Free-scoring Mariners announce their arrival in style

Central Coast Mariners Women 5 Canberra United 1

The new-look Central Coast Mariners topped off an afternoon of celebrations in Gosford with an outstanding display of pressing football to crush a stunned Canberra United at polytec Stadium on Saturday afternoon. An early goal from in-form Skye Halmarick set the scene, and by half-time, the home team were cruising with a second goal, this time from the head of Talia Kapetanellis. Classy midfielder Te Reremoana Walker added a third soon after the break and from then on it was a case of how many as the Mariners punished every turnover, Kapetanellis adding her second and Alexia Karrys-Stahl making it five with still ten minutes to play. A late rally from the visitors saw them reduce the arrears with a smart finish from Sienna Dale, but it was all too late as the Mariners made it an afternoon to remember with this handsome win.

Eliza Familton given special attention from the United midfield

Summer had definitely hit on the Central Coast, the sun blazing, making both teams reach for the esky during warm-up, with glowing faces and dripping sweat telling the story. The fans were late to arrive, a VIP event including Heather Garriock from Football Australia and former Mariners’ men’s coach Lawrie McKinna kept a number of the fans entertained up until kick-off and the grand opening of the newly acquired Mariners Club at the adjacent Gosford City Bowling Club took care of the rest. There was a following from the nation’s capital, green shirts dotted throughout the main stand, the only stand open today and thankfully the one stand shaded from the fierce sun. The United players were drilling in goals for fun at the waterfront end; they looked confident, they were buoyant, they were ready for battle.

Five minutes into the game though, it was clear which team was in charge. Halmarick had already marauded up the right in the opening exchanges, and when Peta Trimis released Danika Matos on the same side moments later, her low cross was swept majestically past Sally James by Halmarick to open the scoring. The scores were almost level immediately, goalkeeper Morgan Aquino beating away a shot before tipping over from Michelle Heyman’s header seconds later, and Canberra matched their opponents for a stretch, Hayley Taylor-Young lashing a wild shot wide when the ball fell her way before Aquino got down low to foil her next attempt at the near post.

Today’s referee Charlotte Flynn knew she was in for quite a game, cries of ‘ref, ref!’ echoing around the stadium every time a contentious moment arose, and Matos was testing her patience, a very hands-on performance from the former Western Sydney Wanderers player making the free-kicks easy to award. Walker began to assert herself in midfield, before teammate Rebecca Lake copped a freak hit to the face that halted proceedings. The Canberra grumbles were shot down by a local voice, a fan telling the Canberra contingent to shut it in no uncertain terms, and Lake was up quickly despite the solid hit. The home team needed geeing up, and with the half hour mark approaching, the MC revved the crowd, something that we don’t often experience when the ball is in play. Sure enough, the very next move saw the Mariners go two up; Trimis was allowed to run riot down the right again and she clipped a delightful ball in for Kapetanellis, who got ahead of Zoe Tolland, the header flashing past James for 2-0. The lack of celebration from the goalscorer suggested an own goal from Tolland, and photo evidence is inconclusive, but the Mariners were not asking questions.

Chief tormentor Peta Trimis leads the Canberra defence a merry dance

Kelli Brown had the home fans off their seats, clattering into Matos, but the referee took no action. The Mariners coasted to half time, but they could have easily made it three, again Trimis the architect, Halmarick rampaging up the right to deliver a delicious cross for Kapetanellis on the stretch who just couldn’t get the shot on target from close range. This was thrilling stuff from the Central Coast, thoroughly deserving their two-goal half time lead.

If Canberra were searching for a swift turnaround, they didn’t get it. Trimis had a chance in the first attack of the half, choosing to shoot wide with plenty of support in the box. Perhaps coach Dean Heffernan had asked his players to shoot on sight; Kapetanellis strode forward after intercepting in her own half, but elected for the spectacular instead of involving her teammates who were much better placed, another good chance wasted. The exciting Eliza Familton weaved through the Canberra defence to win a corner, Trimis had her shot saved from the clever corner routine, and the tide was certainly coming in. It was no surprise when a recycled corner from Timis caused mayhem in the Canberra six-yard box, and there was Walker, reacting first in the melee to stab home her first A-League goal, and didn’t she love it!

The Mariners were just too strong for Canberra; the pressing from the home side gave the visitors no time on the ball, and every 50/50 ball seemed to fall to a yellow shirt. Trimis tried her luck from distance, James saving comfortably, before Canberra had a sight on goal, substitute Dale upended and fellow replacement Emily Condon firing in a free kick that Aquino smothered at the second attempt. There were definitely more goals coming, and once more it was the right-hand side where the Mariners did the damage, Trimis doing brilliantly to release Matos, whose cross was unmissable for Kapetanellis, who lashed the ball into the roof of the net from right in front for 4-0. This was as good an attacking performance as we could have hoped for, and Trimis was denied by the fingertips of James from a thrilling left-foot shot. Halmarick then set her up for a chance, James reacting well to close down the shot, but this was looking to turn ugly for the away team.

Michelle Heyman doing too much defending

Substitute Karrys-Stahl fired over with a hopeful effort, but she was to have her moment soon after, battling away to stay in control before flicking the ball through the legs of her opponent, striding on and firing a missile into the bottom corner of James’ goal. What a hit to make it 5-0! This was when Canberra finally reacted. They won two corners in quick succession, the referee unfazed when Aquino was bustled into the back of her own net, and United seemed to have taken the game up a notch. It was no surprise when Dale found herself in the area with Matos to beat, and she did what she does best, finishing past Aquino for a consolation goal to make it 5-1. Heyman then played in Caley Tallon-Henniker with a searching ball, but Aquino got there just in time, and that led to the Mariners having a final chance to wrap up the goalscoring, Kapetanellis making her shot look like a cross and Kiara De Domizio could only smash the ball over the bar from a difficult angle. There was time for one more moment, Heyman managing to get around Aquino, her shot blocked on the line, but the offside flag had already gone up. That was enough; the final whistle ended a day of celebration for the Central Coast Mariners.

A late rally from the visitors and a goal for Sienna Dale to no avail

What an afternoon. The opening home fixture, the official launch of the new era, the opening of the new pre and post-match venue at the bowling club next door, six goals for the fans to enjoy and a thoroughly entertaining match to send the fans home happy. This was an advert for the A-League; this is football in Australia, this is the standard we need to achieve. The rest of the teams looking up at Central Coast Mariners at the top of the ladder will be wondering just what they have to do to keep this free-scoring attack from ravaging defences across Australia. Congratulations to everyone involved today.

Thanks for reading. This report is available as an abridged version at Impetus Football. Click here to see it.

Lucky 31 experiment Round 2 : We’ve moved!

You came here looking for the Round 2 tips and predictions, didn’t you? Well, you’re too late! We’ve been picked up and placed on the Football360 website, where we hope to build up the following that we enjoyed on The Roar. Why are you still reading? You should have already clicked on the link and gone to find it there!

One thing we will be continuing with though, is the Lucky31 experiment. Using the A-League tips of the tipsters, we are trying to demonstrate just how badly things can go with betting. We’re fiercely independent here at texismith.com so we can post what we like.

To gain entry to the tipping this season, each tipster started with a pool of $217. That’s 28 matchdays x $7.75. Every week, a $0.25 bet is placed on the first five games in the round in a “Lucky 31” bet. It’s 31 bets at $0.25 = $7.75 each week. That means, if you get two results right, the bet will pay out on two singles and one double. You’ll be losing money on your $7.75 stake. If you get three results right, the bet will pay out those three singles, three doubles and one treble. You’ll have made your stake back and maybe a little more. Take that a bit further, and if you get them all right, you’ll be doing just fine! So, armed with that knowledge, here is the tipping table from this week, with last week’s results :

Demonstrating quite nicely the “you win some, you lose more” mantra of the token anti-gambling effort made by the governments that collect billions in gambling tax, we can see that Stuart and Texi both lost money in round one, and by default so would have The Crowd. On the flipside, Andrew’s idea of tipping the draw in the first game of the season suddenly catapulted his winnings beyond his stake of $7.75, a tidy profit of $4.12. Damn it, Andrew, we’re trying to demonstrate how easy it is to lose money in gambling!

Follow along to see if we have made back our $217 stake by the end of round 28. Given the first round, we’ll get nowhere near it, but Andrew has already taken this to a new level and we’ll have to watch out that we don’t promote gambling in making money off this ill-advised betting scheme.

See you over on Football360. Have a punt yourself and leave a comment to tell us just how shit we are at tipping the untippable. Good luck!

Brimful of Asha as Sydney dive

Sydney FC Women 2 Adelaide United 2

A late Olimpico goal from India Breier rescued a point for Adelaide United at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday afternoon as the demons of the last two seasons came back to haunt the Sky Blues after doing more than enough to win. Asha Sutton gave the goal-deprived Sydney faithful something they have been craving, a goal on the run and a deadly finish, to put her team a goal to the good. An own goal by captain Charlotte McLean had the scores level in an instant, and Sydney looked odds-on to win the contest after Riley Cohn mugged her defender and finished smartly as they dominated the second half. The late goal from a corner was the result of a nervy finish from the home side, who could have gone on to lose in the final moments of a game punctuated by injury stoppages. The struggle continues for Sydney, but with many players away on international duty, we can reserve judgement until we see the whole squad in action.

  • Oh no, wrong stadium
  • The family-friendly Sydney Olympic Athletics Centre
  • Uniquitous
  • Nice modern stand, but a little far from the action

One of the biggest weekends on our calendar, this fixture came on the back of the Sydney men’s derby and two very big nights; making the short journey to Olympic Park was a great way to end a football-filled two days and nights. Parking up in the P1 car park not long before 4pm, we were in and settled in the Cove’s little corner of heaven in line with the goalline soon after, ready to see if our women’s team could wipe the slate clean and start the season with a bang. We had passed the injured players who had just taken part in a signing session, Shay Hollman, Jada Whyman and Amber Luchtmeijer adding to the list of young stars at the Under 17 World Cup. The line-up, read out by a very familiar voice, had unfamiliar names in the starting eleven and on the bench, but we were hopeful of a good showing all the same. The Cove warmed up to get the rustiness out, capo MMTV’s voice a little broken from Friday’s efforts and her expert drummer having to remember the beat after the longest off-season in world football. We Are Sydney was belted out as the players took the field. It was good to be back.

  • Olympic Park is sky blue
  • Think you can make out the players from this distance?
  • “What do I do again?”
  • Ringside seats for the stretcher-bearers
  • Corner action
  • That’s a goal!

Sydney started on the back foot. Adelaide pressed forward, winning corners, but it was the home team that took the lead, Cohn sliding a delightful ball through the middle of the Adelaide defence for Asha Sutton to gallop onto. She seemed under pressure but held her nerve to fire past young Adelaide goalkeeper Ilona Melegh, the whole team racing to congratulate her, a truly wholesome moment. Tails were up, first blood to the Sky Blues, but the stadium fell silent when the tricky Kiera Meyers launched a hopeful ball in near post and McLean stuck out her leg to deflect the ball past Tiahna Robertson for a disastrous and unnecessary own goal. Bah!

As a few fans started meandering into the sunshine over to the far side to roll down the hill, Robertson then gifted the ball to Adriana Taranto after dallying on the ball for way too long, the lobbed finish cleared off the line by McLean, casually heading the ball into her goalkeeper’s arms. Last season was coming flooding back. Josie Wilson was stranded upfield in a heap, eventually being helped off holding her arm as if her shoulder was dislocated. Warm applause greeted her as she walked down the tunnel after a lengthy stoppage. Adelaide looked much the better team in the first half, but Kiley Dulaney looked very composed on our side of the field, and there was more football played by the Sydney FC team than we were accustomed; positive signs! Adelaide United did hit the bar, and there were hairy moments as Sydney struggled to clear their lines in a first half that seemed to be slipping from their grasp.

The half ended with a good chance deep into injury time, Faith Webber getting the fans off their seats thinking she’d scored, but her rifled shot had just missed the post. Half time followed almost immediately, giving us a chance to catch our breath; this singing and chanting was hard work for tired bodies and the desafinado efforts of at least one of our Cove crew was making it even harder.

  • Sydney FC run club
  • Something’s happening over there
  • Quiet afternoon for the photography crew
  • Ah, shit. Late drama.
  • Scoreboard doesn’t lie

Back to the action, and a completely different Sydney FC side came out in the second half. There was a spring in the step, the mild gamesmanship of the first half was replaced with major theatrics as Cohn tried to demonstrate her rough treatment from her opponents in a series of swallow dives, some ignored and some rewarded with free-kicks. Adelaide did though have a glorious chance, the ball coming off the post before being blazed over, but from our angle we had no way of knowing just how close to the goal it was. Charlotte McLean hoofed a shot way over the bar, but Sydney did take the lead soon after when Cohn caught her defender in possession, advanced and tucked a shot inside Melegh’s post. What a fantastic moment, created and finished by the most lively player on the field. Sydney, Sydney, Sydney, our girls are amazing… sang the Cove.

The game was heating up, the SFC chant reached breakneck speed, smoke almost coming from the drum. Cohn took a dive looking for a free kick which was waved away, before somehow managing to convince the referee with another outrageous flop. She did seem hurt, taking her time to get up, but it was classic game management, seeing a miraculous recovery to take the free kick herself. Olivia Price was manhandled to the floor in a wrestling move, somehow no yellow card, before Cohn gave us another comedy moment, exaggerating a push from Melegh as the two went toe to toe on the goalline. We had the moment of the match as a little back-flick set Sydney on their way in a glorious flowing attack, but the assistant referee had the flag up to curtail the forward momentum, and Webber almost stole in at the far post to beat Melegh to the ball but her effort ended up in the side netting with celebrations almost starting. With five minutes remaining though, Sydney weren’t looking comfortable, the fans sensed it, and they ended the game the same way they started it, conceding a series of corners. That’s when the inevitable happened, Robertson nowhere near an inswinging corner from Breier that flew straight into the net.

The Adelaide players soaked up the moment, the referee finally coming to break up their extended huddle, as MMTV took out her frustration in the Cove. This was the malaise of the last two seasons, bottled up and sprayed on the team, a winning position thrown away in avoidable circumstances. Injury time wouldn’t yield a winner, Adelaide looking the most likely, and the frustration of the players at the final whistle was obvious. It was certainly felt in the stands.

  • The turf master comes to claim his turf
  • Cove and squad keep their distance
  • Players and families reunite
  • The sun sets on a big weekend

The players took a while to come over and acknowledge the active fans, but enjoyed their moment from a distance before friends and family took over, signalling the end of the day. Walking out into the cool evening sunset, we had enjoyed some excitement, some hair-raising moments and we had seen Sydney FC play proper football for the first time in a long while. Whilst viewing the game from such a distance makes detail harder to follow, the antics of Riley Cohn were like a pantomime in itself, although she did get plenty of rough treatment from the United midfield. Supporting Sydney FC women’s team has been quite challenging lately, but there were encouraging signs. We look forward to seeing performances turn into points in the near future, and we can all enjoy seeing our former stars in action at Allianz Stadium next weekend as the new Bling FC Melbourne City come to town as the main event of the double header. If you don’t stick around for the women’s game, words will be had. No excuses!

Thanks for reading. A lovely way to end the weekend!

The day that football died

Sydney FC 0 Western Sydney Wanderers 0

A preface to this : every fixture this season will now be tested against the yardstick of the Australia Cup final. The opening fixture of the eagerly-anticipated 2026/27 A-League season was billed as a blockbuster, the Sydney derby, the fierce cross-town rivalry, but by the end of the 90 minutes, fans were unanimous in their verdict of what they had just witnessed. Abject is a family-friendly word that perhaps encompasses the range of adjectives being thrown around in the stands, and the speed with which the crowd left Allianz Stadium was a testament to the garbage that had been served up on the field. Two poor sides lacking in composure, application and belief quite rightly shared the points; this was truly a game to turn off the neutral and damage the A-League brand right when it needs it the most.

  • What’s that up in the sky?
  • Hold on, aren’t they meant to be behind us?
  • The most athletic specimens we’ll see tonight
  • Warsaw? Millwall? No, Moore Park, Sydney.
  • Where you go we always follow you
  • Getting to the stadium safe and sound
  • The new Allianz pitch being prepared for the mid-season returfing
  • Come on, give us something to do
  • SFC at the SCG
  • Eye in the Sky

The chopper was out, doing the rounds of Sydney, suggesting that trouble was expected on the streets below. Running later than planned due to work commitments, we were hijacked at the Trinity for a thirst-quenching pit stop before heading to the Bat and Ball just in time to head across the park to the start of the march. Numbers were a little lower than usual in the throng, but the enthusiasm was there, the pack shepherded by a wall of police officers and a pack of police horses. Great to see so many familiar faces and enjoy swearing in public again. Having only just turned 7pm, there was time for a quick refresher at the Olympic Hotel behind the stadium, before fuelling up on energy drinks and heading into Allianz Stadium for the big event.

  • Marching on together
  • Meadowbank Ultras doing what they do best.
  • Not the only Newy fan in Sydney tonight
  • Tucked away from the crowds
  • Getting some magnesium and vitamins to help us through the evening
  • I’ll do your marketing for you, don’t worry
  • Marvellous setting

Strangely enough, the players were still out on the field warming up. There was no way that this was going to be an 8pm kick off, but it gave plenty of time to unload massive amounts of money in the stadium concourse on drinks. The lights flashed, then went blue, the flag bearers waited patiently, and the players still didn’t come out. What was going on? Was there a scrap in the tunnel? Had the referees gone on strike again? Finally they emerged, and We Are Sydney greeted the two teams to the field. A Wanderers fan took his seat in Cove Heights to much cajoling; he must have known he’d be safe tonight.

  • Players still warming up – kick off is not at 8pm.
  • Rabble
  • Drinkflation
  • A Moore Park tragedy
  • The Cove in full voice
  • Wearing it for a bet, surely. An intruder in Cove Heights.
  • This stadium is too big

Whoever won the toss chose correctly and we had Sydney FC shooting towards the visiting fans in the first half, giving us a good opportunity to check out the new-look Wanderers attack as they made the better start of the two teams. Awan Lual appeared to be winning a foot race to bear down on goal when he pulled up with what looked like a pulled hamstring. After shooing the referee away, he realised he really had done it and flopped to the ground and was subsequently substututed. Jordan Courtney-Perkins gave us an early overhead kick to try and warm up the crowd, Oliseh Sunday showed great close skills and a willingness to win headers. Rhyan Grant grappled with his man by the corner flag despite the ball being behind them and not going out, before Ben Garuccio was told to leave the field with blood pouring from his face. That had Sydney FC down a man for a minute or two, in which time the Wanderers had a good chance, but Harrison Devenish-Meares showed safe hands.

The usual risky mucking around at the back was completely gone. In fact the fans were almost left wanting some of it back, Devenish-Meares woeful with his distribution, kicking straight out on multiple occasions, and receiving a spray from Garuccio. Alex Popovic and Miguel Di Pizio had a coming together which the referee smoothed over, and Popovic game us some good skill, heading back to his keeper under pressure as the half ended. Aside from a near post save from Devenish-Meares and a long range snaphot from Sunday that was hopelessly wide, there was little to cheer. Half time was welcome.

  • No pyro, no derby
  • One last huddle
  • Feels good to be back
  • Nothing but smiles in the Cove
  • Half time jostling for position
  • Not tonight, sir.
  • Warming up through the sprinklers

The usual circuit of the concourse was abandoned when I had only made it a quarter of the way around as the on-field half-time heroes were making their way off. It was busy, but I was back to my seat up in the balcony level as the action got underway down below. Sunday and German Ferreyra clashed, the multi-tattooed Wanderer feigning injury, but the referee wasn’t buying it. Wanderers had a chance at the far end as the defence opened up worryingly, Devenish-Meares with the good save, and they had a good effort soon after that just cleared the crossbar.

The game came to life on 65 minutes. Someone was being ejected from the Cove. Sunday had turned inside for some reason instead of shooting on the run. All of a sudden, fans whose interest had been waning and were chatting amongst themselves, were concentrating and absorbed in the action. Ferreyra celebrated in front of Sunday’s face when the referee ignored his plea for a foul. Serial pest Anthony Pantazopoulos helped the rather anonymous Takahiro Sekine from the floor after a challenge, and the new Sydney man flopped straight back down. Changes were made. Gabriel Popovic found himself in a great position with perhaps his first touch, and instead of hitting the target he smashed the ball high and handsomely over the crossbar, hands on heads all around the stadium in disbelief. That could be a career-changing moment for the lad.

  • Football action
  • Everyone keen to say hello to the friendly police crew
  • Oh my goodness, Sydney FC have a corner!
  • Thank god it’s all over
  • You can open your eyes now, the game’s over

The changes that Sydney made didn’t make much impact. The game was stretched as the final minutes ticked by, and either team could have won it with a shred of X-factor or a direct confident burst. We had neither, although Akol Akon’s ball through for James Overy was a beauty, and luckily neither did our neighbours. The atmosphere at the final whistle was of general apathy and dismay as the stands emptied out in record time. This had been a repeat of the Australia Cup semi-final loss to Melbourne Victory, without the wind as an excuse. The absence of tiki-taka was evident, the unwillingness to conjure up something clever or take that extra risk was frustrating. At least we hadn’t conceded a late goal.

  • Designated driver seats
  • “Now what the hell are we going to talk about for thirty minutes?”
  • “We had this fella Hollman last season. He was much better…”
  • Bruiser Ben
  • Tiago Quintal quietly applauds
  • If there was a template for a Western Sydney Wanderers player.
  • Time to go, too many pints
  • Finally, after many weeks, picking up Michelle’s free wine from the club!

Leaving the stadium after taking in the mood at the tunnel area, we jumped on the light rail and managed another pit stop at the Dove and Olive til closing, and another one at the deserted Epping Hotel, finally making it home just shy of 2am. The intention had been to have one or two tonight, but the reality check of seeing such poor football had turned us to the bottle.

Were there any positives to take from tonight? We kept a clean sheet. Popovic looked extra-safe at the back. Youlley put himself about. Akon looked classy. That’s maybe it. The negatives were there for all to see. The repeated hoofing upfield in the general direction of a striker was straight from any Saturday afternoon winter competition, there was a short period of passing at the Cove end that resembled controlled possession, but aside from that, there was very little meaningful forward play. We have our second men’s game coming up next weekend, Sunday service as the first half of a double-header with our mighty Sky Blue women. Those Eurosnobs and fans of other codes who made the effort tonight will somehow all be busy next Sunday afternoon. And who can blame them? See you at Olympic Park this Sunday. Keep the faith and enjoy your weekend!

A-League tipping Round 1 : We’re back!

Well, all of a sudden, the football gods aligned and we got everyone’s tips in just in time for the opening fixture of the season. We’re back up and running. The motely crew of Stuart Thomas, Andrew Prentice and Texi Smith, refreshed after the longest off-season in the world, are here to guide you through the murky waters of the new A-League season.

As well as using our magical crystal ball, we will be starting the season with a pool of $217 each (that’s $7.75 x 28 matchdays) and submitting what they mysteriously call a “Lucky 31” bet on five of the matches in each round. That particular bet type has 31 different combinations, so the stake is low, in fact a measly $0.25 per bet, but it makes the total bet each week $7.75. Trusting that this is not a gateway to a gambling addiction, the $217 has been fronted up already, so there will not be any money spent during the season; it’s a small price to pay for an experiment that will most likely demonstrate that “you win some, you lose more.”

The season starts with a handy five-game round. So, without further ado, let’s see what round one is going to give us as the A-League juggernaut rolls into town…

Forgotten man Hiroshi Ibusuki looking to kickstart his career Photo : Texi Smith

Stuart Thomas
Western Sydney, Auckland, Macarthur, Central Coast, Victory

Well, well, well, here we are again for another season of A-League tips and predictions.

This time, however, it is not being featured on a certain website that owes me and many others thousands of dollars. A big thank you to Texi for temporarily hosting one of the traditions of the A-League; a panel of desperate fans and writers always prepared to put their necks on the line.

Frankly, few have any idea what will happen in the opening round. The recruitment of most teams looks decent, the players maintained have talent and a few returning stars means there could be little predictable about the first few rounds of play.

The Sydney Derby will go the way of the Wanderers, a team very popular heading into the new season and one certain to be fired up in the opening round. Auckland hosts Melbourne City on Saturday in a perfect homecoming for the champs, the home side gets it done.

Macarthur will have a solid season and Perth have hopes of the same. We will need plenty more weeks to get a good read on these two teams. Macarthur by a goal. The F3/M1 Derby usually produces and the mighty Mariners have home deck for this one. I’m seeing a tight one, with a yellow goal separating the two teams late in the match.

I’m finding it tough to get a read on the Phoenix and the Victory have clearly played plenty of pre-season football that should stand them in good stead early on. This will probably get them over the line in New Zealand.

Jaiden Kucharski and Stefan Colakovski go again for Perth Glory Photo : Texi Smith

Andrew Prentice
Draw, Auckland, Macarthur, Newcastle, Victory

A huge Sydney derby with 35,000 plus in attendance, but how will the pitch hold up after a rugby league World Cup match the previous evening. Lots of positives from the Wanderers after the disasters of last season and they might pinch a point in a 1-1 draw which would be an awful result for my fantasy team.

Lots of changes at the champions but they are the champions, they are at home, and they play an offshoot of Man City so this pick is based on a dislike of cheats. Mind you, City look a good young squad this year.

Distressing rumbles about the Glory’s instability with late payments, training walkouts (I hope it’s fake news!) Macarthur look like a far more attacking side this year. Goals aplenty at Campbelltown.

Last year’s Premiers against their F3 rivals (it’s called the M1 now but come on…) I hope the cool weather sends the Coasties to the game rather than the beach, where the Jets might pinch the points with more attacking intent than Queens Park Mariners seem to have.

Wellington are a bogey side for Victory but last week’s Cup final will have been a great hit-out for the visitors. Changes at the Phoenix and an unsettled pre-season have me leaning towards an eponymous result for the away team.

Captain, my captain. Craig Goodwin raring to go Photo : Texi Smith

Texi Smith
Sydney, City, Macarthur, Newcastle, Victory

The long-awaited opening fixture to the 2026/27 season sees Ufuk Talay return to the scene of his crimes with his new-look Western Sydney Wanderers for a rip-roaring Sydney derby. Allianz Stadium will be freshly chopped up from the Rugby League World Cup opener, so the excuses will be ready-made whichever way this falls. Patrick Kisnorbo has thrashed his troops to within an inch of their lives in preseason, expect Sydney FC to be in the faces of their rivals, the returning magician Nicholas Milanovic having little change in a difficult opening half. Tiago Quintal is the constant threat for the Sky Blues, but it’s the unlikely source of Rhys Youlley who breaks the deadlock on the cusp of the tried and tested 60-minute substitution mark with a deflected shot. Wanderers pile forward, VAR overturning an equaliser to the torment of the away fans, and the dagger is plunged into Western Sydney hearts as Oriola Sunday marks his league debut with a tap in on the rebound to complete the scoring late in the game.

Auckland FC entertain Melbourne City on Saturday at Mount Smart, and they have the weight of expectation on their shoulders after last season’s championship victory. Losing two of their main defenders will give the potent City attack free rein against an untested rearguard, and we could be in for a high-scoring affair. All eyes on Auckland’s Sam Cosgrove following the furore of his serving of a two match ban, but it’s the debutants on the day that have the biggest say, Quinn MacNicol off the bench to equalise for City with 20 minutes left following the opener from Lachie Bayliss. It’s left to Cosgrove, leaping highest at the far post to send the Port into raptures with a late winner and start coach Pedro Moreira’s reign with an important three points.

All change at Macarthur FC, with Sasa Ognenovski at the helm for his first game in charge. His new-look team entertain unknown quantity Perth Glory at Campbelltown Stadium in the family-friendly 5pm slot. Familiar A-League names Ryan Fraser and Ben Gibson are in the home line-up, with A-League All Stars’ hero Apostolos Stamatelopoulos brought in to score the goals. The reliable dad’s army midfield of last season has gone, and there is no shortage of talent in the home squad. This is too early though for them to show their togetherness, and up against a lively attack of Tom Lawrence and Jaiden Kucharski, goals are guaranteed. The absence of Brian Kaltak is pivotal tonight, Connor Pain’s waspish performance opening doors for his teammates to cash in, Musa Toure and Jing Reec amongst the goals in a comfortable victory for the home side.

Ufuk Talay just about to let rip Photo : Texi Smith

It would take a brave man to tip Central Coast Mariners to do anything this season. They still possess a talented squad, but it has been rejuvenated by bringing in a truck-load of unproven talent, the bookmakers not convinced at all. Newcastle Jets come to Gosford on the back of a home loss in the Asian Champions League Elite, and they too have had an exodus from their premiership-winning squad; perhaps the replacements have been more palatable, Joe Lolley and Paddy Wood known quantities in A-League circles. The Jets know how to win, they’re up against serious quality in Asia, and it rubs off tonight as Nikos Vergos and Lolley get on the scoresheet in a scruffy win in the F3 derby. Mark Milligan will be more delighted with the clean sheet than anything else; it will be a rare occurrence this season as the premiership crown becomes a dead weight.

Melbourne Victory will be smarting from their Australia Cup disaster last weekend; however, up against a Wellington squad that has been trimmed and trimmed some more, this is the perfect antidote. Charles Nduka looks like a new man, given space and time to thrive, and with Clarismario Santos in glittering form, the away side look confident and enthusiastic in a bright first half. The longer the game goes on though, Phoenix grow in stature. The gaps at the back of the Wellington defence are there to be exploited, and when Harry Sawyer comes off the bench, the complexion of the game changes altogether. It’s his hold-up play that sprays the ball out to Keegan Jelacic, who glides past his man to deliver the perfect cross for Sawyer to thump home on the volley for the only goal of the game. A less-than-convincing win for Victory, but an important three-point haul to start the season with renewed hope.

Posting the tipping scoreboard is like posting the league table after zero games – totally pointless – but here it is anyway. We stand to recoup $68.13 if all the selections come in, or lose the whole $7.75 if no selections come in; it’ll be somewhere in between, but it will be interesting to see how this goes over the course of the season!

You can be part of the crowd! Enter your tips below and make our tipsters look like bumbling fools. Go on, it’ll take you five seconds…

We’d love to see what you think of this opening round; leave a comment right here. Let’s bring some of that dry banter from The Roar faithful back for another season. Good luck!

Football is alive and well in Australia

South Melbourne 1 (4) Melbourne Victory (3)

South Melbourne staged a remarkable comeback in extra time to send the Australia Cup final to penalties and create one of the most dramatic scenes in domestic football history at AAMI Park on Saturday night. Trailing to a contentious Denis Genreau strike and seeing their hopes fade, it was smash and grab as Max Mikkola somehow reacted to bundle the ball into the net in front of the huge bank of Hellas fans with the clock running out, setting up a penalty shootout for the ages; goalkeeper Javier Lopez was the hero and Jason Davison the villain to ultimately seal an incredible win for the underdog. This was a game to send shockwaves through the football community, bringing the decreasing gap between the A-League and the rest of the football pyramid into the spotlight for everyone to see.

  • That’s a good looking stadium right there
  • The storm troopers head to AAMI Park to keep the public safe
  • Beautiful setting for the beautiful game
  • Uh oh. That doesn’t look good.
  • Souvenir ticket!
  • Reporters have never seen such a big crowd at the sokkah
  • Queues before the gates have opened
  • Gonna be popular tonight

When the Australia Cup final was announced, and it just so happened I was in Melbourne that very same weekend, it was an obvious move to get a ticket and enjoy the pinnacle of the domestic cup competition at a familiar venue. With a new ticket vendor in town, AXS being another unnecessary layer between the fan and the ticket, I was amused to find that my ticket had not been delivered to my app, and fortunate that the gentleman at the ticket window was able to print one out for me. I had come in on the train from Melbourne Central and was early, the queues already forming ahead of the gate opening time of 6pm. The riot squad marched down Swan Street as a show of force, the majority of fans shaking their heads at this pointless and no doubt expensive exercise. The maximum security wanding of everyone made the entrance to the stadium longer than necessary, but there was plenty of time.

The main bay of the South Melbourne end was already filling up, Victory’s main bay at the other end was already full and the chants started soon after; Hellas ole ole ole was booed from the Victory fans, who retorted with “F*ck South Melbourne.” This was indeed going to be spicy, and the Public Order Response Team suddenly seemed relevant. The South Melbourne players emerged for their warm-up, running a lap of honour to take in the atmosphere from the growing crowd, stopping behind the goal to exchange applause with the active bay. This was a proper once-in-a-lifetime experience for both the supporters and the Hellas squad and it was obvious that it meant a lot.

  • Hellas fans already in place well before kick off
  • Lap of honour… before the game!
  • Applause between players and fans
  • Safe smokie!
  • The firework spectacular is underway!
  • Fireworks look better when it’s dark
  • No boos, although the anthem didn’t quite hit the spot!

Incredibly, the South Melbourne players continued to warm up until 7:30pm, the Victory squad having moved off the field well beforehand, and with five minutes to the allotted kick off time, the NPL side seemed to be quite relaxed about how long they had before being due back out for the ceremonial part of the evening. The flag bearers moved into place, the big centre flag moved back off the field, and there seemed to be conjecture as to which side the two crest badges should sit, the Victory flag unfurled and then collapsed all of a sudden as if a mistake had been made.

Meanwhile, down at the Hellas end, small flags were being handed out; it was like a show, the organisers running to the sides to hand out flags, excited fans asking for more, the enthusiasm was infectious. The South Melbourne line-up was read out, before Steve Pavlidis and his bouzouki serenaded the fans, many in the crowd knowing exactly who he was and what he was playing. Attention then turned to the Victory line-up and the fans went into Stand By Me mode, the handful of Victory fans in my section on their feet holding the scarves aloft in defiance and belting out their unofficial anthem. Boos and whistles rang out from the South Melbourne end, but it was some sight and some spectacle from the Victory fans.

  • Go the trolleys!
  • What a magnificent scene
  • Corner to the A-League team
  • Half time light show spooking the locals
  • Goal celebrations! The equaliser!

The players were out, the fireworks were popping, the crowd had filled out the stadium, and we were all asked to be upstanding for what was a very casual and happy Welcome to Country, before Maria Maroulis led the national anthem, which didn’t really hit the mark as it was too slow and peppered with changes to the original football version that we all know and love. Tall man Abz of the content creator duo UBF was seen being told to sit down as he was blocking the view from behind the goal, a security guard coming with a chair to get him down to the right level. The match was underway. The noise was terrific; whilst it may have been a sell out, there were definitely empty seats. Perhaps some people simply had something else on tonight and couldn’t make it.

The football? Well, you can watch that at your leisure somewhere else on the web or read up about it on the Austraila Cup website, but it was a fabulous affair. The South Melbourne central defensive duo were brilliant, even after the early yellow card handed out by world cup referee Ali Faghani. The first half was even, South Melbourne having a chance flash across goal and Victory hitting the post amongst a flurry of corners.

The light show at half time spooked the growing mass of seagulls, who took flight as Zorba the Greek echoed around the stadium, everyone tapping away to the well-known tune. The second half didn’t have to wait long for a miracle save from Lopez in front of the Victory fans, although on further inspection Clarismario Santos should have buried it. The big screens frustratingly showed no replays; Lopez had no right to get to the ball, but perhaps Santos made it easy for him. Faghani had a strange moment, playing on after a foul, the South Melbourne player picking the ball up forcing the referee to give the free kick he had ignored to play the advantage. This wasn’t the A-League, there was licence to do the right thing without reproach. The assistant on the far side refused to give South Melbourne a corner as time ran out, the ball clearly off the Victory player, but goalless it finished and we were rewarded with extra time to continue this marvellous evening.

  • Nail-biting stuff
  • Sprinting to the fans
  • Celebrations that will last into the night!

When Genreau lobbed the ball over Lopez, the ball hitting the bar, the ball didn’t seem to be in, but the keeper seemed to push the ball over the line before scooping it out, trying to fool the officials by playing on. To be fair I was dead in line and it looked in; the Hellas fans around me were up in arms, naturally! The game was opening up beautifully by now, and Bul Juach had a glorious chance to equalise when he bullied Davidson into an error, the looping shot bouncing off the bar. Faghani tried to implement the immediate switch-around for extra time half time, but couldn’t prise the Victory team from their conversation on the sideline as game management reached new levels. Juach had a glorious opportunity to tee up a teammate as the game reached its conclusion, following a goalkeeper fumble, instead hooking a shot well over. However, in the dying moments, a cross from the right was half-cleared and Mikkola almost stumbled into the ball, sending it off Davidson and into the roof of the net with goalkeeper Jack Duncan stranded. The crowd went crazy. What a moment! Players and fans united in joy.

The unlikely equaliser sparked South Melbourne to life and they could have gone on to snatch it, but penalties was the end game, the toss of the coin taking the shootout down to the Victory end. The mobile phone lights came on as South Melbourne took their spot-kicks, but the players weren’t fazed. Lopez saved from giant Harry Sawyer but had to do it again when VAR intervened, and that left us with Davidson to keep Victory in the game, but his Chris Waddle / Harry Kane penalty sparked unexpected crazy scenes as South Melbourne were crowned cup winners, their team racing to the fans at the other end to join the celebrations.

It was already late and I was due on the start line for the Melbourne marathon at 6.15am, so I left the fans to their celebrations and headed back to Richmond Station for the journey home. The Victory fans had already left, whereas we wouldn’t see any South Melbourne fans for some time, with plenty of celebrating to be done at the home of their cross-town rivals. What an evening, what a spectacle, a cup final to remember and one I am glad to have been fortunate enough to attend. Could this be the catalyst for change in Australia? Are we ready for football to take the next step in this country? If this didn’t make the Eurosnob football community sit up and take notice, nothing will!

Thanks for reading. It’s not always all about the football action, it’s often what goes on around it.

Book review : The Coping Stone

When I picked up a copy of The Coping Stone at author Paul Nicholls’ maiden book launch at Gleebooks in Sydney, despite having been told all about it in the fascinating discussion with Dr Ian Syson, I still didn’t really have a grasp of what I was getting myself into. The book, a magnificent square format going against the grain of keeping printing costs down, was definitely something that would be noticeable, sitting atop the pile of books on my bedside table. Eventually, after dipping my toes in a couple of times with tired eyes, I put the book in my bag when I was heading to Perth for the Matildas’ opening match of the Women’s Asian Cup, and that’s when I got into it on the return journey. A good few weeks later, it accompanied me to North America for the World Cup and I was by now over halfway through it, but it wasn’t until October that I finally picked up the book and made sure I brought it to its conclusion. This is not really a classic story, you see, it is a timeline of an incredible three months of international football from over a hundred years ago when Australia welcomed England for a test series for the very first time. So, there was no pressure to keep the characters fresh in my mind; I could simply restart after a few weeks away from the book and I’d quickly remember the names of the players and remember where we were up to.

Very cool book cover

But a story it certainly is. And if you’re familiar with that Netflix series that came out when Covid started, The English Game, with the grumpy Scottish footballer Fergus Suter who became the first professional player, you’ll be part-way to understanding just how this book works. We first learn just how long it took for England to send a representative side to play Australia, and we also get a feel for how big an undertaking this was – a three month, 25-game tour with a threadbare squad following straight after a season and a long journey down under. The name Stan Seymour stood out to me as a member of the touring England team; being a Newcastle United fan, his name, shared with his son, is synonymous with the club, the name having been a player, a manager and a chairman of the proud club through good times and bad. Australia’s hero in the book is Judy Masters, from the football-crazy Illawarra mining region of New South Wales, and the writing gives an insight into the lives of the players, not just the facts and figures of the incredible schedule of fixtures that took place across the country.

Not just with facts, but with feeling.

What really stands out though is the match action. Setting the scene for each game, we get to know the conditions, the state of the field, the atmosphere, and once the action starts, we are taken through each game as though author Paul Nicholls was there himself in person. He’s certainly not that old! But where the source material would presumably give him the venue, the scorers, the team lists and perhaps a high-level paragraph of the occasion, his prose for each match report goes into the detail. This is fiction sprinkled with facts, or the other way around depending on where your level of cynicism lives, and my goodness, it works! Nobody would know if Tom Thompson sprayed a 40-yard pass out to the left wing; who would remember Jack Elkes thundering into a tackle with goalkeeper George Cartwright? A penalty miss or a spectacular save would have never been documented, I presume, but the author somehow brings it to life and makes us believe that the game of football of 100 years ago is quite close to the modern game in flow and excitement.

So, not only do we have the scene set and the football action described with such unlikely detail, but we get the feelings and sentiments of the players as they embark on their gruelling tour of Australia.

England’s record in the 25-game tour was unbelievable but factually correct – by the last few games I was hoping that Australia would finally get a result, and they would come very close. There are some thought-provoking lines in the book too, that make us realise that the same issues of vying with other codes that existed one hundred years ago are still the issues of today; and watching football at an oval is rubbish! The England camp’s refusal to allow substitutions was a constant frustration through the book, to the point where I seriously wanted an England player to be crocked and the England coaches to change their tune and come grovelling for the opportunity to swap their player.

June 2025, Gleebooks – a new kind of football book is born

So, what are you going to get reading this book? You’re going to be transported back to a time when everything was so much more logistically difficult, rules were unbreakable, footballs were heavy and people loved a live event as much as they loved their country. You’ll be entertained with football action from an era where no commentary would have existed, written or verbal, and you will marvel at the feats of the English team who came to Australia and left with an impeccable record despite playing on surfaces of varying quality and going toe-to-toe with Australia’s best footballers in a congested fixture list.

Well done Paul on a ground-breaking book. Who am I to question the football action? We know it was a real game, we know the facts, the scorers, the weather. But do we know how the game ebbed and flowed and kept the crowd entertained? We do now.

The Coping Stone is available through Fair Play Publishing and from any online bookstore worth its salt. Thanks for reading; hopefully there’ll be a Texi Smith novel out next year. It has been a while!

Timid Sydney beaten in big blew

Sydney FC 0 Melbourne Victory 2

Sydney FC crumbled to a horrible defeat at home to their arch rivals Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night, beaten by the their opponents, a whistle-shy referee and a fierce breeze that the home team simply couldn’t master. It was a return to the dark ages of Corica-ball and the non-threatening attack of the Talay era, with the ball going sideways and backwards for the Sky Blues when the conditions demanded something more direct. An early goal against the wind by Keegan Jelacic set the scene, and when Jordan Courtney-Perkins diverted home for an unfortunate own goal midway through the second half, there was no way back. Still, Sydney didn’t exactly mount a stirring response, and the game petered out with the visitors comfortably holding out their weak opponents for a famous away semi-final victory.

  • Midweek under lights; the best
  • Who the f*ck is Net Strata?
  • Dark alley
  • Warming up in the cold Sydney bluster
  • Not many in, fifteen minutes before kick off

Wednesday evening through Sydney’s traffic is a challenge – Michelle was on the train from the city, whereas the journey from the North West suburbs of Sydney was a slow burn through rush hour, arriving 45 minutes before kick-off and foregoing the usual quick bite at the Kogarah Club. A bright but windy day had cooled down remarkably, and fans were arriving wrapped up and in thick jackets, the odd supporter caught out in shorts and t-shirt. Last year’s kits in the leftover miniature size was the only merch available in the tiny store, we grabbed our pies for dinner, the most exotic thing on the menu, and settled in at the back of the Cove to enjoy the spectacle.

The coming together of the Cove family is always a lovely thing to see. It’s like a Christmas scene, as young and old come together after a break, hugging and clasping hands, smiles all round. It is a time to rejoice and sing carols, the words and the tunes engraved in the mind and finally unearthed from the depths of memory. And with a common enemy tonight, the feeling of being united under the low roof of the lower section of the main stand was strong.

  • One final sprint-through for the warm-up
  • I never did nothing, sir!
  • Ethan takes in the adoration from his fans
  • Here they come, not to the usual We Are Sydney!
  • Sydney eager to go

Indeed, when the players walked out for the line-up and handshakes, it was not “We Are Sydney” that greeted the two teams; it was “F*ck you, Melbourne Victory, olé” and it was as loud as could be. “Sing it with more hate” came from a comedian at the back. The scene was set, the small clump of black-clad Victory fans up the far end of the same stand applauding their team, as far away as was possible in this one-stand-fits-all set-up tonight. The players lined up facing away from the crowd, completely ignoring the paying public in favour of the crowd at home – utter bollocks. The wind was certainly swirling; we’ve seen it here a few times, this time not accompanied by the driving rain, but still evoking memories of that Kayo game in the ACL2 qualifiers from a few years back at the same venue.

Sydney’s start could not have been worse. Joe Lacey’s role as the pivot in midfield, the player who receives, lays off and creates the space, went totally wrong with his first touch. Surrounded by three players, he meekly gave away possession and the ball was played in to Jelacic who strode into the box and picked his spot below the hand of Gus Hoefsloot for 1-0. It was an unbelievably poor start, and the defence was looking so shaky, trying to play confidently from the back but looking nothing like a team that could pull it off. To be fair, Victory got it spot on, up in the Sydney faces to make it uncomfortable and with the wind making the ball do odd things, the home team looked unconvincing.

  • Chanting under the roof at Kogarah. Love it!
  • Come on, who’s missed this?
  • Bike parking available at Jubilee Stadium
  • Wind whipping the sprinklers about
  • Up at the Victory end

Jack Duncan in the Victory goal seemed to be time wasting already, but he should have been punished for a ridiculous challenge on Takahiro Sekine that saw the Japanese magician flattened as he went for a header. It was Jake Hollman who floated in the cross, the first of the night that had not been overhit, and Sekine got his head to the ball only to be taken out by Duncan. The referee, some overseas import flown in to solve the industrial action taken by the Aussie officials, must have been briefed about Australian football, that perhaps there is a bit of rough and tumble at times, but he missed this one completely. His outstretched arm could have been signalling a penalty, we all expected it as we saw it perfectly from our angle, but no, after sending the stricken player to the sideline after treatment, it was play on.

Sekine was clearly bothered by this, and rattled into his man on the touchline in front of the Victory bench, a challenge that could have resulted in a card, but his mind was clear moments later when he gave us the moment of the half, tapping the ball one side of his man and scurrying around the other to maintain possession, the crowd lapping up the skill on show. Hollman picked up a stupid yellow for felling his man who was powering towards the box, before a similar moment at the other end resulted in not even a free kick as Sydney broke clear. This was becoming a difficult game for the referee. New signing Sunday Oriola got his head to a Ben Garuccio inswinger and seemed to hit the post, the resulting melee dampened by an offside flag, but it was a good chance, and when Rhyan Grant threw himself at a header in what looked like an offside position, he could only send the ball agonisingly past the post. This was a great finish to the half, as Sydney finally worked out all too late that they had a massive advantage with the wind. Boos rang out for the referee at the half as the crowd scattered to find a bit of warmth.

The second half started with Akol Akon performing a salmon dance trying to con the referee on the near touchline, but Sydney never had control. Victory continued to break, but were themselves finding the wind too strong as long passes went into touch. When Victory broke up the right, they seemed to have passed up a good opportunity to test Hoefsloot, Charles Nduka instead squaring the ball, but Courtney-Perkins inadvertently diverted the ball into the net for a freak own goal, the Melbourne players racing across to to celebrate and waste more time, knowing that they had half an hour to kill to secure a place in the cup final.

Question marks will be raised about the swapping of Corey for Jake Hollman after the latter ended his evening kicking out at a player for no reason. Tiago Quintal received a boot to the face that resulted in blood spilling out around his mouth. In truth, he had been well shackled by the Victory defence, the extra moment needed to control the unpredictable ball taking away his explosive speed, and Sekine was anonymous in the second half with the ball consistently following the wind to the near touchline. The options from the bench were never going to be game changers, and the ball continued to bounce all over the place as the stiff breeze played havoc. It was disconcerting to see Patrick Kisnorbo standing forlorn on the sideline while his opposite number showed animation, and from here onwards, the semi-circle of pointless passing filled the game as the ball went from side to side with absolutely no penetration into where it mattered. Both teams had half chances as the game wore on, Sydney having a header from a corner by Alex Popovic clear the bar, Sekine smashing a shot over from a tight angle, and Victory having a couple of long-range efforts that were well blocked and one that would have been goal of the century had the player connected properly with the opportunistic half volley from thirty yards.

  • Scarves Up!
  • Bending in a dangerous corner
  • Big brother is watching you…
  • Flags are good… when they are waving.
  • The Victory end laps up the celebrations

The whistle blew on a night of frustration. For all the joy that being had in the Cove, the football on show had been a disappointment. Even captain Rhyan Grant was wayward with his passes tonight, and a central duo of Joe Lacey and Jake Hollman looked porous and unadventurous – even the appearance of Rhys Youlley did nothing to change it, and Premier League star James Overy came on unnoticed for a disappointing cameo at right back. Only Mathias Macallister gave the team any sort of lift, Al Hassan Toure simply not having that aura about him, especially on a horrible swirly night like tonight. Takahiro Sekine looks the goods though, Garuccio too. It was Garuccio who brought some of the players over to salute the Cove, receiving applause from those who remained.

Being back at Kogarah was a reminder of how good we have it at Allianz Stadium, being back in the Cove brought back all the good feels that Sydney FC brings, but if this is a taste of things to come in the new season, that Friday night in mid October is going to be a tough watch. Sydney FC bow out of the Australia Cup at Kogarah once again, and for a club that wants to win all competitions it participates in, tonight was simply not good enough. In fact, tonight seemed to have a lot of new faces in the crowd; and we had a lot of those new faces leaving well before the end of the game, such was the quality of the football.

All of a sudden, there’s loads of them

Thanks for reading; see you in a few weeks as A-League football finally returns to bring us the entertainment and thrills that we’ve not seen since May. Forza Sydney FC!

Sekine smashes Sydney FC into semis

SD Raiders 0 Sydney FC 1

A superb strike from silky Japanese import Takahiro Sekine guided Sydney FC past the stumbling block of NPL side SD Raiders at Fairfield Showground on Wednesday night. On a perfect winter’s night for football, the home team kept themselves in the game until the bitter end, but coudn’t find a way past in-form goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot. This was a game where the referee made the biggest impression on the crowd, showing incredible leniency, but thankfully both teams came through without any serious damage. On to Leichhardt Oval for a semi-final that will be a blockbuster whoever gets through the quarter-final.

  • Uh oh, midweek heading West at 5.30pm
  • That’ll do it
  • Car disco
  • Arrived at the venue
  • Nom Nom – pacman food
  • Time for food before kick off

A midweek jaunt to Fairfield had us sitting in the dense traffic that plagues Northmead every night around that time, but from then on the run was straightforward, managing to negotiate the bizarre roundabout at Polding Street correctly and we arrived at Fairfield Showground a good hour before kick off. This is not typical. We’d normally be rushing in three minutes before the start after visiting a nearby club and finding the last car park miles away – this was a little treat to ourselves, and so was the pre-game food from the Pacman food hut, consumed in peace without blaring music while Sydney FC warmed up in front of us.

No sign of the new signing Oriola Sunday, but Akol Akon was out there, as was Joe Lacey, and we were encouraged by the line-up. There was a bit of confusion about where the Cove would set up, eventually spotting the banner being unfurled over the Hahn Australia Cup sign at the hill end, and we could imagine the discussions being had between security and the black-clad Sydney fans about covering up the major sponsor’s sign. There was a good turn out, the main stand full and the hill covered in people, leaving the end and the far side behind the camera positions empty. The playing surface was absolutely magnificent, better than anything we’ve seen at Allianz Stadium this year.

  • Warming up right in front of us
  • The Raiders warm up
  • The Cove are here
  • Cover that sign up
  • Line up and handshakes
  • The huddle

The players switched ends, someone knowing the lay of the land here, but there was no wind whatsoever, so perhaps Rhyno had swapped around so Sydney FC could shoot towards their fans in the second half. Sydney started the game on fire. Ben Garuccio gave us a little nutties on the left and Tiago Quintal shimmied brilliantly to cross for an early chance. Alex Popovic jumped in front of the SD Raiders keeper when he tried to clear, signalling his team’s intent to be ratbags in this quarter final cup clash. An incredible chance was created by Sekine; he took the ball down and danced around the goalkeeper, but couldn’t find his feet to finish and the defender blocked well. Mathias Macallister was then found by a raking ball from Akon, and he stepped around the keeper too, but could only find the player on the line who booted clear.

It had been coming, but when Lacey lifted a lovely ball to Sekine, just onside, the J-League star took the ball out of the air and fired an unstoppable shot into the net with no lack of poise and class, wheeling away in delight at the opening goal. Sydney were looking good, but their insistence on playing the risky short game at the back almost backfired when Hoefsloot got his feet mixed up and the ball nearly rolled in the net. The referee was giving nothing tonight, for either side, even when Sekine was unceremoniously hacked to the ground, there was no card. Raiders rallied towards the end of the first half, a right-footed shot from the edge of the area sending Hoefsloot across goal to palm wide, before Sydney ended the half on the attack, Macallister beating two players with no shortage of skill, but his final pass was straight to a defender.

  • Getting busy in the Cove
  • The action is underway
  • The sky is lit up by a beautiful aurora
  • Quality play from Sydney FC
  • A bumper crowd on a perfect night for football
  • Dangerous free kick

The second half was action packed. Garuccio, who had been fabulous in the first period, started the half with a back-heeled volley to clear a dangerous cross. Akon was poleaxed, again the referee deciding to take no action, and the new million-dollar superstar then played Garuccio in with a cute ball on the right, the shot flashing past the far post. Akon showed fabulous feet before stuffing up the move with a clumsy touch, but then swept in an early cross that Macallister couldn’t control.

SD Raiders did have plenty of the ball in the Sydney half, a fine cross from the right leading to a low shot that Hoefsloot saved well. From a Sydney FC corner, the break was on at the other end, Rhyan Grant doing well as the only defender against four marauding Raiders. The subs started, and it was good to see Al Hassan Toure on, his first contribution a race down the right and a drilled cross that was just missed by the incoming attackers. Akon had swapped sides now, and executed a superb sliding tackle to foil a Raiders’ attack, his replacement on the right Toure dancing up the wing again but crossing way too close to the goalkeeper.

  • The action intensifies
  • A rogue cloud over Fairfield
  • It’s all over
  • Celebrate, not once but twice

The biggest talking point of the night was the non-award of a penalty against Sydney. The SD Raiders striker took a heavy touch that took him to the edge of the area, Jordan Courtney-Perkins slid in and appeared to win the ball with a sliding challenge, but the referee took a moment before pointing to the penalty spot. There was total confusion as a free kick was eventually awarded, the crowd murmurs telling the story of the confusion; the tackle was in the box, it was a good tackle, why was it even a free-kick? The resulting set piece was athletically tipped over by Hoefsloot – it was definitely going in.

There were corners for the home team, Hoefsloot having to deal with the attentions of an SD Raiders player with no protection from the referee, and Sydney doing just enough to contain their lively hosts. Zac De Jesus came on to groans from the away fans – they haven’t warmed to him at all yet. Popovic somehow escaped a yellow card, slicing down the last man, not even giving away a free kick as play restarted with a throw-in. De Jesus got himself into a good position, his shot deflected away for a corner as Sydney searched for a second goal. It wasn’t to come though, and as the final whistle went, De Jesus rifled the ball into the Raiders’ net from distance, feigning celebration at scoring.

The players stayed in the centre of the field for some time as the crowd streamed out, having to do their celebration shot for the cameras a second time when De Jesus realised he’d missed out while chatting on the sideline. This had been a good spectacle, not a breath of wind on an evening that didn’t get as cold as expected, with a pristine playing surface and a knowledgeable football crowd. The Sydney players eventually saluted the Cove, who were low in numbers by now, and the standard love-in between players and family and fans took place in front of the main stand as the last of the fans were shooed out by security.

  • The Cove have all but gone, but it’s time to celebrate
  • Love-in on the sideline
  • Over and out

The car park was emptying out by now, and an easy run home saw us in the house at 10:30pm, a most respectable time for a week night. This had been an entertaining evening. We had seen some sublime football from Sekine, a hot and cold performance from Akon, who looked tentative in the challenge but tricky in possession, a lot of concise passing in triangles, but also a little bit of self-destruction in trying to play out from the back. Garuccio continues to impress, Lacey looked composed and Hoefsloot had a superb command of his area.

Two months out from the season, the signs are good. There is work to do, but the Sky Blues look to have started their pre-season in good nick. We now advance to the semi-final stage, and an early search for an ACL2 spot. Rumour has it Leichhardt Oval will be the venue whatever the result in the Apia v Victory game. Can’t wait for that one, hope it’s an all-Sydney affair! Forza Sydney FC!

All stars get the Blues

Chelsea 3 A-League All Stars 0

The A-League All Stars were swept aside by a silky Chelsea women’s team on Wednesday night as the Sydney Cup concluded in a low-key manner at Allianz Stadium. Two goals in the first ten minutes from Sandy Baltimore and Sjoeke Nüsken had the Blues in the driving seat early on, but they had to wait until the second half to add to the tally, Lexi Potter’s sweet finish completing the scoring. Credit to the A-League players for keeping the score respectable, but three goals down with ten minutes remaining, it was difficult to see what else they could do and the game ground to its conclusion with many fans already on their way home.

  • Parra-dise
  • Basketball padel arena
  • Busy night at the box office
  • The famous steps
  • Crowds gathering
  • The crew is complete

With the Spurs game to learn from, we were all a little more organised, converging on Mary’s Pizza joint in the Entertainment Quarter not long after 6pm for some horribly-priced but tasty food and drink. This was a Matildas crowd, the drawcard being the mighty Chelsea FC, laden with stars and ready to show Australia just why they are one of the biggest clubs in women’s football. The number of people on Driver Avenue on the walk up to the stadium was encouraging, the crowd to get in from Gate 3 showed that there was certainly an appetite for this game.

  • Busy at Gate 3
  • Extra security checks for the hooligans
  • Blue is the colour
  • Empty seats
  • Won’t someone think of the kids?

Our original seats in Cove Heights had been moved by the event organisers, we’re guessing due to the lower than expected attendance for this midweek school-night fixture, and we had seats in Bay 24, next to the Cove, surrounded by empty seats. The top sections of the stadium were all closed, but the traditional away end was busy and there was an atmosphere to greet the players to the field. As with the Tottenham game, the pre-game music was all for the visiting team, the music repeated ad nauseum until the game was ready to kick off. The vibe, the noise, the music and the atmosphere was killed with the opening whistle and the game started in total silence, an eerie empty feeling coming over this majestic venue.

Team news was positive for the Blues, this was a strong line-up featuring a number of household names and seasoned internationals. For the All-Stars, this was a starting line-up featuring some of the best-known names from the local league, Kayla Morrison, Makala Woods and Tameka Yallop bringing high quality to do battle against England’s finest.

  • They’ve scored already!
  • Oh no, it’s another…
  • A-League players shell-shocked
  • One-way traffic at the Cove end
  • Concern as the All Stars take a hit
  • Entertaining ourselves off the field

Ten minutes in and we were already fearing the worst. First, an expansive move down the left saw Sandy Baltimore in too much space to curl a sweet shot over Courtney Newbon for 1-0 – it looked like a cross that went in, but there was definitely no one to cross to, so all credit to the bustling forward for picking her spot just inside the post. Not long after, Sjoeke Nüsken was first to react to some shambolic defending and hooked in a shot that Newbon maybe could have saved down low. The crowd had what they were hoping for, but the A-League players weren’t happy, convening in a huddle to work out what to do to stop the unrelenting tide.

And to be fair, they did. We even had a couple of chances up the far end, Chelsea quite sloppy giving the ball away, Aideen Keane teeing up Leticia McKenna, but the ball seemed to bobble as she hit the shot and it flew over the bar. Yallop was lively, always there to cut out the pass and make it hard for Chelsea to play the easy ball, Woods was looking comfortable on the ball up front, but possession was hard to get. Lauren James oozed WSL quality, her speed of turn, her graceful gliding and close control was a step above, and if it wasn’t for some wayward crossing from Ellie Carpenter, we could have had more. Keane took a cross full in the face not long before the break, she was down for some time, and the added minutes after the 45 couldn’t yield any more goals.

  • View from the corner
  • Hold on, is that Matty in there?
  • Exclusively Chelsea merch
  • Much busier at the other end

A quick walk around the stadium at half time, and the Chelsea end was by far the busier, but the official stadium attendance of 22k seemed way over the top. 15k at a push would be a more realistic figure, and this was the sort of fixture that would have sounded good when the tickets were booked, but come the day, a cold winter’s midweek night may have put off many from coming. The main merch shops had been taken over with Chelsea kit, this was certainly a home game for the team from London. A nice little touch was the ability to download something from a QR code that made you part of the half-time light show. Whilst the stadium didn’t play along by dimming the lights, the pulsating spotlights on everyone’s phones were an impressive gimmick that we might see a bit more at Allianz Stadium for night-time games.

The stadium seemed less full as the second half got underway. Keane’s crossing from the left was disappointing, twice ignoring the free player in the centre to either go for goal or skew the cross too close to the keeper. The subs had started already and interest in the game waned. All the play was at the other end of the field, and there was some kamikaze defending that went unpunished. Alyssa Thompson continued to be a livewire on the left, and it was from one of her darting runs that Chelsea scored their third, Potter showing McKenna how it’s done with a beautiful shot into the top right-hand corner of Chloe Lincoln’s goal.

The appearance of superstar Tahlia Younis was later than it should have been. By now, this was damage limitation, and instead of just going for it and making it exciting, the All Stars stayed on the defensive and were shackled by their defensive duties. The final whistle was a relief, a number of fans around us having left already, and the players remained on halfway, chatting while the young fans with aspirations of meeting their heroes stood forlornly at the fence or were prised away by parents eager to get home. Lucy Bronze did the post-match interview for the stadium, Katie McCabe was interviewed for Paramount, and there was good interaction between Ellie Carpenter and the ball crew, signing footballs and posing for photographs.

  • All the action at the other end
  • McCabe the star everyone wanted to see
  • Ellie was popular
  • Customary Football Australia photo
  • Reminder that this is AFL territory

We left the stragglers to it, the ground staff were busy removing the white lines to flush all trace of soccer at their football stadium, and headed back to Watsons at the Entertainment Quarter, which was closing already. A quick birthday drink for Matildas Active stalwart and Chelsea nut Nawal and we were on the road, Michelle having driven from work, making for a quick run back to the north western suburbs of Sydney via Leichhardt, landing home well after 11pm.

Were we entertained tonight? Yes. Lauren James was a joy to watch and the A-League’s Makala Woods caught the eye. We saw goals. We saw chances created. We saw slick possession football and simple triangles to slice open the All-Stars’ defence, and we saw the gulf in class between the best of the A-League and the best of the WSL. Despite long passages where it was all Chelsea and play was camped up the far end in the second half, despite the negativity of the All-Stars, staying in their shell when the game was already dead and buried, and despite the low-key atmosphere, this was a welcome addition to the football calendar and we hope it continues.

See you at the next game, wherever that may be…