It is said to have brought 42,000 interstate visitors to Sydney, but if you weren't a die-hard football fan, you wouldn't even know the Unite Round was happening.
No advertising was seen on the back of the bus, there were no signs posted on lampposts or posted on buildings, and not even a single taxi driver who took me from place to place had heard of it.
Crowd numbers were in line with average numbers but only 1,130 fans watched Melbourne Victory's clash with Perth Glory.
It was a decent crowd between two non-NSW teams but a far cry from the 20,000 fans that can accommodate Leichhardt Oval.
Attendance jumped for the second clash between Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix.
However, with the Mariners located just an hour away and their recent home games attracting crowds of between 5,000 and 2,000 people, the marketing of the event has to be called into question.
Perhaps organizers wanted to keep it quiet during the inaugural event – testing the waters or avoiding expanding too early.
Or maybe they didn't give themselves enough time.
The tour, which was designed to get the NSW Government to relinquish the grand final hosting rights it had bought the previous year, was announced in October just weeks after the fixtures were released.
Although it was not a success, there were some downsides to Unite Round, such as the schedule.
The double headers in the men's matches meant that the final two women's matches of the round – Sydney FC versus Western United and Western Sydney versus Melbourne City – were played at the same time.
This meant that fans had to choose one match instead of being able to watch every women's match.
Fan-only zones were set up in the stadium's courtyards, which opened only one hour before kick-off.
A fan zone in Sydney's CBD would have attracted new fans amid the excitement of what was a great weekend of football and attracted more spectators to matches.
Fireworks, flamethrowers, giveaways, MiniRoos at halftime, and player signings all created a great atmosphere.
However, the Unite Round could have been bigger if the APL had supported itself.
Likes
Chloe is the star of the show
Michelle Heyman took credit for Canberra's first win in six weeks when she scored twice to become the first woman in the A-League to score 101 goals.
However, it was Canberra goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln who was the real hero.
The 19-year-old has had a difficult season with Canberra conceding more goals than any other team.
Against Adelaide, Lincoln was a shining star.
She made three crucial saves in the first half which meant Canberra went into half time 0-0 down, something the team didn't really deserve.
Had Lincoln not made those saves, Canberra would have had to come back from a deficit of more than 1-0.
It's exciting to see a keeper so young given a chance.
Narrow table
The luxury of a full home-and-away season has given teams some leeway and even competition leaders Melbourne City have stumbled a few times.
However, with only 10 rounds remaining and a four-point gap between third and 10th on the ladder, every match will be important in the race to the finals.
The return of the Central Coast Mariners means the top six teams will compete for the title
And if past games are anything to go by, anyone can win it.
While City have only lost once, they have drawn twice and many of the wins have been by a single goal.
The current Premier Sydney FC should not be forgotten.
The team still has a game in hand but has quickly moved up the standings after a slow start.
Central Coast Mariners, following their impressive win over Wellington Phoenix at the weekend and draw with the Sky Blues in the previous round, are closing in on the top six.
One misstep from Western United, Melbourne Victory or Perth Glory could put them outside the top six and open the door for Brisbane Roar, Western Sydney or Newcastle Jets to break into them.
The intense competition shows that no team is unbeatable, and the race to the finals will be very exciting football.
Love for the fans
The players spent every minute they could interacting with the crowd during the Unite Round.
Excited fans, most of them children, hung over the walls of Leichhardt Oval with pens, t-shirts and hats ready to get their favorite player's autograph.
With back-to-back matches, some players were almost forced to leave the field to make way for the second match.
From selfies to handshakes to autographs, players were happy to oblige fans.
Their willingness to return the favor will ensure people come back.
