Melbourne Victory can today confirm its Round 19 clash with Western Sydney Wanderers, originally scheduled for February 15, will now be played on Tuesday, January 14 at AAMI Park – kick off 7:30pm.
Melbourne Victory can today confirm its Round 19 clash with Western Sydney Wanderers, originally scheduled for February 15, will now be played on Tuesday, January 14 at AAMI Park – kick off 7:30pm.
Melbourne Victory Chief Executive Ian Robson said the club had worked closely with the venue and FFA to find the best outcome.
“Unfortunately due to a double booking at AAMI Park, the change to a January 14, 7:30pm kick-off was necessary,” Mr Robson said.
“We are, however, happy to be able to host the game in the school holiday period and wanted to advise our members and fans as early as possible.”
Robson went on to say that while the change is unfortunate, it may be beneficial to the club’s potential AFC Champions League (ACL) campaign.
“While we won’t know the exact details around the ACL format until November, initial indications are that the club could be involved in a preliminary qualification match, which is likely to be played on Saturday, February 15 – that date now being available due to the rescheduling of the Wanderers game.
“Melbourne Victory views success in the AFC Champions League as an important part of our mid-to-long-term plans and we see our qualification as a priority,” Mr Robson added.
Head of the Hyundai A-League (HAL) Damien de Bohun thanked the two clubs and AAMI Park management for their work in finding a new date for the Round 19 clash.
“The original HAL draw was published with an expectation about the availability of AAMI Park, but we are now dealing with the certainty that the concert event is confirmed and has priority on this occasion,” Mr de Bohun said.
“While there is always some inconvenience in these amendments, we’re delighted that the new date falls into the Christmas/New Year holiday period and will become a marquee match in our Summer of Football campaign.”
Hyundai A-League: Round 19
Melbourne Victory v Western Sydney Wanderers
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Kick-off: 7:30pm
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Ticket information & on-sale dates: TBC