Creativity will be a major key when City takes on the Mariners at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday. We take a look at the numbers between two of the more prolific midfielders on the field, Luke Brattan and Tom Hiariej.
Luke Brattan has built his career on home soil while Tom Hiariej is mid-way through his first season in Australia, but when you look at the numbers both players are strikingly similar in certain parts of their games.
Both the Australian and the Dutchman have played 13 games apiece in the 2017-18 season, but when it comes to the attacking third, Brattan has the edge over his opponent, finding the back of the net once this season.
Furthermore, the City midfielder’s ability to produce a damaging ball is reflected in the number of key passes he has executed (Key passes: Brattan 16, Hiariej 12), and the two assists he has performed (Hiariej – 1 assist).
Both Brattan and Hiariej have become well respected for their distribution in the middle of the park – Brattan’s passing accuracy sits at 82.6%, while Hiariej is slightly below at 79.4%.
The two midfielders have averaged a fraction over 42 successful passes per game this season, demonstrating their ability to distribute the ball across the field (Brattan – 555 successful passes, Hiariej – 551 successful passes).
Similarly, they have both shown their ability to carry the ball across the park – Brattan has registered 11 successful dribbles this season, one more than Hiariej’s 10.
The City midfielder has demonstrated his willingness to work hard at both ends of the field and his ability to win tackles (Tackles won: Brattan 30, Hiariej 12). He has made 17 clearances this season (Hiariej – 14) and four blocks (Hiariej – 1).
When it comes to defensive duties, the Central Coast midfielder’s greatest strength lies in his ability to read the play, this is reflected in the number of interception (30) he has made this season (Brattan – 18).
When it comes to the midfielders and their disciplinary records the numbers are extremely similar, both players have won 22 fouls and conceded 17 fouls this season with only one statistic separating the two – Brattan has registered three yellow cards compared to Hiariej’s two.
Neither player has over stepped the mark in the penalty box, nor have they seen red.
Despite both teams finding themselves in dissimilar scenarios, they will both be equally as desperate to secure the three points on Sunday, and there is no doubt that one of Brattan or Hiariej have the ability to make a statement on the game.
City face Central Coast Mariners at Central Coast Stadium on Sunday, kick-off 5:00pm (AEDT).
