point in their first 4 games this year and I simply can’t see their form improving any time soon.

My Tip – Brisbane Roar with odds of $2.10 @ CentreBet.com.au

So far this season, CentreBet is tipping Gold Coast United to take the 2009/10 honours with odds of $3.25.

With round 1 of the new 2009 Hyundai A-League season out of the way we can now begin to take a look into round 2.

As a surprise for the Hyundai ALeague season opener, defending champions Melbourne made a very poor and sluggish start and were surprisingly defeated 2-0 by the Central Coast.

Adelaide United was very happy with the start to the new season after a convincing 1-0 victory over Perth Glory. Adelaide was able to convert from a penalty in the 31^st minute and then hold off Perth Glory to take a win to start their 09/10 campaign.

Newcomers, North Queensland Fury, will be a little disappointed with their start to the season after being defeated 2-3 by Sydney FC on Saturday night.

The second newcomer, Gold Coast United, has made a dream start to their Hyundai A-League campaign with 3-1 victory over rivals, Brisbane Roar. Jason Culina also scored in his Hyundai A-League debut.

The final game of the opening round saw the Newcastle Jets take a gutsy win over Wellington Phoenix, 3-2.

My tips for round 2 are as follows.

Friday 14^th August @ 8pm

Central Coast Mariners FC vs. Newcastle Jets FC

After the excellent start made by the Central Coast in round 1, I would expect them to be able to dismantle Newcastle in much the same fashion. The match will be played at Bluetongue Stadium on the Central Coast.

My Tip – Central Coast Mariners with odds of $1.90 @ SportsAlive by 2 goals. Final Score 3-1.

Saturday 15^th August @ 5.30pm

Gold Coast United vs. North Queensland Fury

This match on Saturday afternoon looks like it could possibly be a good old football blowout. This is a battle between the two new sides in the Hyundai A-League and will be played at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. My bet is on a second Gold Coast United Victory.

My Tip – Gold Coast United ($1.50 @ SportsAlive) by 3 goals. Final Score 4-1.

Saturday 15^th August @ 7.30pm

Melbourne Victory FC vs. Brisbane Roar FC

After a poor start to their 09/10 campaign, Melbourne will be looking to regain lost ground and it is because of this that I am predicting a reverse of last weeks’ match. This is bound to be a great game on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

My Tip – Melbourne Victory ($2 @ SportsAlive) by 2 goals. Final Score 2-0.

Sunday 16^th August @ 5pm

Wellington Phoenix FC vs. Perth Glory FC

After both teams suffered a loss in the first round and with neither of them looking really threatening, my tip for this match to be played at Westpac Stadium, Wellington is a draw.

My Tip – Draw ($3.25 @ SportsAlive). Final Score 1-1.

Sunday 16^th August @ 5pm

Sydney FC vs. Adelaide United FC

Both teams were able to obtain victory last weekend and this made it a hard choice for picking the winner in this round two clash. For this match at the Sydney Football Stadium I had to go with my gut instinct and put my money on Sydney FC to win.

I’m Tipping – Sydney FC ($2 @ SportsAlive) by 1 goal. Final Score 2-1.

With round 1 of the new 2009 season about to kick off, things are really beginning to heat up for all involved in the A-League. According to Ben Buckley, the Football Federation Australia CEO, “The Hyundai A-League is bigger and better than ever.”

The start of the new season also sees an expansion in the A-League with the inclusion of 2 new teams, Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury. With the inclusion of these 2 new teams the A-League has grown to become a 10 team competition in only its fifth year.

The Hyundai A-League round one kicks off with the 2009 Grand Final winners, Melbourne Victory taking on the Central Coast Mariners at Eithiad Stadium on Thursday. Then on Friday, last year’s second place finishers, Adelaide United will face a revamped Perth Glory side.

This great opening to the season will be backed up by soccer matches on Saturday between new side North Queensland Fury and Sydney FC and then later that night we have Brisbane Roar up against the second new team Gold Coast United. Sunday will see the final match of the first round played between the Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix.

Compared to last season, there will be six more rounds of football in the home and away season. This comes to a total of 142 matches including a Top 6 Finals Series.

The season will end on the 14^th of February 2010 and will be topped off with the Hyundai A-League Grand Final on Saturday the 20^th March 2010.

My thoughts and tips for the first round are as follows.

Thursday 6^th August @ 8pm

Melbourne Victory FC vs. Central Coast Mariners FC

This is set to be a possible blowout with reigning premiers Melbourne Victory taking on the Central Coast Mariners at Eithiad Stadium, Melbourne. The Melbourne Victory are $1.58 favourites and I would not bet against them in this opening round. A draw is paying $3.60 @ IASBet.com.au.

My Tip – Melbourne Victory ($1.58 @ IASBet) by 3 goals. Final Score 4-1.

Friday 7^th August @ 7.30pm

Adelaide United FC vs. Perth Glory FC

The match up here between 2009 runner-ups Adelaide United and Perth Glory could turn into a thriller at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide. Adelaide United are the favourites to win, but not by much paying $2.15 @ IASBet. Meanwhile, Perth Glory are paying the same as a draw. $3.25 @ IASBet.

My Tip – Adelaide United by 1 goal. Final Score 1-0.

Saturday 8^th August @ 5.30pm

North Queensland Fury vs. Sydney FC

This could possibly be another close game as newcomers North Queensland ($3.25 @ IASBet.com.au) take on Sydney FC at Dairy Farmers Stadium. Sydney FC are the clear favourites with odds of $2.15 @ IASBet.com.au. However, the newcomers may very well have what it takes to win and they will be pushing to get there A-League season off to a good start.

My Tip – Draw ($3.25 @ IASBet.com.au). Final Score 2-2.

Saturday 8^th August @ 7.30pm

Brisbane Roar FC vs. Gold Coast United

The second football game to be played on Saturday night is Brisbane Roar ($2.50 @ IASBet.com.au) vs. Gold Coast United ($2.60 @ IASBet.com.au) at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Looking at being a very close game, newcomers Gold Coast United will be striving to get on the board early and produce win.

My Tip – Draw ($3.25 @ IASBet.com.au). Final Score 1-1.

Sunday 9^th August @ 3pm

Newcastle Jets FC vs. Wellington Phoenix FC

The final game for the round to be played Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle. My prediction here, I cannot see anything here but a win for the Newcastle Jets ($1.90 @ IASBet.com.au). Wellington Phoenix ($3.80 @ IASBet.com.au) will be lucky if they even have a chance of winning after half time.

My Tip – Newcastle Jets by 3 goals. Final Score 3-0.