Perth Glory FC
2007–08 season
StadiumMembers Equity Stadium
A-League7th
A-League Pre-Season Challenge CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Jamie Harnwell (8)
All: Jamie Harnwell (10)

The 2007–08 Perth Glory FC season was the club's 11th season since its establishment in 1996. The club competed in the A-League for the 3rd time.

The Glory finished 7th in the 2007–08 A-League season, making them the worst Australian team in the A-League, for the second consecutive season. Given the team's promising pre-season performances, expectations at the club were to achieve a top 4 finish, or to at least significantly improve over the performance in the previous A-League season. After a poor start to the season, without a win after the first 11 games and Glory winless for 18 consecutive A-League matches, coach Ron Smith departed[1] and assistant coach, David Mitchell took over for the rest of the season. After 2 wins from his first 4 games in charge, Mitchell was rewarded by having his contract extended till the end of the 2008-09 Season.[2]

Squad changes for 2007-08 season

In:

Out:

Players

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Australia AUS Jason Petkovic
2 DF Australia AUS Nikolai Topor-Stanley
3 DF Australia AUS David Tarka
4 DF Australia AUS Simon Colosimo
5 DF Australia AUS Jamie Harnwell
6 DF Australia AUS Dino Djulbic
7 MF Australia AUS Anthony Danze
8 MF Australia AUS David Micevski
9 FW Croatia CRO Mate Dragičević
10 MF Australia AUS Billy Celeski
11 MF Australia AUS Stan Lazaridis
12 MF New Zealand NZL Leo Bertos
13 FW Australia AUS Nikita Rukavytsya
14 DF Australia AUS Jamie Coyne
15 MF Australia AUS Mitchell Prentice
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF Australia AUS Nick Rizzo
17 DF Australia AUS Jimmy Downey
18 DF Australia AUS Hayden Foxe
19 MF Australia AUS Naum Sekulovski
20 GK Australia AUS Aleks Vrteski
21 FW England ENG James Robinson
22 FW Liberia LBR Jerry Karpeh
24 MF Australia AUS Jordan Simpson
25 DF Australia AUS Tyler Simpson
26 DF Australia AUS Mark Lee
27 DF Australia AUS Ante Kovacevic
30 GK Australia AUS Tando Velaphi
40 GK Australia AUS Danny Milosevic
50 GK Australia AUS Tommi Tomich

Friendlies

Malaysian Tour

Perth Glory began their pre-season with three preseason friendlies in Malaysia. Firstly the team defeated Selangor PKNS 3-0 with goals to David Tarka, Naum Sekulovski and Anthony Danze. Perth then moved on to sweep Perak FA 4-0 with a brace to both Nikita Rukavytsya and Jamie Harnwell. Finally, Perth defeated Penang FA 5-1 with another brace to Rukavytsya and goals to Nick Rizzo, Danze and Mate Dragičević.

Local Friendlies

Following the tour of Malaysia, the Perth Glory squad was hit hard by injuries and illness, ahead of a planned series of games against Football West State League sides. Nikolai Topor-Stanley was granted leave due to personal issues, while Mate Dragičević was forced to return to Croatia as a result of visa complications. With only twelve players to call on, Perth Glory succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Perth SC, with Rukavytsya scoring early in the second half. Perth Glory postponed the remaining friendlies, citing the depletion of their playing stocks.

Pre-Season Cup

RoundDateHome teamScoreAway teamCrowdStadium
1 14 July 2007Newcastle Jets0 - 1Perth Glory2,700Port Macquarie Regional Stadium
2 20 July 2007Adelaide United1 - 1Perth Glory3,513Hindmarsh Stadium
3 28 July 2007Perth Glory2 - 1Melbourne Victory2,700Darwin Football Stadium
SF 4 August 2007Central Coast Mariners2 - 3Perth Glory5,967Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium
GF 12 August 2007Adelaide United2 - 1Perth Glory9,606Hindmarsh Stadium

Perth Glory began their Pre-Season Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle Jets. Jamie Harnwell scored in the second half. However, Perth's injury problems were compounded with Anthony Danze and David Micevski the latest players to be put out of action. Perth Glory rushed to sign Mitchell Prentice ahead of the match in order to boost their playing stocks.

The following week, Perth Glory drew 1-1 with Adelaide United. Nikita Rukavytsya scored in the 53rd minute after being played through by a Jamie Harnwell backheel. Cássio equalised in the 60th minute via a well-taken freekick. Hayden Foxe and Nikolai Topor-Stanley made their debuts for the Glory, with Foxe substituted in the 73rd minute due to a minor knee complaint.

In the third round Perth Glory staged a come-from-behind victory over Melbourne Victory to win 2-1 in Darwin. Nikita Rukavytsya and Jamie Harnwell were the goalscorers. Perth Glory finished equal with Adelaide United on points and second in the group due to goal difference, despite winning the most games in the group.

Perth Glory progressed to the pre-season grand final with a 2-3 away victory to the Central Coast Mariners. Dragicevic opened the scoring for the Glory, with Nick Mrdja equalising before half-time. Goals to Bertos and Tarka in the second half sealed the victory for the Glory, with Sasho Petrovski scoring a consolation goal deep in injury time.

Once again forced to travel interstate, Perth Glory lost the pre-season cup grand final to Adelaide United. Perth led at half-time through a Leo Bertos strike, but second half goals to Cássio and Bruce Djite saw Adelaide take the pre-season cup.

2007-08 Hyundai A-League fixtures

26 August 2007 Perth Glory 0 : 0 Newcastle Jets Members Equity Stadium, Perth
15:00 UTC+8 Report
Summary		 Attendance: 8,508
Referee: Australia Simon Przydacz
9 September 2007 Perth Glory 0 : 0 Sydney FC Members Equity Stadium, Perth
15:00 UTC+8 Report
Summary		 Attendance: 7,907
Referee: Australia Craig Zetter
16 September 2007 Perth Glory 1 : 2 Queensland Roar Members Equity Stadium, Perth
17:00 UTC+8 Harnwell 14' Report
Summary		 McCloughan 21'
McKay 84'		 Attendance: 7,203
Referee: Australia Ben Williams
23 September 2007 Central Coast Mariners 1 : 0 Perth Glory Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
19:00 UTC+10 Petrovski 80' Report
Summary		 Attendance: 9,274
Referee: Australia Craig Zetter
12 October 2007 Perth Glory 3 : 3 Sydney FC Members Equity Stadium, Perth
20:00 UTC+8 Harnwell 53'
Robinson 59'
Prentice 69'		 Report
Summary		 Brosque 40', 90+3'
Patrick 72'		 Attendance: 6,876
Referee: Australia Matthew Breeze
21 October 2007 Melbourne Victory 2 : 1 Perth Glory Telstra Dome, Melbourne
16:30 UTC+10 Hernandez 24'
Thompson 34'		 Report
Summary		 Harnwell 42' Attendance: 25,598
Referee: Australia Simon Przydacz
27 October 2007 Queensland Roar 3 : 3 Perth Glory Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
19:00 UTC+10 Marcinho 45+3'
Lynch 69' (pen.), 86'		 Report
Summary		 Moore 18' (o.g.)
Harnwell 43'
Coyne 90+3'		 Attendance: 16,715
Referee: Australia Ben Williams
2 November 2007 Perth Glory 0 : 1 Wellington Phoenix Members Equity Stadium, Perth
20:00 UTC+9 Report
Summary		 Daniel 51' Attendance: 7,105
Referee: Australia Simon Przydacz
18 November 2007 Perth Glory 0 : 1 Central Coast Mariners Members Equity Stadium, Perth
19:00 UTC+9 Summary Owens 13'
Jedinak Yellow card 83' Yellow-red card 88'		 Attendance: 7,310
Referee: Australia Craig Zetter
15 December 2007 Sydney FC 2 : 4 Perth Glory Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
19:00 UTC+11 Corica 50'
Bridges 90'		 Report
Summary		 Celeski 34', 35', 77' (pen.)
Bertos 49'		 Attendance: 12,402
Referee: New Zealand Michael Hester
30 December 2007 Perth Glory 1 : 4 Queensland Roar Members Equity Stadium, Perth
19:00 UTC+9 Rizzo 57' Report
Summary		 Kruse 34'
Reinaldo 42'
Minniecon 59'
McCloughan 74'		 Attendance: 9,614
Referee: Australia Peter Green

Home-and-Away Season

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Central Coast Mariners 21 10 4 7 30 25 +5 34 Qualification for 2009 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series[lower-alpha 1]
2 Newcastle Jets (C) 21 9 7 5 25 21 +4 34
3 Sydney FC 21 8 8 5 28 24 +4 32 Qualification for 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship and Finals series
4 Queensland Roar 21 8 7 6 25 21 +4 31 Qualification for Finals series
5 Melbourne Victory 21 6 9 6 29 29 0 27
6 Adelaide United 21 6 8 7 31 29 +2 26
7 Perth Glory 21 4 8 9 27 34 −7 20
8 Wellington Phoenix[lower-alpha 2] 21 5 5 11 25 37 −12 20
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ↑ First place qualifies for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage.
    Winning the 2008 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
  2. ↑ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

Notes and references

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