Melbourne Victory suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Caroline Springs George Cross on Sunday afternoon.
Team News
Head Coach Joe Palatsides made 5 changes to the team that defeated North Geelong Warriors 3-2, as George Karvounis, Kayne Razmovski, Jack Mihailidis and Marc Petheriotis all came into the starting XI, alongside goalkeeper Daniel Graskoski.
Summary
With a host of changes made to the usual Victory XI, Joe Palatsides would be relying on a new batch of players as his side went in search of a third straight win.
The game was Victory’s first at Epping Stadium for over a month, but it was George Cross who were on the front foot early.
The visitors were rewarded for their bright start, scoring the opener just 10 minutes into the contest.
Victory though responded well to going behind, taking some control of the possession and territory.
Tommaso Minutoli had the host’s best early chance, with his shot flashing wide of the post after 20 minutes.
Despite Victory’s improvement, George Cross would strike the next major blow, firing a shot from outside the box into the top corner in the 23rd minute.
The visitors continued to find ways through the Victory defence late in the half, scoring twice in the final minutes to head into the break with a 4-0 lead.
The bad news continued for Victory early in the second half, as Linus Bourke was forced from the field with an injury concern.
Nikolas Čevizović was brought on in his place, taking up the role at the heart of Victory’s defence.
Jesse and Jordan Hoey were also brought into the game as Victory searched for a route back into the contest.
The duo posed a renewed threat in and around the penalty area, but the George Cross defence remained steadfast.
Zander Kapaklis was also introduced into the game late, alongside senior debutant Zack Puhalovich.
Despite a flurry of late chances, Victory were unable to reduce the deficit, as George Cross ran out 4-0 winners.
Next Up
Victory will head to Casey Fields for one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the season next Saturday afternoon, taking on Melbourne City in a game which kicks off at 3:00pm AEST.
VPL1 2024 Round 19
Melbourne Victory 0
George Cross 4
Melbourne Victory U23s starting XI: Daniel Graskoski (GK), Dimi Palatsides, Linus Bourke, Damien Bozinovski, George Karvounis, Kayne Razmovski, Jack Mihailidis, Adem Duratović (c), Marc Petheriotis, Austin Ganino, Tommaso Minutoli
