A massive pitch invasion during an <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/a-league-tv-schedule-and-streaming-links/">Australian A-League</a> match on Saturday forced a halt to the action. 



 Crosstown rivals Melbourne City hosted Melbourne Victory faced off as an already contentious crowd looked on. City was up 1-0 when the game had to be abandoned.



Fans from both sides went to AAMI Park with a preplanned protest set for the 20th minute of the match. 



The groups were upset with the Australian Professional Leagues decision to sell Grand Final matches to Sydney. These matches are the final fixtures in the A-League’s season. 



<h5>Goalkeeper at the center of the scene</h5>



Flares thrown onto the field were already an issue throughout the early stages of the match; however, incidents increased in the 20th minute. City goalkeeper Tom Glover picked up one flare that landed near him and tossed it back into the visiting Victory crowd. This set off a mass rush of fans onto the pitch.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Woke up this morning to these insane scenes from the Melbourne derby in the Australian A-League <a href="https:\/\/t.co/09i5VRFMwq">pic.twitter.com/09i5VRFMwq</a>— World Soccer Talk (@worldsoccertalk) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/worldsoccertalk/status/1604125892934266880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Many Victory fans stormed the field and ran towards Glover. As stewards attempted to stop the chaos, the goalkeeper was struck in the head with a metal bucket. 



Match referee Alex King was also reportedly hit in the head with a bucket as well. However, <a href="https:\/\/www.espn.com/soccer/australian-a-league-men/story/4833373/australian-a-league-melbourne-derby-abandoned-after-violent-pitch-invasion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN</a> has claimed that his injuries are more minor. A cameraman was injured during the incident as well.



Filled with sand, the bucket was intended to help put out the flares. Glover was then seen leaving the field with a bloody face. The goalkeeper needed stitches and suffered a possible concussion.



<h5>Visiting club condemn actions</h5>



Following the terrible scenes, Victory made an official statement denouncing the decision of the fans. “Tonight, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/05/28/western-united-upset-melbourne-city-to-win-a-league-final/">Melbourne</a> Victory Football Club is devastated. The Club unequivocally condemns the actions of fans at Saturday night’s match against Melbourne City at AAMI Park,” <a href="https:\/\/melbournevictory.com.au/news/club-statement-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">read</a> the statement.



“The Club would like to formally apologize to Tom Glover, match official, Alex King, and the camera operator as well as all players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behavior.”



“This conduct will not be tolerated and the Club, along with AAMI Park, and Victoria Police,&nbsp;will undertake a full&nbsp;investigation into the incident.”



It was the first time in A-League history that a match had to be abandoned due to fan violence. Local police have said that there have not yet been any arrests, but an investigation is obviously still ongoing.



Photo credit: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

An Australian A-League game between crosstown rivals Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory had to be abandoned after fans invaded the pitch

Australian game abandoned after fans injure goalkeeper - World Soccer Talk

Australian game abandoned after fans injure goalkeeper

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Sydney (AFP) – Former Portugal and Manchester United winger Luis Nani has signed for Australian side Melbourne Victory in one of the A-League’s biggest coups in years.
The 35-year-old will join on a two-year deal from Italian club Venezia, following stints in the United States, Spain and Turkey since he left United in 2015.
“We’re proud to be able to recruit a player like Nani to our club and believe he will be an incredible asset for Melbourne Victory and the entire A-League,” head coach Tony Popovic said in a statement.
“He has enjoyed an incredibly successful career at both club level and international level and we believe his quality and experience will be key in achieving our ambitions this season.”
Nani, who was capped 112 times for Portugal and won the Premier League four times with Manchester United after joining the Old Trafford club in 2007, is arguably the biggest name to play Australian club football since Alessandro Del Piero in 2012.
“I’m excited to be coming to the A-League with Melbourne Victory and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead,” said Nani, who was part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 winning side.
Melbourne Victory will play Manchester United in a friendly on Friday, as part of the English club’s pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, but it is not expected that Nani will be available to face his former team.

Former Man United, Portugal star Nani joins Melbourne Victory

Former Man United, Portugal star Nani joins Melbourne Victory - World Soccer Talk

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Melbourne (AFP) – Spanish giants Atletico Madrid crashed to a 1-0 loss to A-League side Melbourne Victory on their Australian pre-season tour in Geelong on Sunday.
The European Champions League runners-up fell behind to a goal against the run of play shortly before half-time and were kept scoreless in the second half.
Defender Nick Ansell powerfully headed home off a free-kick from Tunisian Fahid&nbsp;Ben Khalfallah to rock Atletico in the 44th minute.
While manager Diego Simeone rung the changes in the second half his side could not find a way through the determined Victory defence.
It has been a heady 10 days for the twice A-League champions, who beat Italian champions Juventus on penalties in the International Champions Cup last week before claiming another high-profile scalp in Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid, who lost this year’s Champions League final on penalties to cross-city rivals Real Madrid, won their first match in Australia against England’s Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in Melbourne last Friday.
There were several heavy challenges in Sunday’s game with a solid tackle by Uruguayan defender Emiliano Velazquez forcing Victory’s Mitch Austin off the field with a knee injury in the first half.
French defender Lucas&nbsp;Hernandez also limped away after a sliding tackle on Victory midfielder Oliver Bozanic in the second half.
Simeone made a triple substitution midway through the second half in an effort to recharge his team.
But Melbourne counterpart Kevin Muscat took off most of his leading players among six substitutions at one stage, leaving Victory with a largely youth side against the Spaniards in the final stages.
Atletico will return home on Tuesday and will next play Galatasaray in Turkey as part of their pre-season on August 6.
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Atletico Madrid crash to defeat in Australia - World Soccer Talk

Atletico Madrid crash to defeat in Australia

<div id="attachment_169407" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/melbourne-victory.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-169407" loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20160504_WST_169396_melbourne-victory-600x389.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=389" alt="Photo credit: AFP" width="600" height="389" class="size-large wp-image-169407" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/05/melbourne-victory-600x389.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/05/melbourne-victory-150x97.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/05/melbourne-victory-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2016/05/melbourne-victory.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>Photo credit: AFP</div>
Melbourne (AFP) – Departing veteran Archie Thompson extended his Melbourne Victory career when he struck a rare AFC Champions League goal to steer his team into the last 16 on Tuesday.
Thompson, 37, who shed tears last week when announcing the end of his 11-year Victory stint, netted what turned out to be a crucial second goal in a tense 2-1 win over Gamba Osaka.
In their final group game, Victory looked to be cruising into the knock-out stages at 2-0 up until Ademilson pulled one back for Gamba in the 84th minute, setting up a nervy finale.
But Victory made it through to join A-League rivals Sydney FC in the next phase, in what has been a strong performance by the Australian teams heading into their domestic post-season.
Victory qualify second in Group G behind Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG, whose 0-3 defeat at the hands of Suwon Samsung Bluewings ultimately made no difference to the standings.
Victory held the edge going into the final pool games as they lay second, ahead of Suwon, on goals scored, and two strikes in the space of three minutes put them within sight of the last 16.
Gamba’s Shun Nagasawa gave them a helping hand, literally, when he illegally parried the ball in the box and Besart Berisha stroked the opener from the spot after 13 minutes.
Then Thompson, whose contract will not be renewed this year, quickly made it two when he was picked out by Daniel Georgievski for a simple finish past Gamba’s Yosuke Fujigaya.
With Suwon leading Shanghai SIPG, Thompson’s second career Champions League goal turned out to be vital when Brazilian forward Ademilson scored for Gamba with six minutes left.
In Group H defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande, who were already eliminated, posted a valedictory 1-0 win over Sydney FC thanks to Gao Lin’s strike in the second minute.
But Sydney finished top of the group after second-placed Urawa Red Diamonds could only draw 1-1 with Pohang Steelers, with Zlatan Ljubijankic equalising late on for the Japanese side.
Victory’s Thompson has enjoyed a distinguished career, highlighted by his world-record 13 goals in Australia’s 31-0 demolition of American Samoa in a World Cup qualifier in 2001.
Later, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal beat already-qualified Tractorsazi of Iran 2-1 to make the knockouts as the second-placed team in Group C.
Brazilian striker Ailton was the hero for Al Hilal as he came off the bench to score the winner in the 72nd minute to give his side 11 points from six matches.
Salem al-Dawsari had put Al Hilal ahead in the 15th minute but Tractorsazi restored parity in the 48th with an Aloys Nong strike before Ailton, coming in as a substitute for Yasir al-Shahrani, punished a defensive lapse by Tractorsazi.
Al Hilal’s victory knocked out Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor who thrashed UAE’s Al Jazira 3-0 but finished third with 10 points.
In Group D, the UAE’s Al Ain grabbed the second spot with 10 points with a convincing 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Nasaf.
Danilo Moreno and Ismail Ahmed scored either side for Al Ain as they finished second behind already qualified El Jaish of Qatar, who lost 2-0 to Saudi Arabia’s Alh Ahli but still held on to their top spot.
It was the fourth game without defeat for Al Ain, who began with back-to-back defeats against El Jaish before resurrecting their campaign with three wins in their next four matches.

Last hurrah as Thompson steers Melbourne Victory into knock-outs - World Soccer Talk

Last hurrah as Thompson steers Melbourne Victory into knock-outs

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Australian game abandoned after fans injure goalkeeper

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Former Man United, Portugal star Nani joins Melbourne Victory

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Atletico Madrid crash to defeat in Australia

Leagues: Asian Champions League

Last hurrah as Thompson steers Melbourne Victory into knock-outs