It was meant to be a weekend off for the A-League through the festive season but instead fans were treated to the best game in the League's near-three year history.

Sydney looked to be heading for a hammering at the hands of Central Coast in Gosford when a red-card to Olyroos goalkeeper Danny Vukovic turned the game on its head. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the highlights courtesy of YouTube! A 5-4 win to Sydney and one that continues to open the gap between Melbourne Victory and fourth place. The match was moved to this weekend after a rain-out. But I said it last year and I'll say it again - The A-League is missing out on the chance to get easy exposure by scheduling a full four-game round through Christmas. A Christmas day double-header with Newcastle and Central Coast at home to two of Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland would be a hit on TV, if not with the crowd.

So what of Melbourne's disastrous title defence? After signing former Perth Glory and QPR midfielder Nick Ward it seems nothing much has changed for Victory. Beleaguered coach Ernie Merrick is bolstering his squad to prepare for what may well be Asian Champions League humiliation, while the fans call relentlessly for his head.

Tis the season to be jolly however, not the season to dump on Melbourne. Let's assess the mess when the top four is separated from the rest and Melbourne sits out a month of football.

Until then, enjoy your football.

Melbourne is putting together a winning run after starting its season with five consecutive draws.

Sydney is fast becoming our "bunny" in the A-League be it home or away and we continued the pain for bling with a 1-0 win last night - help yourself to the report from the official website.

Melbourne's new attack-based style paid off last night as the likes of Matthew Kemp and Kevin Muscat pushed forward from their backfield positions and exerted themselves on the contest.

And despite being quiet for most of the night Danny Allsopp helped himself to the match-winning goal nine minutes from time - on the spot and accurate with the finish when needed.

Melbourne is back in Adelaide for the second time of the season next week, last time it was a lucky draw after Nathan Burns blew an open header to win the game.

This time around Melbourne will be confident of continuing the winning form, but over the course of 90 minutes this team is still barely gearing up - as a fan I'd happily take a draw back from Hindmarsh stadium.

Sydney fans will claim that the game was over-officiated last night and a sprawl of yellow cards and a red to their midfield general Steve Corica would back that claim up.

The problem inevitably when the issue of referee influence comes up is Mark Shield is in charge, the man who I believe is a genuine contender to referee the 2010 World Cup final.

Last night I don't think he had much choice in sending Corica off, but by all impressions he was as much about the big stage of Sydney v Melbourne.

Despite being maligned in most fan-circles I continue to cut Mark a break, but he did himself no favours yesterday evening in terms of winning over both fans and neutrals who think he imposes himself too strongly on the contest.

And my pet hate? People who STILL continue to call him "Mark Shields" - how that ever came to be I don't know.

Until next time, go Victory.

Sydney were eliminated from the Asian Champions League this evening after drawing 0-0 away to the Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan. It officially ends Australia's involvement in the competition, Adelaide's dead-rubber game against Dong Tam Long An of Vietnam a 3-0 win courtesy of a Travis Dodd hat-trick.

 The focus on Sydney's exit won't get a great deal of coverage, given it fell on the same night as State of Origin rugby league, but it's likely that what will be said will be sympathetic to the Bling's cause. Sydney should be disappointed that they couldn't find a way through against a Urawa team only mildly interested in winning the match, and succeeding with a safety first approach.

Sydney's best two chances of the match were poles apart in terms of quality. In the second half David Carney hit the outside of the post with a brilliant left-footed shot from outside of the area. David Zdrilic's miss in the first half was considerably less impressive. Unmarked ten yards from goal, Zdrilic headed a cross from the right flank nowhere near the goal. How heavily that miss is criticised may be swept away by the "brave" Sydney team, who stood up to an always-singing throng of Urawa fans, and seemed less than daunted by the atmosphere and occasion.

 In other A-League news, Melbourne finally signed off on a new stadium agreement today at the Olympic Park site. For now, it will be opened in 2009 with a seating capacity of 31,000 seats. The debate about "safe standing" seems set to continue, with a chance the actual capacity of the venue may be around the 35,000 mark by the time the stadium opens. And in a win for the club, an agreement was reached where blockbuster games can be moved to the Telstra Dome - although one hopes that by 2009 the A-League season will be longer than 21 home and away games (meaning today's breakdown of 7 at OP and 5 at the Dome will be irrelevant).

 And keep an eye on the Australian page at OleOle because the "revenge" friendly between Australia and Uruguay is coming soon.

It's been a good week for football in Australia, Sydney drawing 2-2 with Urawa Reds and Adelaide beating Dong Tam 2-0 in the Champions League. But the entire nation will take far more interest in Saturday's friendly between the national team and China.

 It won't be the strongest Australian team taking the field, far from it, but with coach Graham Arnold still considered an interim manager by the fanbase, a good performance against Asian opposition could allay some fears going into the Nations Cup in the upcoming european offseason.

Worryingly, some star Socceroos such as Mark Viduka and Lucas Neill have criticised future friendlies against Uruguay and Argentina to be played in Sydney and Melbourne respectively in June. It's ridiculous that the word "boycott" is even being used. While the club-vs-country debate is an old chestnut, the chance to play in front of 180,000 fans against two of the most decorated teams in the world sems unrefusable.

In Melbourne, the Victory have undergone some changes to their squad, with the likes of Mark Byrnes and Simon Storey leaving to pursue their careers elsewhere. Brazillian recruit Fred has also left the club, apparently on his way to DC United in America.

 And finally, the FFA have decided New Zealand will get their third crack at a franchise in Australia's national league, this time from the city of Wellington. No name or concrete player details about the team yet, and opinion is still very much divided about whether it will be third time lucky, or third strike and out for the Kiwis.