An incredible game on Sunday at an unusual venue saw Sydney FC swept aside in a disastrous first half before the game turned either side of a half-hour lightning pause and Melbourne City almost coughed up an unlikely point. The fervour in the stadium as the final 15 minutes unfolded continued past the final whistle, and the feel-good factor of the FIFA Women’s World Cup was plain to see, young girls and boys desperate to meet and greet their heroes.
A sticky, beaming sunshine greeted the players while the fans sheltered from the heat and the sun in the one and only stand at the Sydney Olympic Athletics Centre. This was a first time at this venue, with the usual Kogarah and Leichhardt options out of action, but everyone in attendance would be pleasantly surprised by the facilities and the atmosphere as the main stand filled up with eager fans. The Cove were in attendance as always, MMTV the capo to lead away the chants, and everything seemed as it should.
The warm-up looked a little laboured from both sides, the sapping conditions not conducive to hard sprints and lengthy warm-ups. The Sydney players happily smashed in shots against Jada Whyman and Tahlia Franco before it was time to go down the tunnel, the fans giving them generous applause as they left the field. They reappeared with their counterparts to cheers, as they went about their awkward high-five routine, mini-mascots being ushered into place. The huddle didn’t seem convincing, and there was an unsure air about the team, especially when they were turned around to shoot against the wind.
The Sky Blues though looked in control early on, and they were getting a lot of joy down the right, Tori Tumeth and Shea Connors given acres of space to run at their defenders, but the chance wouldn’t come. Corners were swung in aimlessly, the imposing Taylor Otto winning everything in the air, but it was still a shock when Melbourne City fashioned their first real chance and Julia Grosso spun onto Rhianna Pollicina’s through ball to fire past Whyman for 1-0.
Whyman must have got a slight touch to a Pollicina shot to concede a corner soon after, and the corner was swept in from the right by Emina Ekic. There were echoes of Kyra Cooney-Cross as every player was wrong-footed by the swirling wind, and by the time Whyman reacted, the ball had sailed in at the far post for the most unlikely Olimpico. There was disbelief around the stadium, and the City players took an eternity to return to the field, almost forgetting where they were as they took on drinks and coaching advice on the sideline. The referee was quick to summon them back.
Sydney FC continued to probe, but there was little to cheer. Ibini fired in a shot that was deflected wide; she had the beating of her marker on more than one occasion, but the delivery was without reward. Jess Seaman connected on the volley to send one just wide and Fiona Worts opted to shoot first time, but the awkward bouncing ball was sent way over.
The playing surface was pristine, apart from a series of pock marks next to the shot-putt circle, the main use of this venue clear from the large gap between main stand and field of play that contained the running track and the long jump pit. City were commanding their area, despite allowing Sydney to build up well down both flanks, Lysianne Proulx was dominant and they looked in no danger whatsoever.
Right on half time, City struck again, and it was made by the excellent Kaitlyn Torpey, turning past Abbey Lemon to feed Grosso who slipped in Pollicina. Her deft finish was somehow kept off the line by Tumeth but fell for Daniela Galic, and the Sydney-born midfielder smashed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net for 3-0, and the half-time whistle blew. What a whirlwind, and for all their possession, Sydney FC had crumbled.
The second half was only a few moments old and Sydney went close; Shea Connors stung the palms of Proulx. In truth though, City could and should have gone further ahead and it was only some scrambling in the heart of the defence and the width of the crossbar that kept the score down as Torpey threatened to run riot again.
The sight of Hannah Wilkinson coming on was enough to strike fear into the Sydney fans and players that this could get even worse, but to their credit, Sydney kept pushing and finally got their reward when Taylor Ray smashed in a low shot from a cleared free-kick and half-time substitute Jordan Thompson somehow managed to dink the ball over Proulx and into the corner of the net. The crowd was awake again. A glimmer of hope.
There was confusion moments later as the game was halted, the players making their way off the field, the rumbles of thunder turning into rain, and some of the more casual fans may have thought the game was over. A 15-minute delay was announced, while the TV broadcast said 30 minutes, and all players and staff made their way to the sanctuary under cover.
The game restarted over 30 minutes later, after an extended warm-up as the sun re-emerged to cast long shadows over the field. Could Sydney snatch an unlikely point from this game? There were still 10 minutes remaining when Charlotte Mclean connected with a clearance from a corner. Her low shot seemed to be going into the sea of legs, but a touch from Aideen Keane sent the ball spinning into the corner of the goal with Proulx unimpressed at her ill-fortune for a second time. The crowd was at fever pitch, and the last 10 minutes was teed up for drama, the fans and the players sensing the change in complexion in a game that had been out of reach at half-time.
Despite a spirited effort, Sydney FC couldn’t find that moment of magic. Worts just missed a glorious cross from the right by Sienna Saveska, Ibini played some puzzling through balls and refused to take on her player, finally earning a yellow card for her frustration. Thompson beat her player to lift in a cross as time ran out and Proulx was out smartly to smother, dropping to her knees in true game management style. The final whistle brought the valiant comeback effort to an end, the players weren’t sure what to do and remained in the technical areas until the fans started to urge them across.
The players of both teams interacted beautifully and extensively with the young fans, injured pair Nat Tobin and Cortnee Vine being given a lot of love by the Sydney faithful, and this extended afternoon finally came to an end when the last of the players had gone down the tunnel, mums and dads looking at their watches in despair on this school night as Sunday night plans just got trickier.
This was a wonderful occasion. The venue choice had been criticised in the lead-up but proved to be ideal, despite the action being far away. The facilities, the ease of entry, the abundance of parking and the lovely playing surface made for a successful afternoon, and the fans were all in good spirits despite the lengthy delay while the storm passed through and despite the defeat for the home team. Ante Juric will have a lot to dissect from this performance; on another day, with some more belief in the last third, they could have been in front in the first half, but defensively they were carved apart too often.
A week off now to watch the Matildas in action, before a trip to Newcastle in two weeks as Sydney go in search of a kick-start to their stuttering start to the 2023/24 A-League season.
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