Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 season continued and there was plenty of excitement and goals.
While Auckland FC suffered their first loss of the campaign at the hands of Newcastle Jets, Belgian midfielder Louis Verstraete was the standout performer in Round 6.
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.
Note: The weekly Team of the Week will feature matches played from Monday to Sunday.
What is the Opta Points system?
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).
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The highest-scoring player in Round 6? Step forward Auckland’s Verstraete (44.8). His thunderous goal in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle saw him claim top honours in the Team of the Week.
Verstraete forms a midfield that includes Newcastle teenager Will Dobson (32), who scored his first professional goal in the shock victory, and Adelaide United gun Ethan Alagich (27.8) despite a 2-1 defeat away to Wellington Phoenix.
Defender Joel Bertolissio (29.8) is the other Jets representative, while Brisbane Roar also have two players in the Team of the Week – goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis (37.2) and full-back Youstin Salas (30.4) – after they defeated Melbourne Victory 1-0 on Friday night.
Also in the team are Wellington Phoenix duo Ramy Najjarine (33.8) and Manjrekar James (29.6), goalscoring Perth Glory full-back Charbel Shamoon (28.4), Sydney FC’s Joe Lolley (28.8) and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Sydney Derby hero Alou Kuol (22.6).
Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week
Goalkeeper: Dean Bouzanis (Brisbane Roar, 37.2)
Defenders: Youstin Salas (Brisbane Roar, 30.4), Manjrekar James (Wellington Phoenix, 29.6), Joel Bertolissio (Newcastle Jets, 29.8), Charbel Shamoon (Perth Glory, 28.4)
Midfielders: Will Dobson (Newcastle Jets, 32), Louis Verstraete (Auckland FC, 44.8), Ethan Alagich (Adelaide United, 27.8)
Forwards: Ramy Najjarine (Wellington Phoenix, 33.8), Alou Kuol (Western Sydney Wanderers, 22.6), Joe Lolley (Sydney FC, 28.8)
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.
