KEY POINTS:
There will be no time for Christmas festivities for the 120 players who will turn up for this week's A-League matches.
Two round 17 matches will be played on Boxing Day, one on Saturday and the last, the Wellington Phoenix away trip to Brisbane, on Sunday.
It is
a classic top v bottom affair this week with the top four drawn against the bottom four.
After being sidelined last weekend owing to Adelaide United's involvement in the Club World Cup, Queensland Roar and Adelaide go into the post-Christmas round a trifle fresher than their opponents.
Leaders Adelaide, a point clear of Queensland and with a game in hand over them and Melbourne Victory and two over the rest of the field, face the difficult trip to Perth where they will meet a Glory side fired up after their zany 4-1 away win - after leading 3-0 after 48 minutes - over Sydney FC.
That win means Perth remain four points off the bottom of the table - occupied by the Newcastle Jets, who had an equally stunning upset 4-2 win over third-placed Melbourne Victory.
With just five rounds to play, only five points separate leaders Adelaide and Perth (in seventh place).
The Phoenix stayed in the mix with their dogged 1-0 home win over Central Coast Mariners. That early Shane Smeltz goal was enough for their sixth win of the season and while, with 17 goals, they have the worst attacking record, Smeltz has helped himself to 10 of those, enough for a two-goal buffer at the top of the Golden Boot.
He heads acknowledged sharpshooters Danny Allsopp (Melbourne), Eugene Dadi and Nikita Rukavytsya (Perth) and Matt Simon (Central Coast) who have eight.
Led by a Matt Thompson hat-trick, Newcastle, with a fourth from Jin-Hyung Song, led Melbourne 4-0 after an hour at EnergyAustralia Stadium. While Allsopp (66 minutes) and Ney Fabiano (88) scored consolations, the Ernie Merrick-coached Victory were never going to win.
Sydney too were always on the back foot after Adriano Pellegrino (12 minutes) and Nikolai Topor-Stanley (34) had the West Australians firmly in control at the break. Wayne Srhoj (48 minutes) increased it to 3-0 before Stuart Musialik got one back on the hour for the home side. Nine minutes later the three-goal advantage was re-established when a tiring Robbie Middleby conceded an own goal.
There will be plenty riding on Saturday's battle at the Telstra Dome when dispirited favourites Melbourne and Sydney clash.
Queensland coach Frank Farina will welcome Ricki Herbert and the Phoenix fully aware the pair are only a point apart in second and fifth place with the Roar chasing an unprecedented third straight home win. Newcastle are at home to fourth-placed Central Coast in Friday's round opener.