The Sun-Herald

25 Random Things About A-League Season Four

The past season in review, Facebook style.

1. One thing we know for sure: Craig Moore has big balls after beating cancer and then pulling on the boots a few weeks - nay, days - after an operation.

2. Moore is the only Socceroo returnee to really prosper on his return to Australia from Europe. Oddly, many of the rest have floundered.

3. But Moore was lucky - very lucky - to not cop a greater punishment for shoulda-known-better betting on A-League matches.

4. John Aloisi could not hit a barn door all season unless, maybe, Sydney chairman Andrew Kemeny or coach John Kosmina were lined up in front of it.

5. Kemeny and Kosmina were both keen to push Aloisi out of Sydney. Ironically, or maybe not, it's those two who are now history - Aloisi is staying.

6. Kemeny was named and shamed by player agent Leo Karis, who called out the Sydney boss for his misleading comments on Sydney's recruitment strategy.

7. All this happened on Frank Lowy's watch but - he too - quit the club, selling out to Russian David Traktovenko - in turn prompting celebrity investor Anthony LaPaglia to buy back in. Are you reading soap opera scriptwriters?

8. Does anyone know what Traktovenko looks like?

9. Traktovenko's first decisive move was to fire Kosmina and hire Czech coach Vitezslav Lavicka - he will be the club's fifth in as many seasons.

10. Lavicka has zero profile in Australia. This is probably a good thing. No one noticed when he flew into Sydney, watched a game at the SFS, signed a deal, and had a promotional photo snapped at the SFS - all weeks before Kosmina was fired.

11. You've got to admit - that's amusing.

12. Meanwhile, up the F1, Newcastle Jets went from best to worst in 21 weeks. That must be some sort of record.

13. Perhaps in tribute to ancient Rome, Jets owner Con Constantine entertained the masses by threatening to throw fans protesting the team's decline off the balcony of his private box during a match.

14. And got away with it!

15. Central Coast Mariners. So close. So far. Sigh. Again!

16. Mark Bosnich made his professional comeback after years of personal problems. Who would have guessed his return to the "top" would be at a park by the sea in Gosford?

17. Australia's qualification campaign for the 2011 Asian Cup will be undertaken entirely by A-league players - which is great for the local league.

18. Except for the small point that Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek doesn't rate the local league at all

19. Does that say more about the Asian Cup, the A-League, or Pim Verbeek?

20. A South Coast bid for an A-league team hitched its wagon to Socceroo Tim Cahill.

21. Cahill's good friend Lucas Neill hitched himself to a rival Western Sydney bid.

22. Adelaide United are officially the second-best team in Asia. Even after losing 100-0 to Gamba Osaka in the Final. And 163-0 to Melbourne Victory in the A-League play-off.

23. We did learn, however, that Adelaide is a "pissant town", according to United coach Aurelio Vidmar.

24. The A-League trophy still looks like a toilet seat. Sorry. But it does.

25. And we'll do all this again later this year.