There may have been fresh strips and new-look teams on show throughout the competition but one thing was there to bring familiarity to A-League fans in the opening round: debatable refereeing decisions.

Melbourne Victory midfielder Leigh Broxham’s soft dismissal for raising an arm while leaping for a header was just plain wrong. After receiving a yellow card - presumably for repeat offences – following a tame challenge on Adelaide United’s Sergio Cirio in the first half, Broxham’s second card on 72 minutes was absurd. And the incident did not reflect well on Reds midfielder Isaias, who was accused of play-acting to get the Victory defender sent-off in the scoreless draw.

A clearly bemused Victory coach Kevin Muscat said, “There were other incidents where it was obvious and blatant that people were trying to draw fouls - and it doesn’t get dealt with. All it does is encourage people to keep doing it.

“It’s something that’s creeping into the game, chasing the referee after every incident, every contest, insinuating yellow cards ... it didn’t really feel like we were in Australia.”

Fortunately, as a player and a coach, Muscat has never hassled a referee regarding a decision before, removing any suggestion of hypocrisy.

Perhaps the most controversial decision of the weekend, though, came when no penalty was awarded to Victory’s other rivals, Melbourne City. Robi Koren was brought down by Sydney FC goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic in what seemed a clear-cut foul inside the area, but no whistle was forthcoming. Ultimately, it cost John van ’t Schip’s charges a golden opportunity to claim maximum points away from home.

Whether it be their decisions, or lack thereof, the microscope will be out on referees this season. Even more so than years gone by. This is for two reasons; full-time referees have now been employed by FFA to officiate A-League matches, and, perhaps more importantly, the competition seems so close that these decisions will impact the results – and therefore the competition standings – more than ever.

There will always be line-ball decisions in football, which is why human error will continue to play a role in the game. We can only hope that the move to full-time referees results in these mistakes becoming less frequent in the A-League long-term. That, however, won’t appease someone like Broxham, who will watch next week’s Melbourne derby against City from the stands.

Victory will at least head into that match with a point and a little momentum, though, after carving out the better of the chances in the opening round. But did Adelaide get their game plan all wrong against their biggest rivals? It wouldn’t be the first time – read: 2006-07 grand final calamity – but it certainly seemed as though the Reds played right into Victory’s hands.

There was a distinct lack of intensity and speed of ball movement about Adelaide’s play, while striker Eli Babalj was intent on occupying the imposing Matthieu Delpierre instead of using his size advantage over Broxham. It was strange indeed from a side who have become synonymous with positivity in recent years.

No doubt having captain Eugene Galekovic and Tarek Elrich back on deck from Socceroos duty will help add some direction, but the general stagnation of players off the ball was the real concern. Whether it was an ill-conceived approach to this game, or just a case of cobwebs needing to be blown away in round one remains to be seen. New boss Guillermo Amor will have the chance to put the record straight against the Wanderers next Friday night. In fairness, it took his predecessor Josep Gombau some time to get the formula right too.

Two teams who did start the season on the front foot, however, were City and Sydney. At the conclusion of the opening round, neither club sits atop the standings as they shared the spoils on Saturday night. But with their respective performances in a fast-paced clash, it is clear that both of these sides have the capacity to be thereabouts to challenge the Victory come season’s end.

Playing at home, Sydney set a quick tempo from the outset, knocking the ball into the feet of new marquee man Filip Holosko or Alex Brosque at the earliest opportunity. Perhaps to their surprise, however, City matched them. Uruguayan forward Bruno Fornaroli and youngster Wade Dekker appear very astute finds, the latter netting the opener for the visitors.

Though Holosko ultimately equalised, the fact that City have Ivan Franjic and Michael Zullo to come in – not to mention a less jetlagged Aaron Mooy – means they arguably have the greater potential for growth. It’s an enticing prospect for success-starved City supporters.

Whilst team cohesion and individual fitness will naturally evolve as the weeks roll on, there was plenty to like about the intent of both sides out of the gate. City in particular will need that level of intensity in the derby, while the Sky Blues will require a similar attitude when they clash with a new-look Western Sydney Wanderers side in a fortnight. 

After seeing a large turnover in players, many fans and pundits are comparing the off-season clear-out with the Wanderers’ first season. Not unlike the 2012-13 campaign, which saw Tony Popovic take a new group of players all the way to the grand final, there is a sense of new beginnings in Parramatta.

And, much like that now famous inaugural term, the Wanderers started the season slowly on Thursday night. In stark contrast to the glacial speed on show in Friday night’s game in Adelaide, though, the Wanderers and Brisbane Roar opened the season with a bang as four goals were scored inside the first 34 minutes. And whilst the scoring stopped thereafter, the end-to-end action certainly did not.

With a fit-again Romeo Castelen and new marquee front-man Federico Piovacarri creating plenty of chances, there were enough signs to suggest Popovic’s men have it within them to produce a decent season – one better than last at any rate. Where they will need to regain the form of three seasons ago is in defence, as casual, sloppy errors cost them on three occasions in the 3-1 defeat. 

These sorts of slip-ups can’t be made a habit in the A-League. Every side, including the Wanderers, will need to be careful not to let too many points slide early on, with every team in with a shout this season. The opening weekend was a fine case in point. Three teams all but written off before a ball was kicked made an early mark on the competition, with Brisbane Roar, Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners all causing upsets.

While the Roar capitalised on the poor work at the back by the Wanderers, the Jets were able to spring the biggest upset, defeating Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand with only 10 men. Newcomers Leonardo and Milos Trifunovic – who scored the winner – showed glimpses of class, but it was truly a victory comprised of graft – and a little time wasting.

Meanwhile, the Mariners made the most of two penalties to record a narrow home victory over Perth Glory, and looked dangerous with the pace of Fabio Ferreira out wide. Though still the favourites to claim the wooden spoon, their early-season triumph demonstrates just how tight this season’s competition is going to be. There will be no easy-beats and no gifted points if the opening round is anything to go by.