Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 season continued with plenty of entertainment and drama over the weekend.
Round 19 saw Auckland FC close the gap to league leaders Newcastle Jets down to just two points after they thrashed Melbourne City 3-0.
Key to the Black Knights’ win was striker Guillermo May who top scored this week after contributing a goal and an assist in the impressive victory.
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This season, Opta will power the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week using Opta Points – a comprehensive player metric that evaluates a player’s overall contribution to the game. Each Monday, the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week will be displayed in a 4-3-3 formation, highlighting the best-performing players.
*Editor’s Note: The Team of the Week features matches played from Monday to Sunday – some teams may play more than once.
Joining May in attack in the Team of the Week is Auckland FC’s Jesse Randal, who not only registered an assist but also bagged his ninth goal of the season, a strike which sees him take the outright lead in the race of the Golden Boot.
Western Sydney Wanderers and Socceroos forward Brandon Borrello also earnt himself a spot in the XI after scoring and assist for the Wanderers during their 4-0 rout of Macarthur.
Borrello ins’t the only Wanderer in the side though as teammates Bozhidar Kraev and Steven Ugarkovic both feature in the side after also scoring against the Bulls. Central Coast Mariners midfielder Alfie McCalmont secured the final spot in a three-man midfield.
HE SAID WHAT? EVERY word from your Isuzu UTE A-League coach after Round 19
There are two more Mariners in the defensive unit as James Donachie and Lucas Mauragis were both selected after keeping a clean sheet against rivals Newcastle Jets whilst Brisbane Roar’s James McGarry and Sydney FC’s Alexandar Popovic are also picked, with the latter scoring the winner for the Sky Blues in their 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix.
Meanwhile your goalkeeper this week is Newcastle Jets shot-stopper James Delianov, who put in another assured performance as the Jets couldn’t quite make it nine wins in a row but still extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches with their 0-0 draw.
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Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
