Wishing Vargas a speedy recovery

with Zenon Caravella FOR every elite sportsperson – and certainly for myself – the most dreaded thing to experience and deal with is injury.

Hours upon hours of training and preparation are put into the pre-season to get your body firing and running at a peak level for when the season starts. To miss even one or two matches can be extremely frustrating for an elite athlete.

In Sunday’s game we saw the horrific leg break to Ronald Vargas, a new signing for the Jets who was just starting to light up the league with his sublime touches. It was a sad moment for the player, his teammates and football fans.

We wish him a speedy recovery.

On another topic, in every league there is the derby – not necessarily the most important match of the season or one that produces the most amazing football but one you can guarantee is ferocious.

It’s about bragging rights, and for the fans and players, it’s an occasion to remember and savour.

The Sydney derby is one to mark on the calendar.

Not since the old NSL have I seen such passion from fans – the chants, the culture, the atmosphere on game day.

Tribalism is wonderful for the atmosphere of football and it’s something clubs need to ensure doesn’t disappear.

Meanwhile, much discussion has centred around the VAR (video assistant referee) – how it will work and how it will be received.

Australia is the first toplevel domestic league to implement the VAR and in Sunday’s Roar vs Jets match it was called into action.

Massimo Maccarone picked up the ball from an offside position to score and equalise. Minutes later the game came to a halt, with the referee running over to the sidelines to watch re-runs, then disallow an equalising goal in what was a tense match.

The Roar can’t complain about the decision that was made but for the football purist, it’s ingrained that once the ref makes a decision, it’s final, (good or bad).

I wonder what they think?