THE WEEK THAT WAS

SATURDAY: You can stack it anyway you like, but Melbourne Victory defender Adrian Leijer got to the nub of it. "A penalty shootout is a crap way to lose." Striker Archie Thompson might have chimed in with: "Try watching it with your knee in ice after doing your ACL inside 20." Kevin Muscat might have added: "Try being captain and missing in the penalty shootout." Such was the tale of the Victory's A-League grand final loss to Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium. Victory's solace? Boarding a plane to Japan three hours later for an Asian Champions League game. Flight attendant, make mine a double.