Sydney FC 4 Adelaide United 1
Sometimes Sydney FC come up with the goods. Today was one of those times. The season hasn’t been smooth sailing, we’d lost as many as we had won before today, and the visit of high-flyers Adelaide United would present an enormous task for a Sydney team on the back of two poor defeats. Following some hairy moments at the back where our makeshift defence hung on, Sydney took the lead through a neat goal by Joe Lolley. The goals flowed in the second half, at one point the visitors looking odds-on to equalise and take the game by the scruff of the neck, but an impressive display from our midfield maestros Anas Ouahim and Anthony Caceres led the Sky Blues to a handsome victory, with a debut to remember at centre back for NWS Spirit FC product Kyle Reilly Shaw. All smiles at Allianz Stadium after a game that could have been so different.
Too much going on this Saturday led to us leaving home from the Northern suburbs of Sydney at 4pm and straight to the station to catch a train to Central. By the time we boarded the light rail, the time was approaching 5pm, and we were resigned to missing the opening action as we alighted at Moore Park. It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last. Surprisingly, we weren’t the only ones running late – I would expect the stadium precinct to be deserted at ten minutes past kick off, but no, we were one of many parties running unfashionably late, the 5pm timeslot perhaps catching a lot of people out.
We arrived just as Sydney FC gave the ball away in defence and Adelaide missed a sitter in front of goal on ten minutes, confirming that we were going to be in for a tough game. Sydney were playing a dangerous game, only two defenders covering three attackers at the far post on numerous occasions and Adelaide United were finding the weaknesses in our flimsy rearguard. Livewire Dylan Pierias fired over when well-placed. Yet-to-be-proven goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares gifted a ball to Adelaide and then made a blinding save to prevent an embarrassing gift – a touch of Bruce Grobelaar about that one, especially with the crowd loving the save. Stefan Mauk and Archie Goodwin had glorious chances to give the visitors the lead, Devenish-Meares equal to their efforts one-on-one. It was exciting, and Sydney had a couple of chances too – Anas Ouahim dribbling through a sea of legs a la Maradona to have his left-foot shot tipped over the bar and Anthony Caceres smashing in a right-foot shot that was saved in a similar fashion.
The goal was coming. Patryk Klimala wrestled the ball from the keeper at the far end, allowing Ouahim to stroke the ball goalwards, but it was cleared off the line. All of a sudden, Sydney took the lead, and it was a delicious move. Caceres in to Klimala from the right, who turned and showed poise to drag the ball back into the path of Joe Lolley, and his low shot, once he had recovered from the shock of Klimala passing up the opportunity to shoot, was expertly placed for 1-0. Get in! Almost immediately Devenish-Meares showed his benevolence again and gave the ball to the opposition, but made two excellent stops to keep the score at 1-0.
Half time was welcome, and instead of the lap of the stadium, it was time to catch up with some fellow footballers; with preparations underway for a new season, there was lots to discuss. The half-time toddler race was won by a speedy wee kid who should have been pipped by a slightly bigger kid, but the bigger kid missed the goal with his kick and speedy Gonzales won the coveted title. NWS Spirit players were on the field at half time, their club mates all in the corporate area on the Eastern side in a tight bunch, dubbed the Corporate Cove. It was probably pure coincidence, but for Spirit to have their shirt presentation on the very day that their product Kyle Reilly Shaw made his debut was excellent timing.
I was just climbing back over the sets to get back to my own for the second half, when Sydney scored right from kick off. The initial pass to Joe Lolley looked offside, but he continued and squared for Klimala to score the second. The puce face of Carl Veart couldn’t be seen from our vantage point, but he would have been fuming. Sydney then did what Sydney do and conceded straight away, Pierias racing down the right and beating Devenish-Meares at his unguarded near post. Criminal. We were leading still, but the second-half entertainment was only just getting started.
Lolley raced away up the right and the ball eventually fell for recent sub Adrian Segicic who took advantage of the space and the player playing everyone onside to finish smartly in front of the Cove. It was no more than Sydney deserved, but it could have been ruled out for a couple of fouls, by Segicic on the line and Klimala with his trademark shoulder in the lead up; they got away with it, and the VAR check confirmed a third Sydney goal.
Klimala was substituted, making his way off with a run that was slower than the average walk, and it took a while to realise that it was Douglas Costa coming on. We had resigned ourselves to not seeing him again for a while. Incredibly, Sydney went 4-1 up almost immediately when Caceres cut in and placed the most beautiful shot just inside the far post and there were still ten minutes plus stoppages to play.
There was still plenty to come. Costa went for glory instead of playing in Segicic and only just missed. The intricate passing from Caceres and Leo Sena was joyous, and even Jordan Courtney-Perkins looked like he had silk in his boots. It could have been more, but we were delighted with 4-1, and the final whistle, to the background of the Lo Lo chant, confirmed an excellent win that hauls us up to fourth in the table. Dizzying heights.
The players filed across to Bay 23. The absence of advertising hoardings made things easier, and the players joined in with the SFC Viking clap, new boy Shaw pushed to the front to dance with the Cove. He’d had a steady game, only once completely missing a kick with an air swing but the situation was rescued by his captain Rhyan Grant, and he was full of smiles as the players and fans celebrated together.
Bay 23 was a happy place to hang out after the game. Everyone was full of smiles. Costa had the crowd in a frenzy as he walked towards his adoring fans at the fence, only to turn around and start his warm down – such is the life of a late substitute. The players were in good spirits, the fans were loving all the interaction with their heroes, and there was a turnout of some sort of influencer group / band / Love Island contestants who were getting a lot of attention from the Sydney FC management. One of them had to be Anas Ouahim’s brother, but we were just making it up. Could have been anyone.
We made our way to the light rail and on to Central, and I left Michelle, off for a night out in Newtown, while I took my Feb Fast-following self back home to the Northern suburbs for a carb-free dinner. This had been a different experience – no pre-game, missed the kick off, but we enjoyed all the important action in a fine Sydney FC performance. The run in to the finals has started, grand final in Auckland, lock it in! Forza Sydney FC.