By Scott, I was wrong. Asia can wait

My last blog entry concerned the brilliant piece written by Scott McIntyre and appearing on the SBS website this week whereby Melbourne Victory's motivation for tonight's A-League Grand Final against Sydney FC was questioned. McIntyre argued that the following Tuesday's Asian Champions League encounter against Japan's Kawasaki Frontale was of more importance than the A-League from both a prestige and financial standpoint. The article was highly engaging however what was most noteworthy was the bravado and left of centre nature of the piece where McIntyre went so far, and with due cause, to suggest the Victory field a diluted line up so as to have a better chance on Tuesday night.

I was quite taken with the article, so much so that I squeezed in every free moment at work on Thursday to churn out far too many words which did nothing more than re-state McIntyre's stance. And I ultimately agreed. However I've thought a lot about the matter since, in addition to my laborious re-hash, and I felt I needed to say that I now disagree. I was wrong. Asia can wait.

Tonight's A-League Grand Final between Melbourne and Sydney FC may well constitute the most important domestic game of soccer yet to be played in Australia. Just as important for Melbourne it represents an opportunity to definitively confirm its dominance of the sport within this country and to add yet another Championship to its already enviable trophy cabinet.

For now, and within an ACL campaign already in trouble, the Victory should do everything in its power to secure victory tonight. If that means playing the best team Ernie Merrick thinks fit, then so be it, for what's at stake tonight is of equal or more importance than Tuesday. Win and Melbourne has its third A-League championship, a gap that at the very best could only be at minimum equalled by this time 2012. In other words unequivocal bragging rights for at least another two years. Lose however and Sydney would not only draw equal with Melbourne on two championships, but also claim its first Premiership-Championship double, a feat only only Melbourne can boast to have achieved. And twice at that.

Etihad Stadium will be packed to the rafters tonight in one of the last games the Victory will have at the venue before moving to its more impressive home ground on Swan Street. The TV audience will also be enormous for a clash that never lets down, with two teams who don't particularly like each other and between coaches with sharply different football philosophies. And surely that's great for football in Australia.

Melbourne simply isn't ready to dominate Asia in the same way they've dominated the A-League. Its first two ACL games have certainly proven this. However in any city who've become accustomed to success there exists a desire to have such success transferred as far as possible. For Melbourne this means Asia. And potentially the Club World Cup.

For now however, really, dinner needs to be properly eaten, and enjoyed, before we even start thinking about desert.