Central Coast Mariners have established themselves as clear leaders of the A-League 2020-21 season 12 matches into the campaign.
About halfway through the season, the A-League season could still a change in fortunes for the pursuing teams especially with Adelaide United and Melbourne City winning their last four matches on the trot, each.
The top-tier football competition of Australia, which also includes a team from New Zealand, began on December 28 last year and is expected to wrap up by June 2021.
The latest edition is the 44th season of national level soccer in Australia, and the 16th season since the A-League was established in 2004 but formally began in August 2005.
The competition is divided into the regular season and the final series. As per the rules, the regular season has 28 matchdays from which the top six clubs move into the final series. The ongoing campaign has been reduced to 21 matchdays, and judging by the points table, Central Coast Mariners are fancied to finish first in the regular season.
Sydney FC, the parent team of Indian Super League champion Adam Le Fondre, are the defending champions of the A-League and hold the record for most titles - nine. This includes the four Premier Plates - awarded to the team that finishes first in the regular season and five Champions’ trophies - awarded after winning the Finals series.
Close behind Sydney FC are Melbourne Victory with seven titles (three Premier Plates, four Champions’ trophies), and Brisbane Roar with five titles (two Premier Plates and three Champions’ trophies).
Alen Stajcic’s Central Coast Mariners, who finished at the bottom in the 2019-20 campaign, enjoy a six-point cushion over second-placed Western Sydney Wanderers (19 points) and are seeking a first Premier Plate since the 2011-12 edition.
Wellington Phoenix, which is the former club of ATK Mohun Bagan stars Roy Krishna and David Williams, currently sit 10th in the A-League standings. They will take on Brisbane Roar on matchday 13.
The A-League clubs are eligible for participation in the AFC Champions League competition each season since 2007, and the winner of the regular season books a place in the group stage of Asia’s premier football event.
A-League 2021 schedule, fixtures and India match times
All times in Indian Standard Time (IST)
Matchday 13
Friday, March 19: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Perth Glory - 1:35 PM IST
Saturday, March 20: Macarthur FC vs Western United - 11:35 AM IST
Saturday, March 20: Sydney FC vs Melbourne Victory- 1:40 PM IST
Sunday, March 21 - Wellington Phoenix FC vs Brisbane Roar - 10:35 AM IST
Sunday, March 21 - Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United - 1:10 PM IST
Monday, March 22 - Melbourne City FC vs Central Coast Mariners - 1:35 PM IST
Wednesday, March 24 - Wellington Phoenix FC vs Melbourne Victory - 1:35 PM IST
Wednesday, March 24 - Perth Glory vs Sydney FC - 3:50 PM IST
Matchday 14
Friday, March 26 - Melbourne City FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 1:35 PM IST
Saturday, March 27 - Brisbane Roar FC vs Western United FC - 11:35 AM IST
Saturday, March 27 - Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory - 1:40 PM IST
Saturday, March 27 - Perth Glory vs Newcastle Jets - 3:50 PM IST
Sunday, March 28 - Wellington Phoenix FC vs Macarthur FC - 10:35 AM IST
Sunday, March 28 - Adelaide United vs Sydney FC - 12:40 PM IST
Matchday 15
Thursday, April 1 - Western United FC vs Melbourne City FC - 12:05 PM IST
Thursday, April 1 - Central Coast Mariners vs Adelaide United - 2:10 PM IST
Friday, April 2 - Macarthur FC vs Perth Glory - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 3 - Brisbane Roar FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 1:35 PM IST
Sunday, April 4 - Melbourne Victory vs Sydney FC - 2:35 PM IST
Monday, April 5 - Newcastle Jets vs Western United FC - 12:35 PM IST
Monday, April 5 - Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne City FC - 2:40 PM IST
Tuesday, April 6 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Central Coast Mariners - 2:35 PM IST
Wednesday, April 7 - Sydney FC vs Perth Glory - 2:35 PM IST
Matchday 16
Friday, April 9 - Macarthur FC vs Brisbane Roar FC - 2:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 10 - Newcastle Jets vs Melbourne Victory - 10:35 AM IST
Saturday, April 10 - Sydney FC vs Melbourne City FC - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 10 - Adelaide United vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 2:40 PM IST
Saturday, April 10 - Wellington Phoenix vs Western United FC - 2:35 PM IST
Tuesday, April 13 - Newcastle Jets vs Perth Glory - 2:35 PM IST
Wednesday, April 14 - Adelaide United vs Macarthur FC - 3:05 PM IST
Matchday 17
Friday, April 16 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Brisbane Roar FC - 2:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 17 - Western United FC vs Central Coast Mariners - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 17 - Melbourne City FC vs Melbourne Victory - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, April 18 - Sydney FC vs Adelaide United - 11:35 AM IST
Sunday, April 18 - Macarthur FC vs Newcastle Jets - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, April 18 - Perth Glory vs Wellington Phoenix - 3:45 PM IST
Thursday, April 22 - Western United FC vs Wellington Phoenix - 2:35 PM IST
Matchday 18
Friday, April 23 - Melbourne Victory vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 2:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 24 - Central Coast Mariners vs Sydney FC - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, April 24 - Macarthur FC vs Melbourne City FC - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, April 25 - Brisbane Roar FC vs Perth Glory - 9:35 AM IST
Sunday, April 25 - Wellington Phoenix vs Adelaide United - 11:40 AM IST
Wednesday, April 28 - Central Coast Mariners vs Brisbane Roar FC - 2:35 PM IST
Matchday 19
Thursday, April 29 - Melbourne City FC vs Newcastle Jets - 2:35 PM IST
Friday, April 30 - Adelaide United vs Western United FC - 3:05 PM IST
Friday, April 30 - Perth Glory vs Macarthur FC - 5:10 PM IST
Saturday, May 1 - Brisbane Roar FC vs Wellington Phoenix - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, May 1 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Sydney FC - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, May 2 - Melbourne Victory vs Central Coast Mariners - 11:35 AM IST
Wednesday, May 5 - Western United FC vs Newcastle Jets - 2:35 PM IST
Wednesday, May 5 - Perth Glory vs Melbourne City FC - 4:50 PM IST
Thursday, May 6 - Melbourne Victory vs Macarthur FC - 2:35 PM IST
Matchday 20
Friday, May 7 - Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix - 3:05 PM IST
Saturday, May 8 - Newcastle Jets vs Sydney FC - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, May 8 - Western Sydney Wanderers FC vs Western United FC - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, May 9 - Melbourne City FC vs Brisbane Roar FC - 11:35 AM IST
Sunday, May 9 - Perth Glory vs Melbourne Victory - 1:40 PM IST
Wednesday, May 12 - Brisbane Roar FC vs Central Coast Mariners - 2:35 PM IST
Wednesday, May 12 - Perth Glory vs Western United FC - 4:50 PM IST
Thursday, May 13 - Melbourne City FC vs Adelaide United - 2:35 PM IST
Matchday 21
Friday, May 14 - Macarthur FC vs Melbourne Victory - 2:35 PM IST
Saturday, May 15 - Western United FC vs Sydney FC - 12:35 PM IST
Saturday, May 15 - Newcastle Jets vs Central Coast Mariners - 2:40 PM IST
Sunday, May 16 - Melbourne City FC vs Wellington Phoenix - 11:35 AM IST
Sunday, May 16 - Adelaide United vs Brisbane Roar FC - 1:40 PM IST
Sunday, May 16 - Perth Glory vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC - 3:45 PM IST
The A-League is not broadcast in India.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Steve Christo
