# 2007–08 Queensland Roar FC season

The 2007–08 Queensland Roar season was the club's third season participating in the A-League where they would finish in fourth place in the regular season.

## 2007–08 season

Failure to qualify for the 2006–2007 finals series resulted in the release from contract of defenders Chad Gibson (the club's first captain and A-league pin-up boy) and Swiss import Remo Buess. Both left on good terms with the club during January 2007 stating that the team had to be altered to make it more competitive in the future.
In further evidence of "spring cleaning" in preparation for Season 3, Chinese signing Yuning Zhang was released from an inauspicious contract with the Roar. Billed as the Chinese David Beckham, Zhang underwhelmed Roar supporters and will return to China in search of a club within the local scene there.
Danny Tiatto has signed a two-year contract with Queensland Roar, becoming Frank Farina's first 07/08 signing . Tiatto, who has played in England for the past 11 years for Leicester City and Manchester City, agreed to terms with Queensland after Melbourne declined to sign him.
Farina has highlighted his favoritism toward young Queensland and indeed Australian players with the signings for the 2007–08 season of highly rated Queenslanders and Youth International Strikers Robbie Kruse and Tahj Minniecon, as well as attacking Midfielder Mitch Nichols. Also, the contracts of highly rated 20-year-olds Chris Grossman and Ben Griffin have been renewed, while Farina has given two-year contracts to Queenslanders Under-17 International Striker Tahj Minniecon and Under-20 and AIS Scholarship holder Robbie. These signings have all made the Roar a team of bright, young talent, predominantly Queenslanders which is Farina's focus.
Queensland Roar's German import Marcus Wedau has been released from the remaining year of his contract by the A-League club on compassionate grounds. Wedau, 31, will return to Germany to be with his pregnant partner who is expecting their first child in October.
On 25 July 2007, Craig Moore was unveiled as the new marquee player for the Roar, returning to his native home state of Queensland, Australia, to play in the 2007/2008 Hyundai A-League Season and the 2008–2009 season

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | AUS | Liam Reddy |
| 2 | MF | AUS | Andrew Packer |
| 4 | DF | AUS | Craig Moore (marquee and captain) |
| 5 | DF | AUS | Josh McCloughan |
| 6 | DF | AUS | Stuart McLaren |
| 7 | MF | AUS | Michael Zullo (youth) |
| 8 | MF | AUS | Massimo Murdocca |
| 9 | FW | SCO | Simon Lynch |
| 10 | FW | AUS | Ante Milicic |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Reinaldo |
| 12 | FW | AUS | Tahj Minniecon (youth) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 13 | FW | AUS | Zoran Petrevski |
| 14 | DF | AUS | Ben Griffin |
| 15 | MF | AUS | Matt McKay |
| 16 | MF | KOR | Hyuk-Su Seo |
| 17 | MF | AUS | Mitch Nichols (youth) |
| 18 | MF | AUS | Danny Tiatto |
| 19 | DF | AUS | Sasa Ognenovski |
| 21 | MF | AUS | Chris Grossman (youth) |
| 22 | FW | AUS | Robbie Kruse (youth) |
| 23 | MF | BRA | Marcinho |
| 30 | GK | AUS | Griffin McMaster (injury cover) |

### Trialists

| Position | Name | Current club |
| FW | Victor Fenehia | Mitchelton FC |
| DF | Blake Charity | AIS |
| DF | Joel Peach | AIS |
| FW | Gareth Musson | Mitchelton FC |

## Transfers
### In

| Name | Position | Moving from |
| Danny Tiatto | Midfield | Leicester City |
| Tahj Minniecon | Forward | AIS |
| Robbie Kruse | Forward | AIS |
| Chris Grossman | Midfield | AIS / Rochedale Rovers |
| Mitch Nichols | Midfield | Palm Beach |
| Matthew Ham | Goalkeeper | Brisbane Wolves |
| Griffin McMaster | Goalkeeper | Mount Gravatt Hawks |
| Michael Zullo | Midfield | Brisbane City Soccer Club |
| Marcinho | Forward | São Paulo FC |
| Craig Moore | Defender | Newcastle United FC |
| Zoran Petrevski | Forward | Preston Lions |

### Out

| Name | Position | Moving to |
| Chad Gibson | Defender | Released: contract not renewed |
| Remo Buess | Defender | Released: contract not renewed |
| Yuning Zhang | Forward | Released: contract not renewed |
| Dario Vidosic | Midfield | 1. FC Nürnberg |
| Spase Dilevski | Midfield | FC Universitatea Craiova |
| Marcus Wedau | Midfield | Released: compassionate grounds |
| Tom Willis | Goalkeeper | Released: contract not renewed |
| Ante Milicic | Forward | Free Transfer: Shahzan Muda FC (December 2007) |

## Pre-season

| Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Stadium | Scorers |
| 30 May 2007 | Palm Beach Sharks | 0–5 | Queensland Roar | Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland | McCloughan 7', Marcinho 30', Minniecon 44', Murdocca 60', Peach 66' |
| 5 June 2007 | Queensland Roar | 3–0 | Brisbane City | Luxury Paint Stadium Richlands, Brisbane, Queensland | Reinaldo 4', Milicic 50', Murdocca 65' |
| 12 June 2007 | Queensland Roar | 13–0 | Souths Utd, Brisbane | Luxury Paint Stadium Richlands, Brisbane, Queensland | Reinaldo , Milicic , Murdocca , Nichols, McKay, Fenehia, Wedau, Kruse |
| 19 June 2007 | Queensland Roar | 5–1 | Mt Gravatt Hawks | Luxury Paint Stadium Richlands, Brisbane, Queensland | Milicic 26', McKay 45+1', 55', Volker (Hawks) , Musson 89', Zullo 90+1' |
| 27 June 2007 | Queensland Roar | 5–0 | Brisbane Strikers | Luxury Paint Stadium Richlands, Brisbane, Queensland | Milicic 18', Kruse 43', Marcinho 55', 78', Reinaldo 62' |
| 1 July 2007 | Queensland Roar | 4–1 | Supersport United FC | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland | Reinaldo 12', 37', Lynch 52', Minniecon 70', Mashego (Supersport) 39' |
| 7 July 2007 | Capricorn Cougars | 0–6 | Queensland Roar | Jardine Park, Rockhampton, Queensland | Reinaldo 10', 85', Lynch 13', Milicic 44', Marcinho 61', Kruse 73' |
| 17 August 2007 | Queensland Roar | 1–1 | Solomon Islands | Luxury Paint Stadium Richlands, Brisbane, Queensland | Menapi (Solomons) 19', Milicic 48' |

### Pre-season Cup group stage

| Round | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Crowd | Stadium | Scorers |
| 1 | 14 July 2007 | Queensland Roar | 0–0 | Sydney FC | 4,892 | Maroochydore Soccer Club | |
| 2 | 21 July 2007 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Queensland Roar | 3,531 | Wade Park | Boogaard (CCM) 6', Lynch 60' |
| 3 | 27 July 2007 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–2 | Queensland Roar | 4,081 | Queen Elizabeth II Park | Lynch 41', Ognenovski 50', Old (Phoenix) 47' |

### Pre-season Cup third place playoff
## Hyundai A-League fixtures
### Finals
## Ladder position

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Central Coast Mariners | 21 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 34 | Qualification for 2009 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 2 | Newcastle Jets (C) | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 25 | 21 | +4 | 34 | Qualification for 2009 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 3 | Sydney FC | 21 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 28 | 24 | +4 | 32 | Qualification for 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship and Finals series |
| 4 | Queensland Roar | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 25 | 21 | +4 | 31 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 5 | Melbourne Victory | 21 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 27 | |
| 6 | Adelaide United | 21 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 31 | 29 | +2 | 26 | |
| 7 | Perth Glory | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 27 | 34 | −7 | 20 | |
| 8 | Wellington Phoenix | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 25 | 37 | −12 | 20 | |
* ↑ First place qualifies for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage. Winning the 2008 A-League Grand Final earns qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage, unless the Grand Final winners are also first place, in which case the Grand Final runner up qualifies.
* ↑ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.