Sydney FC 1 Western United 2
Oh, for heaven’s sake. Another home loss for the Sky Blues, and this was almost a carbon copy of the last one. If the intensity and desire had been there in the first half as it was in the second, this may have been a completely different story, but once again Sydney FC were picked apart and made to pay by superior opposition. An early goal from Chloe Logarzo, under the body of new goalkeeper Bethany Mason-Jones, was way too familiar, but when Mackenzie Hawkesby strode through to finish well, hopes were up. The home team were poor, again the passing was dreadful, and we went back to the bad old days of corners that hit the side netting and players measuring careful passes to absolutely no one. Totally unacceptable for a team full of players with Premiership and Championship winning experience. Sydney succumbed again just before the break when another former Sydney FC player Kahli Johnson found a yard to pick her spot, but the increase in vigour in the second period was obvious and Sydney just couldn’t find the goal that would have made this more palatable. In the end, a 2-1 defeat was the right scoreline on the day, but the stony faces of the players at the end told the real story.
Sunday is football day from now on, my own game in sweaty conditions in the morning, a delayed NPL GYL U18 Division 2 pre-season hit out at lunch time and then a race to see if we could make it for kick off from Marconi Stadium, no chance of any pre-game at the Orange Grove Hotel. Parking was ferocious at the stadium car park, think Christmas Eve at Woolworths, so Michelle ventured inside while I surprisingly jagged a spot down the hill next to the water and ventured up the steep grassy hill and through the alleyway to Leichhardt Oval. We used to go that way years ago, but haven’t had the need since; a spot of reminiscing before the big game.
The Cove were in full voice when I arrived. Sydney had a new goalkeeper in Mason-Jones, and with both of our usual goalkeepers not even on the bench, that underlined the lack of faith that multi trophy-winning coach Ante Juric has in them. When Logarzo got lucky, the ball falling for her perfectly from a shinned pass, she shot straight at the debutant keeper and all eyes went to the skies as the ball went under her body and into the net for a soft opening goal. Conceding a goal mid-chant is never a great feeling, but the Cove persevered, and Sydney were back on level terms with a goal of incredibly similar fortune. Lucy Johnson’s tackle in midfield almost escaped the touch of Maddie Caspers, and the lucky flick found Hawkesby through on goal on the left of the penalty area. There was little hesitation as she fired goalwards, and the Western United goalkeeper couldn’t keep it out, another disappointment for the keepers union.
The moment that we’d all waited for, a chance to sing our Hawkesby Venga Boys chant! Finally!
Sydney then served up a horrible half an hour of football. Hawkesby gave the ball away in defence under no challenge, Shay Hollman was guilty of playing the ball to no one, and almost every ball was picked off by eager opponents. Western United were keen to test Mason-Jones, and the shots rained in. The bright spark was the trickery of Indiana “Maxi” Dos Santos, whose spaghetti legs were bamboozling the visitors’ defence. It was her corner from the right that Jordan Thompson thumped against the bar and over, as the game opened up into cup-tie mode. Mason-Jones may or may not have got a touch to turn a shot onto the underside of the bar as United tried to unsettle the goalkeeper, and why not – she’s not particularly tall. Hawkesby wriggled free in Princess Ibini’s position on the left but her shot was parried away, Dos Santos lurking as the ball was hacked clear.
And then, just like that, Sydney were behind again. It looked from our position that Logarzo had taken Nat Tobin out in the box, but in reality it was a cheeky back heel to set up Johnson, and she took a touch before firing into the net from the edge of the area. Again, half way through a chant, the drums going, the curse of active supporter groups around the country, and the singing was interspersed with muttered swear words. 2-1 down at the break then, we would need to see a marked improvement in the second half to get anything out of the game.
The Cove had fun. Splitting bay and chanting to each other was better than watching the game, and it was a fun atmosphere in the corner with smiles and laughter all round. Sydney had come out firing, as they did in our heart-breaking loss last time out. Just looking at the body language of elder stateswomen Tobin and Hawkesby, we could tell they’d been given an injection of urgency. Sub Millie Farrow was busy, but succumbed to injury not long after. We were all looking at each other as play continued with Sydney down to ten players, and it took maybe three minutes for Amber Luchtmeijer to come on. What was that delay about?
The intensity went up and the game became stretched. The mood in the Cove was sensational – we just wanted an epic comeback like we’d seen the previous evening at Allianz, and the singing got louder and louder. Western United somehow won a penalty when Thompson slid in on her striker to clear. It was doubtful, even from 100 yards away, and the anger on the Sydney defender’s face was clear to see. What a crock! Never fear, Mason-Jones palmed away the spot kick and the game was still there for the taking. The new keeper made another good stop, tipping one over, to enhance her chances of retaining the number one spot going forward.
Seeing Caley Tallon-Henniker continuing to warm up was a reminder of the Corica era of meticulously timed and horrifyingly predictable substitutions. Ninkovic on, Burgess off on 67 minutes every f*cking week. This season it’s a sure bet that livewire Tallon-Henniker will be the last sub off the bench and be given a maximum ten minutes to save the game, and the fact that Caspers stayed on for so long despite having a totally underwhelming game suggested that there’s an element of tactical staleness about the women’s team. As we look for any signs of Matildas star Kyah Simon making an appearance this season, and we watch on as Margot Chauvet and Shea Connors continue to play a supporting role from the stands, the season already feels like a complete write-off.
There were chances late on. Luchtmeijer was fouled right in front of us as she raced for a ball in the penalty area, a sure-fire penalty that was somehow waved away, Ibini and Luchtmeijer both got in good positions down the left, and a series of corners led to nothing. It was exciting, Luchtmeijer keeping a ball in despite it looking over the line, but there was no one in support, and Hawkesby winning a corner despite the ball clearly comig off her on the way out. Ibini performed miracles on the touchline to keep a bouncing ball in with a clever header to sustain an attack. Try as they might though, there was no magical moment, and the late game management of the green and blacks strangled the life out of the game and the final whistle went after a huge chunk of added time.
The Cove were left to contemplate yet another defeat. More support in vain. It’s starting to grate. The players came and stared at their active fans in a line in an awkward moment, but it was a good opportunity to show our support, and We Are Sydney was belted out to show that we really do care and that we’ll be here forever more. Captain Tobin was in tears as she shared her frustration with capo MMTV, and there was a lot of respect between the embattled players and the patient fans. When the chips are down, we’ve got to pick each other up.
The hard part done, the players then moved on to their civic duties, smiling and interacting with the young crowd to sign autographs and take selfies. We left while some players were still out there, from both teams, Tallon-Henniker still with her family and Kahli Johnson’s local crew beaming after her team’s win. It was discouraging to see coach Ante hot-footing it out of the stadium while players were still interacting with the crowd. Clearly no post-match words, and perhaps he deemed it more useful to not be there (hey this isn’t the EPL, let’s be honest, he probably had something else on) and maybe it would be more appropriate to address the performance when everyone’s head was clear.
We left the car park soon after and were back in the northern suburbs by 8.30pm, the end of a huge day of football and a second 2-1 defeat for the day. Lots to digest after this one, and the fact that we have no home games for the rest of the month for the men’s or the women’s teams is a tough pill to swallow. We’ll support you every more, Sydney FC, but far out, you make it hard for us sometimes.
See you on Wednesday night.