Sydney FC 0 Melbourne City 1
Sydney FC took the mood of a nation and sprinkled it with urine in a most unacceptable performance on St Patrick’s Day at a half-shut Allianz Stadium on Tuesday night. A game rearranged to accommodate Melbourne City’s failed Asian Champions League attracted a bleak crowd, the early kick off competing with the Matildas’ semi-final, and those unfortunate souls present were treated to a dismal display to mark captain Rhyan Grant’s 400th game. The evening was rescued by the darlings of Austalian sport as the women’s national team qualified for the Asian Cup final, but on a day when interest rates went up again, they were certainly down at Sydney’s premier stadium.
This was a tricky one to navigate, an early 7pm kick off, and having to get from the west to the city and back again after the Matildas’ game, driving was the only realistic option. After filling the car up and wincing at the eye-watering price, we were fortunate enough to jag a spot right by the venue for the later game, and thanks to heading against the traffic, it was just gone 6pm. Time for a quick bite, and we took a chance on the Japanese Izakaya on Fitzroy Street, on the well-trodden path of yesteryear’s visits to the old Allianz Stadium pre-light rail. The superb cost-of-living-busting meal afforded ourselves only ten minutes to get to the stadium, and we got through our gate with the game having just kicked off, missing the banner for Rhyan Grant altogether.
The Cove bar was closed, and there was a tiny crowd, the team backed by a mini-Cove, our fearless capo doing what he could with what he had. Our spot in Cove Heights was barren – it’s only ten days since we were here for the Big Blue when it was busy; this time there was us five and then most, if not all of the seats in the whole section were empty. Tragic. We had missed Harrison Devenis-Meares saving from point-blank range, and we had to wait a while for any meaningful action for Sydney FC, as Marcus Younis and Daniel Arzani terrorised their defensive minders out wide.
Tiago Quintal smashed one over from distance to get the crowd interested, but it was all City, Grant and Ben Garuccio torn to shreds. What looked like a drinks break, quite inappropriate given the temperature, turned out to be a Ramadan break, the players assembling at the side of the field for a minute. He’s got shit hair, but we don’t care sang the Cove for their captain, but Melbourne should have scored, a thumping effort off the underside of the bar, the City striker unable to emulate India’s Manisha from the Asian Cup last week and the ball was cleared. Paul Okon-Engstler gave us a marvellous backheel to set Sydney away on the break, but they couldn’t break through, and it was City who should have scored – woeful tracking back by Okon Jr and Piero Quispe left Sydney under-manned at the back and when Max Caputo was played in for a Gary Lineker-style finished, HDM had guessed right to take the pace off the ball, Marcel Tisserand somehow hooking the ball off the line before it fully crossed for a goal. It looked close, but the right decision was made and Sydney survived.
Tolgay Arslan raced the length of the field to curl a shot wide, our angle giving us a good idea that it was curling wide, but the main stand giving it a big ‘ooh’ as it bent around the post. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos was presented with the ball in an advanced position and tried the chip with the goalkeeper out, but he got it all wrong, sending the ball harmlessly wide. The goalless scoreline at the break was about right, neither team giving us any reason to believe that the second half would be any better. Sydney had moved the ball down the left to good effect, but the end product was sadly missing, and without Joe Lolley, the right was unproductive too.
A quick walk around the stadium at half time gave an idea of how much was open – not much – but there were two bars serving Guinness at happy hour prices which made up for the main bar being closed and the margaritas in a can being missing in action. There was a queue to get in to the club shop, the big ‘Sale’ sign tempting people in instead of watching the football. It’s a bizarre place to be at times.
The teams traded good chances just after the break, Arzani miskicking at the wrong time up at the far end and Arslan curling one just wide for Sydney down below us. Quispe showed good feet to try and unlock the City defence but was frustrated, then City struck, and it was awful. A long looping corner found Max Caputo, seemingly unmarked to head home unopposed. On replay, Grant was there but failed to stop the free-scoring striker from easily heading the ball past HDM for 1-0. Alex Grant was thrown on for Tisserand and immediately got caught in possession, Sydney surviving a counter-attack that could have been fatal. Abel Walatee was brought down and got no free-kick, the chant ‘The referee’s a racist‘ hardly warming the officials to the fans. Alex Popovic found himself in an advanced position, goalkeeper Patrick Beach plucking the ball from in front of him – Popovic then showed substitute Matthias Macallister what he should be doing, intimidating the City keeper to stop him playing the ball quickly – it was a comedy moment, the master teaching the apprentice the dark arts in front of everyone.
Younis flashed a shot wide, Quispe’s fancy flick to try and play in Garuccio disappointed the crowd, and substitute Alex Grant played the ball out of play twice in quick succession when trying to spread play out wide. This was poor. Garuccio was turned inside out by Younis who fired just past the far post and City had a clear one-on-one from one of their substitutes who fired wide in a similar fashion when the stadium expected the net to bulge. Rhys Youlley was a late sub, the scoreboard showing Hollman as he came on, and we were set for a grandstand finish. The six minutes of added time provided absolutely nothing for the fans though, the insipid football reminiscent of the horrible end of Steve Corica’s reign, the ball played around the park with little forward intent, the accumulation of completed passes more important than finding the killer move for the equaliser. With seconds to go, Sydney fannied around with the ball yet again, and the referee denied them a last punt forward, bringing a disastrous game to a close.
Many had already made for the exits, primarily to get in front of a TV to watch the Women’s Asian Cup semi-final, and we were soon out following them, foregoing the usual sharing of applause with the players, missing any post-game Rhyan Grant love, throwing a hearty ‘boo’ in the direction of the bench, and heading straight to the Clock in Surry Hills.
The crowd of Sydney FC fans, mixing with the nailed-on Matildas fans who had been there well in advance, made for a superb atmosphere, and Australia’s success made the evening all worthwhile. We were home well after midnight after a smooth run home, the awful A-League game we had endured earlier now completely consigned to memory as we planed our Saturday at Accor Stadium.
With questions over Ufuk Talay moving to Western Sydney Wanderers, and with Sydney FC serving up shit football in both the men’s and the women’s, the end of the season can’t come quickly enough for some fans. Talay’s off-contract status asks a lot of questions, and very knowledgeable Sydney fans are quietly delighted that he could be moving across town, where he will fit in beautifully. The men’s team has been in a false position all season, and it will be of no surprise should they complete their league fixtures outside of the top six. These are dark days for Sydney FC, make no mistake, and members’ appreciation round needs to show the fans that it is worth pursuing this unrewarding pastime next season. Forza Sydney FC, but oh god, it’s not pleasant right now.