The Central Coast Mariners' season 2006-07 was the second competitive season of football (soccer) club Central Coast Mariners FC. The club hoped to build on their strong performance in 2005-06, which included a Pre-Season Cup title, a finals appearance in the World Club Qualification playoff and their participation in the inaugural A-League grand final.
Contents
The club came close to defending their title in the Pre-season Cup, topping their group before losing on penalties in the final to Adelaide United. However, their 2006-07 A-League campaign was disappointing, winning just one of their first seven matches and struggling for consistency, finishing sixth on the table.
Group A
Group B
Updated to games played on 21 January 2007
Source: theworldgame.sbs.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
1Sydney FC were penalised three competition points following round 18 due to salary cap breaches which occurred during the 2005–06 season.
2First place through to fourth place qualify for the 2007 A-League Finals Series.
3First place qualifies for the 2008 AFC Champions League Group stage.
4Winning the 2007 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2008 AFC Champions League Group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
5New Zealand Knights cannot qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.
Preseason matches
Central Coast Mariners competed in the QNI North Queensland Trophy against A-League club Melbourne Victory, Chinese Super League team Changchun Yatai and the Young Socceroos finishing a respectable third.
The Mariners also played one friendly match prior to the season commencing.
Transfers
On the back of the Mariners' highly successful first season, expectation arose as to the big-name players that could potentially join Central Coast. There were strong rumors about Stan Lazaridis, Ned Zelic and Paul Okon coming to the Mariners, but none eventuated. However, on 3 August 2006 Tony Vidmar announced he was joining the Mariners, signing a two-year deal. Vidmar is the Mariners' first marquee signing.
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coaching staff
Group stage
The Mariners were put in Group A, along with Adelaide United (3rd in 2005-06 A-League season), Perth Glory (5th) and Melbourne Victory (7th). They had two home games in the three-game round-robin series, with one played at Wade Park, Orange, New South Wales, against Adelaide United, and the other at their traditional home, Central Coast Stadium.
Central Coast started their defence of the Pre-Season Cup well, defeating Perth Glory - the team they defeated in the 2005 Pre-Season Cup final - 2-1 at Central Coast Stadium, Gosford in front of 5,682 spectators. Both Central Coast strikers, Stewart Petrie and Adam Kwasnik, scored early goals. They followed this up with a gritty nil-all draw at Wade Park against last year's minor premiers, Adelaide United. Coach McKinna said after the game he was, "quite contented with the result". For their final Group A game, they travelled to Melbourne's Olympic Park, where they downed the Melbourne Victory 3-1, with Adam Kwasnik, Paul O'Grady and Noel Spencer all scoring for the Mariners.
Central Coast played their "bonus" fourth group-crossover round against the Queensland Roar. The "bonus" round awarded "bonus points" based on goals scored (one point for two goals, two points for three goals and three points for four or more goals). On this occasion, the Mariners and Roar drew 0-0, and both earned the conventional one point for a draw.
Table
Group A
Group B
Finals
Finishing on top of Group A, with Adelaide United relegated to second on goal differential, the Mariners took on the Newcastle Jets in a fiery local derby in the playoff stage. Newcastle took the lead in the 25th minute, before Stewart Petrie converted a penalty in the 53rd minute. The game progressed into extra time, and a 96th-minute header from Paul O'Grady gave the Mariners a chance to defend their Pre-Season title in what will be their fourth consecutive domestic final in as many competition entries.
In the grand final, they lost to Adelaide United 5-4 on penalties, after the score was tied 1-1 after extra time. Carl Veart scored early for Adelaide before the Mariners levelled in the 77th minute through attacking midfielder Andre Gumprecht. In the penalty shootout, Stewart Petrie was the only player to miss on either side, hitting the crossbar.
Table
Updated to games played on 21 January 2007
Source: theworldgame.sbs.com.au
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
1Sydney FC were penalised three competition points following round 18 due to salary cap breaches which occurred during the 2005–06 season.
2First place through to fourth place qualify for the 2007 A-League Finals Series.
3First place qualifies for the 2008 AFC Champions League Group stage.
4Winning the 2007 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2008 AFC Champions League Group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
5New Zealand Knights cannot qualify for the 2008 AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.