Teague to return as Victory runs with the Bulls
Melbourne Victory's hopes of locking in an ALM finals' berth have received a Socceroo-sized boost, with Ryan Teague set to return to the side and resume his midfield combination with Jordi Valadon.
Melbourne Victory’s push to secure an A-League Men finals berth has received a major boost, with newly-minted Socceroos midfielder Ryan Teague set to return for their Friday night trip to face Macarthur.
Forced off in Victory’s 3-2 win over Wellington a fortnight ago with a rolled ankle, Teague was forced to watch from the AAMI Park stands last Saturday as his side fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Auckland, a result that effectively ended their hopes of a top-two finish.
Already without the services of attackers Reno Piscopo (calf) and Santos (ankle), any kind of extended absence by Teague would have boded ill for Victory heading into the playoffs; the 23-year-old establishing himself as one of the league’s standout midfielders amid a campaign that earned a first senior international call-up.
But while his injured attacking duo remain touch-and-go for the coming trip to Campbelltown, Victory boss Arthur Diles confirmed on Wednesday that his midfield conductor was set to return.
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“Ryan's back, he's training fully with the team again,” said Diles. “It was a shame we didn't have him up for last week. But in the end, like always, we put the players' well-being first.
“He took an extra week, but no problem, he's ready to go this week. He's up for selection to start.”
Currently sitting fifth on the A-League Men table, Victory will head to Southwest Sydney well aware of what their clash with the Bulls means.
Three points in the penultimate game of their campaign would provide an insurmountable four-point buffer over seventh-placed Adelaide – who have just a single game remaining on their season – and lock in finals for a second straight season.
Given the nine-goal buffer the Victorians possess over the Reds, a draw would realistically also do the job. However, a lone point could end their hopes of overhauling fourth-placed Western Sydney, who play Newcastle, and third-placed Western United, who play Sydney, should they both secure wins.
The stakes for the eighth-placed Bulls, meanwhile, are perhaps even more significant: a loss officially ending their hopes of a playoff berth and a draw, short of disaster striking the Sky Blues, pretty much doing the same.
“It's pretty clear, I think it's very clear,” Diles said of Friday’s stakes. “They're intelligent young men, and they know what's at stake. If they need extra motivation from me or anybody else, then there's an issue in and of itself.
“We've just got to get them ready, technically, and technically, come Friday night. Physically, they're ready. Then that's it. It's about them executing on Friday night what needs to be done, and that's all we can hope for.”
Teague’s return will likely see him slot back into the midfield next to Jordi Valadon, while Zinédine Machach, who deputised in the middle of the park against Auckland, should push back further up the pitch.
And while perhaps operating in the shadows of his midfield partner and Nishan Velupillay amid their emergence, Valadon has been experiencing a breakout 2024-25 campaign of his own.
“We've got a good understanding,” Valadon said of his combination with Teague. “Even off the pitch… I talk to him every day, and I'm comfortable with him. It translates onto the pitch when I go to play with him, that we have that really good understanding and just work hand in hand together, and it works really well for us.”
Valadon first joined Victory from the Melbourne City academy back in 2022, recruited by former academy director and now Olympique Lyonnais Féminin assistant coach Joe Palatsides. He made his debut in navy blue later that year and, after beginning to establish himself during the run to the grand final in the 2023-24 campaign, has become a regular this season, starting 23 of his 24 appearances.
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“Last year, he showed glimpses of what he's capable of, coming off the bench a lot and then starting a couple of games,” said Diles. “He started last year in the back end, when it was finals football, so he was thrown in the deep end and really held his own and showed what quality he had.
“This year, he's had a great start to the year, and he's been able to play consistent minutes; that's really important for a player's development at his age.”
A former Box Hill junior, Valadon was baptised into Victory fandom by his cousins, and while it did experience a detour down at City, he feels right at home in navy blue.
Earning his first international call-up when he was called up by Tony Vidmar for Olyroos’ duty in 2024, the youngster is part of a rising cohort whose trajectory suggests that they possess senior international potential. And perhaps giving the diminutive 22-year-old a bit of a leg-up in this regard, he’s quite familiar with the demands and expectations, both on and off the park, that come with playing for Tony Popovic.
“There was a lot of belief in me,” said Valadon. [That] if I could come over here, I could impact [Victory] for the better and develop myself, move through the ranks, and get to a higher level.
“That's what's happened here, and I've been able to really push myself with the assistance of all the staff and coaches.
“Obviously, I want a lot more consistency. And maintaining from the first whistle to the final whistle -- finishing the game how I start. I want to impact the game as much as possible, obviously from a deeper role, but I still want to contribute to the team in both going forward and defensively.”