Da Silva Lining -- Victory snatch dramatic late win against Western United

His 95th and 98th minute goals lifting Victory to a 2-1 triumph over Western United, Damien Da Silva wasn't the most likely of match-winners on Tuesday. But sometimes you take what you're given.

As far as unlikely sources of a potentially season-saving brace go, Damien Da Silva, in all his 35-year-old, centreback glory, would be amongst the more outlandish options one could find amongst the Melbourne Victory squad. Let alone when he’s grabbing those goals in the 95th and 98th minute of a desperate attempt to salvage a result against bottom-of-the-table Western United.

But on Tuesday evening, the Frenchman did indeed provide deliverance for Victory; his 98th-minute effort laced into the top corner after being teed up by Daniel Arani securing his side their first win in seven games and the avoidance of their longest run of games without triumph since Steve Kean was serving as their interim manager at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Three minutes prior, he was soaring over the top of Charbel Shamoon, finding enough power in his neck muscles to re-direct an Arzani cross back across the face of Tom Heward-Belle in the back of the net. The last time the veteran had grabbed a brace he was playing Ligue 1, with Caen, in February of 2018. A remarkable time for an encore.

The subject of much discussion in the build-up, Arzani’s contribution, too, was telling. Now on five assists for the season, the winger could have had many more not just in this game but throughout the entire season and his teammates had their shooting boots on – the 25-year-old is now the A-League Men leader in big chances created. Starting on the bench alongside Zinedine Machach after the short turnaround from Saturday’s Melbourne Derby, his halftime introduction sent a jolt of intent through his side.

“[2023-24 is] the most minutes he's ever played in a season,” said coach Tony Popovic. “He knows what I think of him as a player and person, I don't need to talk about that too much here.

“I thought the first 20 minutes he was trying really hard to be the difference and maybe trying too hard. And then the last 25, 30 minutes, with the injury time, I thought he was just outstanding in his decision making which is another step forward for him.”

Given that Victory had been throwing themselves forward and creating chance after chance across the final half an hour, frantically trying to erase Daniel Penha’s 60th-minute goal for United, it didn’t feel like Da Silva’s equaliser represented any kind of injustice – certainly not as difficult to process as the ludicrousness of the Brazilian being forced off in the aftermath of his goal after injuring himself celebrating.

Indeed, it had to that point almost felt like the United goal was living a charmed life, such was the number of balls that would go agonisingly wide or fail to find that final touch after being whipped in – Victory outshooting United 22 to nine, with an expected goals tally (xG) of 2 to 0.21.

So was the goal, when it came, a bitterly cruel blow to a young, brave backline that had held out to that point? Absolutely. It wasn’t any kind of transgression against the footballing gods, though. 

Yet that Victory by then was coming up to close to six hours without finding the net across four games by then meant that it managed to simultaneously come as something of a shock all the same; that they had actually been able to put the ball into the back of the net when they desperately needed to.

Because when it rains, it pours, and the lightning crackling in the distance at AAMI Park on Tuesday felt like it suitably augured another one of those nights for Popovic and company. A storm was coming, another bitter pill to swallow for a fanbase that was increasingly raising its voice against the medicine.

Right up until it didn’t. A new narrative, perhaps

"It was evident when we scored the first goal you could see Bruno [Fornaroli], Roddy [Roderick Miranda], everyone trying to get everyone back to halfway," Popovic said.

"There was a belief to get a second, they didn't settle for a draw. It doesn't mean you're going to get the winner but you could see the mindset was 'we will get another opportunity' and then it's about taking it.

"Daniel's lay-off was wonderful and I can imagine how fatigued Damien was at that moment to score that goal. 

"So to keep it down and score was a wonderful finish for the players, for the club, and for the fans. So everyone goes home happy."

This win doesn’t mean, of course, that the tribulations that Victory has been experiencing over the past few months have been completely banished. Far from it.

United entered Tuesday evening’s contest sitting bottom of the A-League Men table and with a defence – already one of the more statistically porous in the league – that was ravished by injury and suspension. Defeating their local rivals was something that Victory should have been expected to do if they held out aspirations of lifting silverware this season.

Amidst his crisis at the selection table, John Aloisi was forced to surround veteran centreback Tomoki Imai, playing in his 100th A-League Men game, all of which have been for United with Charbel Shamoon (20 years of age), Kane Vidmar (19) and Khoder Kaddour (20) – who possessed a combined nine senior A-League Men appearance heading into the game. And it took 95 minutes for Victory to eventually find a way through this rag-tag collection of talent, this backline for 2028, not 2023. 

And for large portions of the game, especially in the first-half before the introduction of Arzani and Zinedine Machach, they were drab and uninspiring in their possession, looking directionless and they crashed against United.

“Just really disappointed for our playing group, the club and all of our supporters,” Aloisi said. “Because it's been the story of our season, things haven't gone for us. When we've performed well in most games, we haven't been able to get the results that we deserve. 

“But [I'm] proud as well because we had eight contracted players unavailable and then Pehna going off pretty early in the second half. But the young boys, they stood up. Our fullbacks Khoder and Charbel, did well and I'm proud of them. 

“Kane Vidmar has only played a handful of games and he comes up against Bruno Fornaroli. Then Victory is bringing on fresh players that have got really good experience and are talented.”

Victory will now turn their attention to the Central Coast Mariners on Sunday afternoon, seeking to prove that these late goals — delivered by a defender, not an attacker — weren’t an aberration. Adama Traoré and Roly Bonevacia will have joined full training with the group by then, boosting their chances of inclusion.

Can they find a way to back up this against one of the league’s best sides? Can one of their actual attackers score a first goal since January 26? That may just be their next season-defining moment.