Defence sorted, working on the rest

Sydney FC 0 Perth Glory 0

For the third straight game of Patrick Kisnorbo’s tenure, Sydney FC shut out their opposition, but again couldn’t find a way through to get the all-important winner to cement the top-three finish. Captain Rhyan Grant was deemed fortunate not to receive a red card for a rash challenge as the first half wound down, that moment igniting a game that didn’t seem to be going anywhere. The second half was fun, there were opportunities for both teams, but the application was woeful and the crowd left Allianz Stadium still convinced that Sydney FC’s position in the A-League ladder is totally false. The highlight of the evening was Jaiden Kucharski’s warm reception and the hugs he received from his former teammates, a lovely way to spread warmth as winter starts to kick in.

  • Defacing your own car park, minus three points.
  • Box Office Sky Blues
  • The DJ playing to no one
  • Aren’t the Bunnies here too now
  • The call-up that no one wanted
  • Still selling tickets last minute

This time of year is tricky when it comes to getting to games on time, and with the West Ryde Rovers Over 45 division 5 game ending just before five and having to swing back to Sydney Royals HQ for my queen, we didn’t set off until after 6pm. Any pregame plans were already out of the window, so we took the road of least resistance to the Entertainment Quarter car park, the lack of cars in the official stadium grass car park telling us that we might not get a big crowd tonight. We were in the stadium quite early, around 7pm; that’s early for us, but the stadium precinct was busy and the concourse was filled with people once we scanned through the gate. Taking our seats, there was an interview happening in the stands, as usual the muffled PA system not allowing us to understand anything that was being said.

  • A lap of honour with no context
  • Busy field for warm-ups
  • Get your sports socks, three pairs for a fiver
  • Flag-bearers left waiting
  • Mood lighting gets us excited

The flag bearers were in place, the guard of honour was ready, the lights dimmed, it was already five minutes past kick off time and it was getting a little chilly now after a beautiful autumnal day in Sydney. We were caught out by the starting line-ups, expecting the starting eleven to be read out first, so the announcement of Gus Hoefsloot in goal, Joel King starting, Akol Akon in there, we were a little confused. It was only when the announcer moved onto the starting line-up that we realised that they’d done it backwards, something of an April’s Fool; it had us perplexed for a moment at least. The emergence of the players from the tunnel was different. There was no drowning music. The Cove led us with We Are Sydney. This was what proper football atmosphere was all about. A young boy with a police officer did the toin coss, with no context to tell us what it was all about, and a quick google search found that it was a survivor of the Bondi shooting who was being treated to a night at the football, a lovely touch. They got the toss right, Sydney shooting away from the Cove in the first half, hoping to come home strong in the second half.

  • Action at the wrong end
  • Extra pumped up for this one
  • Sydney aggro

The opening moves of the first half saw a back-heel from Nicholas Pennington wrong-foot three Sydney defenders as Perth came looking for weaknesses. The surface seemed slippery, and indeed was a little chopped up in the corner of the field; there was a lot more interest than usual from the media, the bank of photographers much bigger than we’d usually see. The Cove was bouncing, our fearless capo high on life and our drummer extraordinaire giving the quickest SFC drumroll ever – there was almost smoke coming from the drum. We were encouraged to see Wataru Kamijo starting again, and there was no sign of Victor Campuzano, Piero Quispe making another start. Quispe gave us a trick that left his opponent on the floor, his skill is undeniable, his decision-making not so. Al Hassan Toure raced through up the other end but seemed to take an age to fire in the shot which was pushed away by Sam Sutton. Alex Popovic put the ball over the bar from close range from the corner, and all of a sudden, Sydney looked like they were going to over run their lowly visitors.

But it wasn’t to be, and we held our breath every time Kucharski got the ball. His free kick from a long way out was way over, but he was mightily close just before half time with a searing shot that whistled past the post. It would be poetic if he scored tonight, and no one would begrudge him. A moment of madness looked to have changed the game as half-time approached, a stray ball leaving Rhyan Grant no option but to commit to the tackle. He did so with the crunch of a captain, but his raised feet didn’t look good on the replay after an all-in ensued, the local referee standing back to admire the melee before consulting with his assistant and issuing a pair of yellow cards. We feared the worst on seeing the replay, the feet were over the ball, but VAR didn’t see it as reckless and we escaped the red card. Goalless at half-time, and time for a walk around Allianz Stadium to see who was in the away end, and to grab something to eat, a dinner of champions of sushi and hot chips to go with my bottle of water. The queue at the club shop was baffling, kick off looming for the second half and a long line of people trying to get in to take advantage of the end of season sell-off.

  • A shirt that represents poor decisions
  • Would rather queue than watch the game

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had two goes at scoring as the second half started with a bang, Quispe eventually firing over in front of the Cove, looking disgusted with himself. Toure was doing his usual waving of his arms every time he didn’t get the pass, like a spoilt kid who strops when things don’t go his way. Paul Okon Engstler was flattened but got up to test Sutton with a long range effort. The introduction of Adam Taggart spelled danger for Sydney, and when he was involved in a move up the far end, the ball squirmed out to Charbel Shamoon, he had to score but fluffed his lines and the ball was hit straight at Harrison Devenish-Meares. What a let off!

When Toure was eventually substituted, he was asked to go off on the far side, but ignored the referee, trotting past him to head straight to the bench. If he could have taken the ball with him, he would have. Popovic played an absolutely shocking ball out from the back and even Okon Jr was guilty of playing some careless passes, one in particular allowing a shot from the edge of the area that sailed over when it could have been a killer blow. The watching Socceroos coach in the stands might have already gone by now. The introduction of Tiago Quintal and Akol Akon had no effect whatsoever, Perth slowing the game down at the right time and frustrating the suffering fans. Quintal did look lively though and seemed to be the one player who could prise open the Perth defence, Akon wasn’t interested in taking on his player at all and kept heading back to Grant, although he did run all the way across the field looking for a shooting opportunity at one point, unable to find the space he needed. Playing out from the back was perilous for Sydney, and the attack was missing the final pass altogether. It was a little bit Corica, a little bit Talay, the pendulum from left to right and back again fools no one. Quintal cracked in a shot with time running out, but Sydney frustrated their fans to the nth degree, playing keep ball and running out of time to get a killer cross in for one last chance. There were boos at the end. Not surprising, but in reality this had been poor from both teams, good chances wasted by Perth and just a lack of cutting edge as always from the Sky Blues.

  • Game over
  • A big hug for Jaiden
  • Who are these people?

Kucharski got the chant when he came to the Cove to applaud the fans. His embrace with HDM was heart-warming, the best moment of the night. The fans drifted away, not taking anything of note from the game whatsoever, and looking down at the fans on the fence as we left, it was difficult to see why they were waiting. The Sydney players had all gone, the Perth players all still chatting with their twenty or thirty fans at the far end, and there were just a load of randoms on the field. Time to go.

The car park at the entertainment quarter does take a bit of time to get moving, despite parking next to the ramp, but we were out of there and on the road back to the North West suburbs of our beautiful city before long, landing back around 11pm but too tired to take any more disappointment from the English Premier League. This had been an enjoyable night to cap off another football-filled day, despite the goalless game. There was plenty of incident, a card that may have been the wrong colour, love for a former player and it’s hard not to have a soft spot for Perth Glory and their maverick coach. We move on now, a vital Anzac Day fixture with former premiers Auckland FC, who have gone completely off the boil and a three-goal win could see us snatch an unlikely second spot. Or, we could end up in sixth. Anything can happen! You’d better be there just in case!

A-League tipping Round 25 : Please let the fun continue

For a league that has been so close all season, by the end of round 25 everything could be decided – Newcastle Jets the premiers, the top six all done and the Wanderers stirring their cauldron with the wooden spoon. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that; without the Australia Cup play-offs as a disincentive for the bottom four teams, there is very little to make the final round exciting for the also-rans.

Thankfully this is the A-League, the most unpredictable, unforgiving, daft football league in the world, and all manner of weird and unexpected results can happen. Macarthur FC for the championship? Perth Glory to finish last? Sydney FC to end up in sixth? It looks so unlikely, but any one of those is still mathematically possible.

Thanks for continuing to visit The Roar’s A-League tips and predictions at its temporary home. Make a big fuss! Share this on your socials, enter your selections in the Google sheet below and help the Crowd stay ahead of the dunces who pass themselves off as experts.

Paulo Retre of Wellington Phoenix in that lovely training top Photo : Texi Smith

Stuart Thomas

Victory, Wellington, City, Sydney, Auckland, Adelaide

Things will tighten at the top when the Vuck beat the Jets on Friday and Auckland beat Central Coast on Sunday. It is going to be a cracking final week of action should Round 25 play out as many are predicting.

The Phoenix are good for all three points against a disgraceful Wanderers that have, like many of the so-called fans that started with the club all those years ago, given up the ghost. Melbourne City with a win on the road against an unconvincing Roar.

Sydney will put six on Perth in the harbour city and remain in third place. The final match of the round sees the Reds on a home deck against Macarthur, who seem to play and not play well, whenever the opposite is expected. The home crowd cheers after 90.

Stefan Colakovski of Perth Glory – is the spoon still in sight? Photo : Texi Smith

Andrew Prentice

Draw, Wellington, City, Sydney FC, Auckland, Adelaide

Newcastle hang on to top spot by their fingernails and face a daunting test on Friday night in Melbourne. Victory looked the most likely to disrupt the top a couple of weeks ago but this A League season doesn’t run on normal, linear lines. A lack of Juan Mata has dented the home side’s creativity but they still have danger men like Vellupillay and Jelacic to torment the Jets out wide. Of course, the leaders have plenty of firepower to respond with and I fancy a score draw to open the round.

Wellington will take advantage of a Wanderers side in next-season-prep mode. Western Sydney’s only motivation now is to avoid a wooden spoon and play for 2027 contracts. They were in the derby last week for the most part but their season-long Achilles heel of a lack of goals held them back again. Wellington have been hard to break down these last few rounds and a clean sheet win looks a good call for the hosts.

City have mustered a late-season defence of their title, and a third-placed finish is still not beyond them. They visit a Roar side who dragged a point out of the fire last week but still can’t seem to put together a cohesive 90 minutes – something they were doing so well in the early rounds. City are looking clinical and while the Roar have the ability to play spoilers, their season ambitions are done and I see City doing enough to win this.

Sydney will be hoping for another Central Coast miracle on Sunday in New Zealand to set up a mouth-watering last round match against Auckland. But first, they need to do the business on Saturday night against the unpredictable Glory. The Sky Blues defence has looked more resolute under interim coach Patrick Kisnorbo and that should be the platform that ensures they put the pressure on Auckland the next day, giving the Glory only the in-flight entertainment on the flight home to look forward to.

If the aforementioned result happens, Steve Corica’s Black Knights will feel the hot craft-beer-smelling breath of Corica’s old team on their necks as they face the Mariners. Conversely, if Sydney slip up, Corica still won’t have the luxury of resting players because Adelaide will also be Mariners fans for 2 hours and ready to pounce. The pressure is on Auckland from all sides but they may just have struck the Mariners at a good time. The little club that could (and has) are all but out of the finals race and the air might have gone out of a dogged last stand. Like many of us around the country, the Mariners tanks may be empty. Auckland to win and stay in the race for top spot.

An Auckland win will dash Adelaide’s hopes of a top two finish but they will have too much on board to fall to the Bulls, who have flattered to deceive. By the time this match happens, Macarthur will probably know they are out of the finals race. They might relax and play expansive, free-flowing football, and the Strait of Hormuz might also become a Club Med destination.

Happier times at CommBank Stadium. Certainly not this season. Photo : Texi Smith

Texi Smith

Victory, Wanderers, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Adelaide

The penultimate round of the A-League season gets underway with a proper blockbuster, a Friday night at AAMI Park, where Newcastle Jets can almost snatch the premiership. They will have to do so against a dogged Melbourne Victory, who dented Auckland FC’s chances last week and seem to have what it takes without Juan Mata to pull the strings. The Jets got out of jail at home to Adelaide last week, thanks to a farcical VAR decision, but they have a depth in their squad that can turn games when the ball is not running their way. Nishan Velupillay’s World Cup hopes are done no harm with a superb performance to lead his team into a half-time lead, but when Clayton Taylor equalises on the hour, it’s all to play for. The Jets pour forward but are caught on the break late in the game when Reno Piscopo pops up at the far post to tap in with the visiting defence all up the other end. It’s going down to the wire!

The chances of Wellington Phoenix making the top six are next to nought, thanks to their disappointing loss in the six-pointer against Melbourne City last weekend. They have as much chance of making the finals as Western Sydney Wanderers have of avoiding the wooden spoon, the derby defeat last week a bitter pill to swallow after creating a host of chances. This the sort of game where the Wanderers pull a crazy result out of the bag; they did it earlier in the season in Campbelltown, and their talented bunch of individuals will finally gel and give the Phoenix a hammering. Hiroshi Ibusuki is back to his best, and Brandon Borrello looks like a fresh-faced newcomer as he torments the Wellington defence with his skill and pace. Three goals is barely enough reward for the battering they hand out; the Talay turnaround has started, next season is when it all comes together.

Brisbane Roar’s horrible run in 2026 has taken them to within one place of the basement, but a couple of draws will see them safe. Melbourne City just need to win one more and they’re in the finals; what an opportunity this is to make next week’s visit of Adelaide United immaterial. City are just purring in the first half here, expecting to score every time they venture forward, but this is the final home game of the season and the home team will be fired up. What a game for the neutral, as City lead 2-1 at the break, but Brisbane do love a draw and they level things up with Henry Hore’s equaliser. Just as the inevitable share of the points looks nailed on, hard-man German Ferreyra swipes away Hore’s legs and Jay O’Shea finishes the job from the spot for a surprise winner. All to play for in the final round!

Angry man Nathaniel Atkinson ready for finals football? Photo : Texi Smith

Somehow sneaking into the glamour Saturday night spot, it’s Perth Glory’s visit to Allianz Stadium to face Sydney FC. The new era is upon us after the Sky Blues weathered the storm to snatch the win in Parramatta last Saturday night, and Patrick Kisnorbo will remind us all that his Sydney team are unbeaten with two clean sheets in his tenure. Two workmanlike performances have steered the ship away from danger when the season looked rocky, and this will be no different, the grit of Wataru Kamijo continuing in midfield in front of a changed back four; the prospect of Jaiden Kucharski scoring against the club that treated him so poorly is not lost on the home fans, so when it comes true with a bullet from the edge of the area, there is applause all round. But Sydney dig deep, and have the scores level at half time through an Apostolos Stamatelopoulos header, and when the terrible twins Paddy Wood and Akol Akon are sent on with ten minutes to go, they cause mayhem, Tiago Quintal and Piero Quispe finishing the job to briefly close the gap on second spot.

Auckland FC have everything to play for; Central Coast Mariners have proven themselves reliable wreckers over the years, and they will be looking to avoid slipping any further down the table following a terrible run of results. The Port will be tearing their hair out watching the first half here, it’s more of the same from last week where they looked sluggish, and the Mariners toy with their insecurity, pressing for the ball constantly and drawing mistakes from the home defence. The half-time team talk from the manager-less home side changes everything and a rejuvenated Auckland go on to score three times in ten minutes midway through the second period, Jesse Randall back amongst the goals to keep the dream alive.

Such a poor performance from Macarthur FC last week in Perth, but having beaten both of the top two teams on the road this season, there’s no reason why they can’t beat Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Sunday afternoon. This Adelaide United team is still reeling from seeing a goal chalked off in Newcastle last week and denied a wonder goal by Anselmo by the tightest of margins; they were the better team then and they will be this afternoon as the Dads Army of the Bulls is caught in possession by the fizzing Adelaide midfield and made to pay for their static and uninteresting football. Mitch Duke is a constant threat but he has no support, and when Brody Burkitt is thrown on with twenty minutes remaining, his verve wins the game for the home side, scoring one and setting up the other for Luka Jovanovic as finals football becomes a reality in South Australia.

Look at the tipping scoreboard – what on earth is Smith thinking tipping Wanderers and Brisbane? The Crowd’s lead is surely unassailable, and with your help they should get across the line in first place :

Tip now, you crazy young fools. Click, click, click, click, click click and click and you’re done. What are you waiting for?

Please keep the comments coming. We can see how many people are visiting this article on a weekly basis and it is heart-warming that a lot of you are from The Roar. See you for the final round!

No love for Talay as Sydney show flare

Western Sydney Wanderers 0 Sydney FC 2

The perfect Sydney derby away day brought three precious points for Sydney FC as the decision to offload their misfiring coach was proven emphatically correct. Under heavy police presence, the Sydney Cove experienced a cohesion and a desire from their team that steered them into third place in the ladder, Al Hassan Toure and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos with a goal in each half. There was controversy, excitement, flare-ups on and off the field, and at the final whistle there was nothing but love between Sky Blue fans and players, even Patrick Kisnorbo feeling the love that never once was shown to his predecessor. It’s now confirmed; this city is ours.

  • This is not an advert
  • Finally catching up with the march
  • Our city, not yours
  • Ridiculously slow process
  • A man with infinite patience

Sydney derby day, coinciding with the opening day of the local club season, this was always going to be a busy one, but we managed to get away in good time and made the short journey on the Light Rail from Sydney Royals HQ in good time for the arrival of the Cove train into Parramatta Station. The false belief that we had time for a beer was laid bare when the march had already left by the time we’d downed a quick loosener in the Station Hotel, where fans of both teams were enjoying pre-match refreshment together in harmony. A swift walk along the traditional route of the march saw us eventually catch up, the flares and noise hitting us as we turned into O’Connell Street. The mood was joyous, this favourite day in the A-League calendar always bringing emotions to the boil; unfortunately the entry process to Gate H, the Cove gate, is needlessly slow, only one gate open and airport-style screening preventing us getting in to enjoy the pre-game atmosphere. Wrist-bands for everyone again. Another futile attempt to spoil the fun, and the police presence was unusually visible, especially at the back of the Cove.

We took up our spot after a long wait in the beer queue, standing in the undercover disabled area (there were no wheelchairs) but were told to get out by the bank of police, who then disappeared to deal with something elsewhere and a load of other fans took our place. Seemed like they were making it all up as they went along. The Cove was buzzing, spread across at least two bays, while the RBB at the far end looked more concentrated – it is possible that we had more fans in our end, unsurprising given the cack that the Wanderers fans have endured all season from their basement-dwelling team.

  • Sit down in front
  • A carousel I can get used to
  • We’ve got more fans than you
  • Lights out
  • Fireworks time
  • Add some fire
  • Smoky

The fireworks display that preceded the teams coming out was impressive – Wanderers were using up the last of their firework budget for the season, one that has had very little to celebrate. We Are Sydney rang around CommBank Stadium, the Sydney players were revved up for this one, pumping each other up in the lead-up to kick off, the teams kicking off in the right direction, aiming to finish the game strongly shooting towards their own fans. The action was immediate, Ben Garuccio could have shot when he raced into the area but decided to prod the ball through for Stamatelopoulos, and the star striker couldn’t stretch quickly enough to poke the ball into the empty net. Hopefully that wouldn’t be a key moment.

  • We Are Sydney
  • The Cove in full voice
  • European atmosphere comes to CommBank
  • Sorry, I can’t see.
  • Half-time lovers
  • Sprinklers sourced from RBB tears

Newly in-favour Wataru Kamijo, a quality player completely ignored this season, tried a blind pass that resulted in him bringing down his man. Chief stirrer Anthony Pantazopoulos lined up the free kick, but it was comfortable for Harrison Devenish-Meares in front of the travelling fans. This was exciting. Twenty minutes in, we had our goal, and it was remarkably simple once Wanderers’ Lachie Rose wannabe Jai Rose had given away the ball, Kamijo bursting forward and feeding Toure who seemed to be in way too much space in the area up the far end, and he took a touch and lashed the ball past Lawrence Thomas for a smashing finish. The Cove erupted as Toure jumped the advertising hoardings and goaded the RBB, the Sydney fans going berserk, a plume of red smoke rising from the away end as a flare was ripped in celebration.

The police were straight on the scene. A line formed on either side of the main bay and there was action all around from important-looking people on walkie-talkies; it eventually transpired that the drum and megaphone had been instantly confiscated by security as a direct result of the flare. This was the majority being punished for the minority, the atmosphere immediately changing, but the Cove refusing to be beaten. The chants continued, and they were mostly organic. It almost felt like the derby from a couple of years ago when the Cove boycotted. F*ck The Police went the chant. The sight of a Sydney fan weaving through the line of police officers with a tray of Stone and Woods was a juxtaposition akin to the flower power Vietnam war protests or the shopping bags of Tank Man on Tiananmen Square.

The Wanderers pressed, Pantazopoulos brought a save from HDM, Brandon Borrello smashed a shot off the top of the bar. I did something I never do – I headed to the bar with about five minutes to go of the first half, as play was held up briefly and was back moments later – they had opened up the full bar area and it was flowing smoothly. The first bit of common sense seen all evening. The game was getting spicy, Stama taken out en route to goal but the referee only brandishing a yellow. Half time gave us a moment to take a breather, Michelle reporting back that one of the Wanderers fans had been forced out to the same smoking area outside the stadium as the Sydney fans, which was a head-scratching situation.

  • The action heats up
  • What a finish! Let’s goooo.
  • Super Sydney FC
  • One ardent fan
  • Acknowledging greatness
  • Like a blood spill

The start of the second period was frantic; the home team wasted good situations, while Paul Okon-Engstler showed us his best Willa Pearson skills on the sideline to wow the crowd. Piero Quispe showed us a trick in the corner, nutmegging his man to delight from the Sydney end. Wanderers were building though, and when a cross from the left up the far end was headed on goal, HDM stretched but the ball pinged off the bar, the goalkeeper unable to get to his feet in time to thwart the incoming Bozhidar Kraev who finished it off. Being in an away end when the home team scores is frustrating, and the game was just about to kick off when the big screen began to be of interest – it looked as though Kraev had used his arm at some point, and sure enough, after the Sydney players started complaining, everyone seemed to go back for the goalkick even before the referee had commented on the situation. Rescued! Still 1-0.

Chief ratbag Pantazopoulos then flicked a header off the bar, but HDM didn’t seem that interested, getting his angles spot on. Wanderers threw on the big guns, Ryan Fraser, Hiroshi Ibusuki, and Kosta Barbarouses entering the field to boos from his former fans. Sydney mixed it up too – forgotten man Akol Akon on for what may have been his first appearance since his five-star showing in the previous Sydney derby, a freshly shorn Rhys Youlley and then Patrick Wood, the right sort of player to bring on in a bubbling cauldron. There was biff, a thundering challenge on the sideline near the benches taking out Garuccio and we had an all-in, Kisnorbo getting involved from the bench. Akon had a double-chance to settle the game, his first shot blocked on the rebound from Tiago Quintal’s initial effort and his second shot well saved in front of us. The ball crew were being super-efficient, trying the get the Wanderers back into the game, delivering the ball to Thomas even before the ball had gone out of play. We had two balls on the field for some time, the referee not interested.

The chants from the Cove were becoming more and more intense, although with no drum and no mega, it was difficult to keep the rhythm, and the chants were often too quick, and too difficult to maintain across the whole away end. The icing on the cake came towards the end, Quintal winning the ball in midfield and sliding through a pass for Stama to run on to, clipping the ball past Thomas for the clinching goal. The Cove went mental. Talay, Talay, what’s the score? This was such a good feeling, and watching Paddy Wood’s goalmouth tomfoolery had the crowd going even more. You’re f*cking shit, you’re f*cking shit, you’re f*cking shit! The final throes of the game were a party, the players knew the drill, stroking the ball around and keeping possession much to the annoyance of the home team and their unfortunate fans.

The final whistle saw the squad come over to salute the Cove. With no mega to share with the players, there was instead a rousing F*ck you Western Sydney scum, ole which the players loved, and when Talay is a tw*t was unearthed, Joel King looked particularly keen to join in. Kisnorbo was given a chant, how different the feel of the Sydney FC squad is right now, and the away bay started to empty.

  • Club Parramatta is ours
  • Church Street is ours
  • Paramatta Square is ours
  • All your statues are ours

Spilling out of the back exit, we were tempted to walk along Victoria Road to the light rail, but our instinct told us to take the offer of the police escort back along O’Connell Street and through to the station on Argyle Street. There seemed to be more police than people, there were some brave souls goading the Sydney FC fans, and almost a flashpoint at the corner of Church Street when some local rapscallions decided to provoke the Sydney fans from the safety of behind the line of police. We left the Cove at the station as they were guided through the unsuspecting crowds to their platform, and we ambled through Parramatta Square to the Light Rail and through to our suburban home in time for the final 20 minutes of Arsenal’s demise in the Premier League.

What a win, what a day, this was one of those occasions that restores your faith after a run of mediocrity. It also highlighted that we’ve got it all backwards in Australia when it comes to policing at football games. A well-segregated away bay does not need police overlooking it, provoking reaction. Yes, the police presence to get the fans back and forth to the station is necessary, but there is an element of self-policing about away bays. And flares, what can I say? They were happily ripped during the march outside the stadium, there shouldn’t have been any way of getting a flare into the stadium (all of our bags were checked and our bodies scanned for metal – is there metal in a flare?) – and if there is a flare, is it really a big deal? I’m sure the A-League marketing team would love the extra ambience given by the smoke coming from the crowd, and we had a whole stadium full of smoke before the game with the extended fireworks display. I feel that a lot of police resources were completely wasted yesterday by playing the role of heavies in the away bay. And confiscating the drum and megaphone, come on. That’s tit-for-tat and tantamount to cutting off the nose to spite the face. Do we want full stadiums? Do we want a bouncing atmosphere? Yes. Then why remove that atmosphere when the first thing goes wrong?

Third place in the ladder, a new coach and a new direction in a full-blooded derby victory. Sydney FC, A-League champions 2026; now that has a nice ring to it.

A-League tipping Round 24 : Jets’ day of reckoning

Auckland FC couldn’t do it last week; can Newcastle dispatch Adelaide United and take a giant leap towards the Premiers’ plate? The simple formula is that we’re going to run out of games and the Jets will still be at the top of the ladder after round 26, providing they can match the results of the reigning premiers. What an opportunity for them this weekend, it’s in their hands, can they keep their grip on top spot?

Elsewhere, only Western Sydney Wanderers are guaranteed an early finish to the season and will be playing for pride in the Sydney derby at CommBank Stadium on Saturday night. The teams chasing a top-six finish are showing form at the right time, and those who have been clinging on to a finals berth will be looking over their shoulders and praying.

Will we see The Roar Sports back to life before the end of the season? The silence is deafening, and the value of the asset has diminished so much that there’ll be nothing worth fighting about soon. Can someone just swoop in and get this thing up and running again? Are there any sensible heads willing to shake hands and do the right thing? Tell us what’s happening!

In the meantime, please keep with us at our temporary home. Share the link on social media, take five seconds to enter your selections in the Google sheet and make sure The Crowd stays miles ahead of our so-called experts.

Listen to this noise, Cloughie. Boss is lready holding his nose Photo : Texi Smith

Stuart Thomas

Central Coast, Auckland, Newcastle, Western Sydney, City, Macarthur

Short and not-so-sweet this week. It looks like an easy week with the Mariners certain to topple to Roar on Friday night. Auckland still have eyes on the plate and should beat the Vuck on Saturday before the Jets claim it against the Reds in Newcastle a few hours later. 

Western Sydney will claim the Derby, Melbourne City are looking a little better and almost certain winners against the Phoenix on Sunday before the Bulls knock off the Glory to end the round on Sunday.

Mitch Duke aiming for North America Photo : Texi Smith

Andrew Prentice

Draw, Auckland, Newcastle, Sydney FC, Wellington, Perth

The APL, in their infinite wisdom, could have scheduled Mariners-Roar any time on the weekend but decided on Friday, ensuring that a) the Mariners get only two days rest, and b) the crowd will be way down given so many Mariners fans are commuters. Nice one, APL, top decision-making. The Mariners hung in but were ultimately off the pace against City on Tuesday. The Roar haven’t won since Methuselah was a rookie but know how to draw. That sounds like the right outcome.

Auckland declined an invitation from the Jets to draw within a point of top spot last week. Back at home in one of the games of the round against a Victory side who underestimated the new-found resilience of the other NZ team last week, the Black Knights need to arrest their scatological form and win. Francis De Vries is a big loss but they retain a formidable attacking firepower. Despite Victory’s assets, Auckland to win at home.

Even when the Jets lose, they entertain. They somehow conspired to lose to Macarthur and now face a fellow thrill-a-minute side in the Reds. It will be a giant step towards the Premiers Plate if they nab three points here. I’m wondering if Zach Clough is ready for a prominent role against his former club. There will be goals and thrills and a lot of Mark Milligan fist pumps when the Jets get up.

The Wanderers are the only club to be mathematically ruled out of finals contention in this crazy league. A shame, considering it’s derby night. But let’s be honest, the Wanderers are already on the beach, a mess of a season washing out with the high tide. They’ll raise their game against a similarly out-of-sorts Sky Blues with the bizarre storyline that their former coach will be the opponent’s next coach. Hard for either set of fans to wrap their heads around that. FC to win.

City have looked impressive since dropping out of the ACL. And for no other reason except there’s always an odd result in the A League, I’m backing Wellington to continue the most unlikely finals run since, well, Melbourne City or the Mariners. It’s the vibe…and City might be tired.

Speaking of vibes…Macarthur have gone from imposters to contenders in the last three weeks. But c’mon…they’re harder to pick than ripe mangoes in Tasmania. Perth are like the pottery scene in the movie Ghost – they appear to be well-formed and ready to rise to the occasion but become distracted (though not by Patrick Swayze) and collapse at inopportune times. If they can be more Demi and less Patrick this week, they’ll keep their faint finals hopes flickering. 

Must leave on a winning note, Lachie Rose is Dundee United-bound Photo : Texi Smith

Texi Smith

Central Coast, Auckland, Adelaide, Sydney, City, Macarthur

After storming back to claim a draw against Perth Glory on Saturday, the defeat in Melbourne was a fizzer for Central Coast Mariners, and their season now looks unsalvageable. Mathematically, Friday night’s visitors Brisbane Roar can also still make the finals, and without the threat of an Australia Cup play-off berth for the bottom four, there will be literally nothing to play for if they lose in Gosford tonight. Cue an unlikely A-League classic, James Sabit recalled and firing in an early opener for the home team. Justin Vidic equalises before half-time and Henry Hore has the Roar in the lead just after the break as the tiny crowd braces for another poor result. Up steps Ali Auglah with a sensational brace to turn the game back in the Mariners’ favour and keep the flame burning with two rounds to play.

Auckland FC are feeling the heat coming into the closing stages of the season; after watching Newcastle lose last Thursday night, they couldn’t get the win they needed to close the gap and instead picked up a hatful of yellow cards in a fiery draw in Adelaide. There are no margins left now, they must win, and with Juan Mata sitting this one out after surgery, this will be a tough assignment for Melbourne Victory. The pressure will start mounting after half-time has been and gone with no goals, the crowd at Mount Smart will be restless until Guillermo May thunders home the opening goal; the cork has been popped and Auckland put their evil foes to the sword in a devastating finish to the contest.

The Box Office Jets have their destiny in their hands. If there’s a team that’s going to spoil any party, it’s Adelaide United, and after they dented Auckland’s surge over Easter, there’s more work to be done at McDonald Jones Stadium in the early evening blockbuster. Newcastle’s wobble has coincided with Auckland’s but if they can negotiate this fixture in front of a bumper crowd at their warm and welcoming home, they can edge that bit closer to their dream. However, what we see this evening is a disjointed performance, the Reds proving to be more regimented and hard to break down, and when Ryan White wins a 50/50 challenge in midfield, the ball ricochets to Yaya Dukuly and his cool finish silences the raucous home fans in the ultimate smash-and-grab. Man of the match Joshua Gerardus Petrus Wilhelmus Smits picks up another yellow card but just cannot be beaten.

From Sydney FC cast-off to Premiership-winning captain? Photo : Texi Smith

The only losers out of Saturday night’s Sydney derby can be Sydney FC. They have so much to lose, whereas the beleaguered Western Sydney Wanderers can coast all the way to the wooden spoon without a care in the world. Ufuk Talay will be in the stands to watch his old and new clubs do battle, his future charges under the watchful eye of Gary Van Egmond with a few words ringing in his ear, and a rare full-house at CommBank Stadium (in the sokkah anyway) roars the Wanderers on in a one-sided first half. Alex Gersbach fires them into the lead, and Steven Ugarkovic hits the post as the home side threaten to run away with it, but the second half sees Patrick Kisnorbo make deft tweaks to the workmanlike team and the introduction of Piero Quispe is pivotal as he wins a penalty and then scores the second in front of the bank of visiting fans to give Sydney FC the shot in the arm that they need in their fight for finals football.

So, did Wellington Phoenix stay in Melbourne for the week? Following their late winner in their conquest of Victory, they return to AAMI Park for a match up with form team City. It is such a surprise to see the other sky blues rampaging back into finals contention, and with this one being a do-or-die clash for the visitors, there is a lot on the line; such a shame this fixture is tucked away on Sunday afternoon. This is a proper cup tie, Daniel Arzani revels in the space as Wellington push for the all-important goal, and for all of the hustling and bustling of Ifeanyi Eze and Corban Piper up front for the visitors, it’s a swift counter-attack from City that unlocks the door to the finals, Arzani’s instant cross-field ball into the path of Andrew Nabbout allowing a clear run on goal and a delightful chip to score the only goal of the game.

What a way to round off a key weekend of A-League football. Melbourne City will be thinking they’ve done about enough to secure their spot in the finals, but Macarthur FC are here to keep them guessing until the final day. Beating the top two teams in successive games has brought the Bulls back into the conversation, although a trip to Perth Glory is never an easy assignment. The Dad’s Army midfield of Macarthur purrs like a stealthy jaguar, and despite an early barrage of Perth attacks, the visitors look solid. Mitch Duke is left all alone to open the scoring just before half time, and Chris Ikonomidis gets reward for his endeavour with a diving header in the second half to seal the points. The A-League remains poised with two games left. Anything can happen. Do not look away.

Here’s what everyone tipped this round. It’s a mixed bag. The Crowd are playing the part of Arsenal FC very well. I’d love it… love it if we beat them :

Tip along here. Seven clicks and you’re done. Do it…

As always, keep your comments coming. It’s fun, pretending to be back at The Roar. We’re getting good numbers hitting the article every week, let’s enjoy the rest of the season!

Sydney goalless and spoonless

Central Coast Mariners 0 Sydney FC Women 0

Sydney FC women’s team rounded off an incredibly poor season with a priceless point that condemned reigning champions Central Coast Mariners to a sudden early season end, but more importantly prised the Girls In Blue off the foot of the A-League ladder to be replaced by cross-town rivals Western Sydney Wanderers as wooden spooners. The Sky Blues were patient and could have won the game as the contest opened up with the Mariners desperate for a goal, but the single point was enough and the Cove farewelled their heroes hailing a clean sheet but no goals. Saying goodbye to the players was poignant – this could be the last time we see a lot of these players in Sydney colours as the major overhaul gets underway – but we’ll all be back full of hope and expectation when next season rolls aound in six months’ time.

  • What a sight on arriving in Gosford
  • Street art Gossy style
  • The many faces of Gosford
  • Good old Mickey Mars
  • Might have to come back here
  • Do you come here often?
  • Laneways

A bit of rain, but thankfully no long-weekend traffic, and the short scoot up the M1 was incident-free, although on arrival in Gosford, the main council car park was shut, forcing us out into the backstreets of the town to jag a free spot. Hotel Gosford was quiet, but our table grew in numbers, and we left in good spirits for the stadium with 45 minutes in hand. We were stopped in our tracks by the queue at the main gate – somehow the gate opening time of 1.30pm had been amended without our knowledge and the barriers were still down. The rush for the gate when it finally opened saw us take up our position in the away bay with the team just finishing up their warm-ups.

  • Gates open half an hour before kick off!
  • Mad rush once we’re in
  • View from the away bay
  • The canon works
  • Jets fans have been here

The drum arrived with the banners and flags and we were all set up and ready to roar on our players in time for the two teams to enter from the tunnel. Some new players in the team, Tori Tumeeeeth, Amber Luchtmeeeeijer and Kristy Fenton were read out by the ground announcer, and the countdown took place as the players were switching ends, the person in charge clearly not watching what was going on. We Are Sydney rang around the under-populated stadium, Heather Hinz and Tori Tumeth leaving the ball for each other in the first minute giving us no confidence whatsoever.

  • Warm up over already
  • Getting reception for Paramount Plus
  • Here comes your man!
  • Swift banner erection
  • The magnificent away end
  • Who do we sing for…?
  • Last huddle of the season

Sydney were completely prised apart fifteen minutes in, a long ball over the top finding Eliza Familton, a familiar face from NPL youth games over the years, and she galloped away from Willa Pearson, slotting the ball past Hinz, but the ball struck the inside of the post when it looked a goal all ends up. Sydney had very little to offer coming forward and had to soak up a lot of pressure, but young Clare Corbett was a shining light in the middle of the park, being trusted by her teammates to create the space with some very intelligent play.

Amber Luchtmeijer had perhaps the best opportunity of the first half for Sydney, but couldn’t pull the trigger in time before being tackled, and she somehow eked a free kick from the referee after miscontrolling and hitting the deck. The free kick was dangerous from Mackenzie Hawkesby, but the Mariners broke with speed, four players streaming out of defence but they contrived to waste a glorious opportunity to score before getting anywhere near the goal, former Sydney player Millie Farrow with an overhit pass. Abby Lemon strode up the left to cross in front of the Cove, but her ball was to no one and the chance was gone. Sydney were somewhat fortunate to go in 0-0 at half time, and anything could happen in the second half.

  • What’s on at Central Coast Stadium
  • Hall of famers
  • Hall of famers
  • Marvellous view from the home end
  • Taking cover

The rain had more-or-less cleared up by now, the second period started much the same as the first, Tumeth turning into trouble in her own area and almost gifting a goal. She was soon up at the other end of the field after a lung-busting surge, sliding in to make a chance for Hawkesby and then firing on goal when the chance was blocked. The game was opening up nicely, the urgency of the home team matched by the determination of the visitors. Pearson was again found wanting for pace as she was skinned right in front of us, the cross hacked away by the scrambling Sydney defence.

Hinz did very well to palm away a cross from the right and gather the loose ball, but this was now a shoot-out and was very exciting to watch, knowing the context of what was needed. Jodi Ulkekl left the field to chants from the Cove, but she was too busy getting hugs on the bench. When Luchtmeijer found Riley Tanner with the prefect ball to put her away, there was some inexplicable hesitation by the flying winger and she failed to pull the trigger to at least get a shot on goal. Charlotte McLean screwed a shot a mile wide, the Mariners brought on Blake Hughes, her long throw put into effect, but the chance of the game fell to Sydney. Luchtmeijer’s shot from Tumeth’s ball inside was close, deflected for a corner, and from Tanner’s cross, Kirsty Fenton raced onto the header and thumped it goalwards, the goalkeeper touching the ball onto the bar and then swatting the rebound away before Fenton could finish the job. It was thrilling, Luchtmeijer had another shot blocked, the leggy Shay Hollman shot when she had a player free out wide, and we endured six minutes of added time, enough time for Maddie Caspers to try and catch out the goalkeeper, but the final whistle brought cheers from the Cove, the Mariners players dropping to their knees and the Sydney defence huddling in celebration at the completion of a marvellous clean sheet.

  • Only encouragement for the Mariners
  • Tori down yet again
  • Thanks for the memories
  • That’s all folks
  • Captain, my captain

What a finish! Whilst you do have to feel for the champions, knocked out of finals contention on the final day, this was all about Sydney FC. They rode their luck throughout the first half, but had enough chances in the second half to have won a very open game. The players eventually came over to salute the travelling fans, a lot of love shared and another goodbye for our American import Jodi Ulkekl. There were suggestions of other goodbyes too, most disappointingly Heather Hinz saying farewell with a tear in her eye. The rebuild starts now. Clare Corbett’s performance today was outstanding, Riley Tanner was again gritty with plenty of flair and if we do keep hold of some of the prodigious talent in this squad, some of them really do need to bulk up in order to compete with the bigger and more physical opponents that we have faced week in week out this season. Thank you to everyone involved in making this a season to remember, maybe not for the right reasons at times, and a big shout out to the Sydney Women’s Cove for providing the entertainment off the field.

There was a second game today. It was a thrilling 2-2 draw between the Mariners and Perth Glory in the A-League men’s, but most of the Sydney fans were long gone.

  • Some other team’s fans in our bay
  • That’s a picture
  • Much more entertainment
  • Gosford has spoken

A-League tipping Round 23 : Finals places going fast

It’s Newcastle Jets or Auckland FC for premiers, any team from Macarthur FC down to basement club Western Sydney Wanderers can claim the sixth and last finals spot, but we know it’s not as cut and dry as that in the world’s best football league. The trap door can open very quickly for Sydney FC under their new head coach and who knows what Wellington Phoenix are going to pull out of the hat next.

After a weekend of thrilling international football, we return to domestic action, with only five rounds remaining. You do the maths, you predict the scenarios, every team will earn between 0 and 15 points before the end of the regular season. Anything can happen.

If anyone knows the latest on the future of The Roar, please do share it with us. We’ll keep the A-League tips and predictions firing until the Grand Final, and who knows we could be back home for next season. Stay connected, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed.

Please don’t be shy. Share your tips, enter your selections in the Google sheet and let’s make sure that The Crowd stays well ahead of the chasing pack.

A-League fans united at Allianz Stadium for Unite Round Photo : Texi Smith

Stuart Thomas

Macarthur, Brisbane, Adelaide, Central Coast, City, Victory, City

They continue to be the dark horse of the league and the Bulls pinch all three points at home against a disappointing Newcastle. Things will tighten up in the race for the plate as a result. Brisbane will beat Sydney after a nice rest and the drama that has unfolded in the harbour city.

The Reds in front of a sell out crowd are good things and Auckland might stumble on Friday night. The Mariners won’t do the same and should beat a Perth side that has missed what could have been a great opportunity in season 2025/26.

City far too good for the McWanderers who remain nothing more than a happy meal of a club that represents nothing and Victory will round out the six matches with a nice win over the Phoenix. A dark blue team looms as title winners based on history.

One extra game tacked onto the end of the round, and we have a few hundred fans at AAMI Park for City’s impressive win over the Mariners with a Daniel Arzani bicycle kick from outside the area going viral around the world.

Jing Reec at Central Coast Mariners Photo : Texi Smith

Andrew Prentice

Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide, Central Coast, Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, Draw

The Jets air show keeps soaring. They can take a big step towards the Premiers Plate with a win at Campbelltown on Thursday night. Macarthur did them a favour last round by beating Auckland in the kind of result that would’ve had men in white lab coats rushing the stables if it was a horse race. Clayton Taylor’s availability will be a factor for the Jets, although they managed to beat Sydney without him. The Bulls win last start may look more of an aberration after this game.

The Roar haven’t won since Round 13. Sydney look a shambles but may benefit from the dead cat bounce of a new coach (though how long he’ll hang around is a subject bookmakers won’t give you odds on – just don’t gamble!) Given the respective form guides of both sides, I’m sure both would be happy to come to a gentleman’s agreement on this one. That said, a Sydney win would see them go to third and with more to play for that should tip the scales in their favour.

What on earth happened to Auckland last start? Looking to shore up (at the least) a top two spot and an advantage run in the finals, they fell asleep against the Bulls and got gored. Adelaide are enjoying a run of form that sees them unbeaten in 7 matches and they know how to score a goal. Even without Lord Craig, they are making life miserable for opposition defences. This will be a cracker of a game with the Reds home ground advantage giving them the edge.

The Mariners amazing run ended at the hands of a rampant Victory. They tumbled out of the top six as a result but have the chance to haul themselves back onto the horse as the Glory put the chocolate eggs aside for an Easter trip to Gosford. In truth, the Mariners 4-1 loss to Victory looked worse on paper, conceding injury time goals blew the score out when they were still hanging in there through the 90. Glory could still harbour theoretical finals ambitions but will more likely provide nuisance value. A 1-0 Mariners win looms.

Since being freed of the shackles of the Asian Champions League, City have – if not recaptured champions form in the league – then at least looked a facsimile of a team that cares again. Their finals chances really rest on the next two games and they should have enough at both ends to dent the Wanderers, who this week lovingly opened their arms to a former mortal enemy as next year’s coach. It seems like Western Sydney are right in 2026-27 preparation mode. City to win, but not with any style.

The Melbourne “style” is being left to Victory, who last lost in Round 15 and who have scored 8 goals in their last two games. The Phoenix are much-improved of late, and in this crazily tight A League season could jump into the semi final spots with a win here. They’ll have to find a way to deal with Juan Mata though, and no-one yet has figured out how to do that (well, apart from the Wanderers last season). 

A Tuesday night deferred game will see two tired teams full of Easter chocolate trying to hang onto top six places. It may not make for a classic but there will be enough grit and endeavour on display to cancel each other out. While neither side benefits greatly from a draw, when the final whistle blows, they may just accept it in the same way we all now stare glassily at petrol prices and think, “Can it get worse?”

Who do we sing for? We sing for Ufuk! Photo : Texi Smith

Texi Smith

Newcastle, Brisbane, Auckland, Draw, City, Victory, City

Four defeats on the bounce followed by an away win at the premiers – only in the A-League – and Macarthur FC were good value for their win in Auckland. The Jets consolidated top spot with a smash-and-grab to end Ufuk Talay’s tenure as Sydney coach and will have the backing of a good number of fans at Campbelltown Stadium on Thursday night. In recent seasons this would be a home banker, but now that the Jets have shown their cards, Will Dobson will have them in the lead early, Kota Mizunuma adding a second late in the game after the Bulls have pushed them all the way. Crack open the champagne, our new Premiers are on the march.

Sydney FC fans’ Tour of Duty heads to Suncorp Stadium for a Thursday night showdown against the embattled Brisbane Roar. The vibe manager’s undoubted vibeyness has not yet rubbed off on the home team, and with a new (interim) man at the helm for the Sky Blues, we get the first chance to experience the regimented PK era. Wholesale changes to the team that threw a point away against the Jets, Sydney FC are a new-look, well-drilled outfit, but when Corey Hollman i dismissed only four minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute, it’s the home team who take the spoils thanks to a marvellous Jay O’Shea half-volley straight out of Alessandro Diamanti’s top drawer.

Good Friday under lights at a packed-out Coopers Stadium. Public Holiday, nothing else to prevent Adelaide United fans from attending, the A-League draws a full-house for the visit of reigning premiers Auckland FC. Adelaide have put together a strong run of results of late, and have goals in their attack, but Auckland have Jesse Randall, and it ends up being a shoot-out between him and Luka Jovanovic, both players with a brace, but Lachlan Brook’s late screamer gives the Kiwis a vital win in their premiership defence.

The evergreen Stefan Colakovski Photo : Texi Smith

Perth Glory’s season has lurched from one bad result to another in recent weeks, but their spirited draw with Melbourne City may have stopped the rot. A rare start for Jaiden Kucharski is rewarded with an early opener in Gosford, and when Scott Wootton rises to plant in a second, the sparse home crowd is left wondering why they gave up their time on a long weekend to follow this shit. James Sabit has a swift reply after coming on as a second-half sub, and that man Ali Auglah chips in a dramatic equaliser to give them a share of the spoils and keep the finals conversation going.

Western Sydney Wanderers’ interim coach Gary Van Egmond now knows his place in the club’ plans and these final weeks of the season will be like the last days of school back in year six; almost checked out, apprehensive about the new year ahead and determined to have a good time with what time remains. The visit to Melbourne City could be another one of those A-League aberrations, but the Wanderers are bottom of the pile for a reason, keeping City at bay until just before half time when Marcus Younis opens the scoring. It’s one way traffic in the second half and Andrew Nabbout fills his boots, City finding form just at the right time.

Wellington’s mini-renaissance comes to a shuddering halt at Melbourne Victory on Easter Sunday, Clarismario Santos and Nishan Velupillay on the scoresheet early in the game. Phoenix look troubled, and a shadow of the team that won well at Brisbane last round. Nikos Vergos is thrown on to try and put the game to bed and he certainly does that, a quick-fire double setting up a thumping Victory win to keep them in the hot seat for finals football.

The game that no one wanted this round is hidden away on Tuesday night, when everyone is back to work or on their extended holiday. Both Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners are vying for sixth spot in the ladder, but with Sydney FC totally out of form, they could be aiming even higher. A thumping header from Max Caputo gives City the lead in the second half after sustained pressure and Daniel Arzani reminds us of his credentials with a devastating second goal near the end. The race for the finals is hot; keep your eye on City as a dark horse for the Championship.

See what everyone tipped this round, the shock at Texi choosing a draw, and marvel at the Crowd’s lead at the top :

Get your tips in below. Five seconds it’ll take you, and you’ll help The Crowd stay a whole round ahead of the tipsters.

Drop us a comment below, keep the last remnant of The Roar’s football page breathing and enjoy the Easter weekend.

Cavalry rescues Socceroos in second-half blitz

Australia 5 Curacao 1

We had been thoroughly entertained by Cameroon and China in the early evening fixture of this FIFA Series double-header; now it was time for the main event. The Socceroos looked supremely confident in their warm-up, Martin Boyle, Riley McGree and Cam Burgess knocking the ball to each other with various levels of spin and deceit, trying to catch each other out, making light of every ball they received. Meanwhile, the Curacao team warmed up a little gingerly, as if overawed by the occasion. AAMI Park was at half capacity, the North Terrace almost full, with swathes of empty seats elsewhere in the stadium, another disappointing farewell crowd for the Socceroos. F*ck Off Sydney FC chanted the Melbourne-centric fans in the active area, proving that club does come over country in some parts of Australia, and proving that Melbourne Victory fans really are a special bunch. The well-worn pre-game routine, scaled back from the AFC Women’s Cup, had the fans captivated, the watermelon away strip getting its first airing for the home team, while Curacao continued in their Real Madrid uniform that wasn’t exactly their lucky shirt last week against China.

  • Best seats in the house
  • Curacao warm up
  • Socceroos warm up
  • The famous CommBank archway
  • Legands and their caps
  • Young an old receive their caps

This was a slow-burner; the action took a little time to heat up, the Socceroos venturing forward but unable to find a way through into the penalty area. Curacao’s first meaningful attack saw former Manchester United prodigy Tahith Chong cut in from the right and shoot, Maty Ryan got down well to push away the effort and when it looked as though Brandley Kuwas would pounce, the flag went up to curtail his efforts. Deni Juric looked a little off the pace, reacting slowly while his marker anticipated, and Curacao were giving away the ball too often, the Australian defence, with young Lucas Herrington maintaining his spot, purring like a Rolls Royce. With twenty minutes on the clock already, the seagulls circling in the sky, and with Ryan delaying the long punts forward, the entertainment was remarkably low. This was a million miles from the thrills and spills of Cameroon v China. And then, just like that, without warning, the Socceroos scored. It was an innocuous moment on the right where Curacao coughed up possession, a low ball played in by Kai Trewin to Juric, who may or may not have got a meaningful touch and the ball rolled through for Awer Mabil to poke home for the opening goal.

Ajdin Hristic was in the clear soon after, racing on to a hopeful long ball, but with cries of shoot in his ears, he tried the spectacular and got it all wrong. The spark though hadn’t ignited the fire and the Socceroos reverted to where they had started the game. Juric showed superb feet to spin away from trouble, Aiden O’Neill undoing all the good work with a wayward pass out to Mabil on the right, and Curacao enjoyed a lot of possession, however meaningless. A glorious ball up the left by captain Leandro Bacuna sent Jeremy Antonisse around the back and his shot was well saved by Ryan at the expense of a corner. This could be the Achilles heel, but the delivery was poor and the Socceroos were able to clear. Mabil won a corner on the left and took his own set piece, curling in a cross that caused consternation in the Curacao defence, but again with no end-product. Juric could have done better when he intercepted a loose pass across the back, and Chong may have done better with a cross-shot that sailed over Ryan’s cross bar. This was low-quality entertainment, five minutes out from half-time and with the crowd barely enthused. Juninho Bacuna was in the wars as he was on Friday but at least he didn’t get the physio team involved.

  • Fireworks
  • Eagerly anticipating
  • North Terrace
  • Here come the players
  • Bang, crash!
  • Anthems

The Socceroos pressed, Awer Mabil getting on the end of Hrustic’s cross from the left but his thumping volley came off the outside of the post. Hrustic wasn’t moving well and eventually made his way to the bench, Nishan Velupillay being told to put his bib back on, the home team playing with ten for the two minutes of added time. This was peculiar to see, Curacao almost catching out the undermanned Socceroos with a clever free kick that left a man spare at the far post, but the cross was just too high. English Premier League referee Andy Madley blew the whistle for half-time and a comfortable half for the Socceroos was brought to a close, with hopes of a second half improvement as we saw against Cameroon on Friday.

Another reenactment of the big moments from the unforgettable 2005 Uruguay game brought smiles to the crowd during the break, the presentation of caps to an eclectic range of national team players was well received, and the half-time mini-roos made way for the remaining squad members of each country, Paul Okon-Engstler already stripped and ready for action alongside Velupillay. The Aussies were ready to go on the attack in the second half. It was in fact a trio of substitutions, Jason Geria also on, and instead it was Curacao who went on the offensive, Ryan plucking a cross out of the sky before the bustling Gervane Kastaneer could get airborne to challenge. The North Terrace was bouncing again to the same anti-Sydney FC chant, as goalkeeper Ryan found something on the field at the other end, keeping his eye on the game as he dropped it behind the goal. All of a sudden it was 1-1, and Kastaneer played a big part in it, flicking on a ball that found Rowles flat-footed and Arjany Martha out-paced his man to slot the ball underneath Ryan for a smart equaliser. Boos rang around AAMI Park, and even a belated VAR check couldn’t find anything wrong with the goal.

  • Australian Active
  • Wait for me…
  • Scrum down
  • Mabil scores the opener
  • Socceroos receive their caps
  • Half time

Kastaneer was too quick for Rowles again, winning a free-kick which was cleared unconvincingly and when Rowles took too long to clear, the ball spun in the air, just not falling for Leandro Bacuna for the spectacular finish. Juric was wasteful, and there was unease as Curacao started to boss the game in midfield. A quadruple substitution by Tony Popovic followed a double change by the all-whites as Australia looked to wrestle back the contest, the sight of Nestory Irankunda and Jordy Bos very welcome in an increasingly anxious stadium. Mabil’s wayward shot when well-placed was poor but when Behich was upended on the left with his final contribution, Irankunda and McGree fashioned the cross and Alessandro Circati steamed in to power home a header for 2-1. As instant impacts go, this was indeed instantaneous. Trewin crossed straight onto the head of Irankunda moments later but his header just cleared the crossbar. This was more like it. We had the makings of a performance on our hands.

Jordy Bos got to the byline on the left to drill in a low ball for McGree, but his airswing left him on the ground, but we didn’t have to wait long for the next goal, Bos trying to find space for a shot as the defence opened up, and when he hit traffic, he swivelled and unleashed a stunning right-foot strike that curled around Eloy Room and in off the post for a stunning third goal. The game had completely changed complexion, we were wondering just how many now instead of wondering whether the game would disappear from Australia’s grasp altogether. Curacao still had a hand in the game, Martha with a lovely cross from the right that was well cleared by Jason Geria, and fifteen minutes still remained of normal time as Leandro Bacuna powered in a header that Ryan saved well. Cue a fourth goal, created by Jordy Bos and squeezed in by Irankunda after the most delicate footwork took him waltzing around the last defender. The shot was straight at Room, but squirmed underneath him and trickled into the net, that being the last input of the Curacao goalkeeper before being replaced as Irankunda produced a white sequined glove and showed the crowd his Michael Jackson moves to go wt the impressive back-flip.

  • Not in the script
  • Another Irankunda goal
  • The end is here
  • Up the Socceroos
  • There’s that banner again

The Socceroos were unrelenting, Irankunda spraying the ball around effortlessly, and when Velupillay squeezed a ball through the backline, Irankunda got his shot away, finding the gap between replacement goalkeeper Tyrick Bodak’s legs for 5-1. Irankunda fell awkwardly to give us a break with five minutes remaining, but he was back on moments later to huge applause. Sontje Hansen bent a free kick just over the bar to remind the Socceroos where they had been only 25 minutes earlier, and incredibly the 16,764 crowd was denied any additional time by the EPL referee team, the stadium bursting into Men at Work as the players gathered in the centre of the park to shake hands. A trophy plinth was brought onto the field, along wih a table and banners, this was going to be a proper presentation; the referees and all the players remained on the field with all of the team officials. They would need to be quick though as the crowd was filtering away into the night, the Socceroos disappearing behind the goal for a photo opportunity with their adoring fans before returning for the formalities. Irankunda was named as player of the tournament, despite only a cameo tonight, Curacao received participation medals, there were photos behind a banner for the losing team before the Socceroos were invited to collect their spoils and embarrassingly lifting the trophy to the very thin crowd left inside the stadium.

  • Fans and players celebrate
  • Awaiting the presentation
  • Hardly appropriate after losing 5-1
  • Mat Ryan tentatively lifts the trophy
  • Popa in good spirits
  • Fred answering the difficult questions

Coach Tony Popovic lauded the win based upon the foundations laid in the first half, but acknowledged that the Socceroos had conceded a soft goal and were sloppy for five minutes following the equaliser. His opposite numbr Fred Rutten, answering questions in English and in Dutch, was disappointed to concede four goals in eleven minutes; it had been a long week, a lot of travel and with three absent players plying their trade in Holland’s top tier, they did have decisions to make ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Melbourne’s farewell to the Socceroos will be remembered for the game-changing Nestory Irankuda and Jordy Bos; for those with a little more skin in the game, it may be remembered for the way Australia struggled through 60 uninspiring minutes but still ended up with a handsome victory. Is this tournament form? Are we getting results despite of the performance? It’s all pointing to a very positive World Cup campaign, where our country could have a new set of heroes when they return from North America. Ten weeks and counting, see you there.

  • AAMI Park at night
  • Lovely looking stadium
  • Ah ha, late night drinks
  • Pre-game pub
  • Not even a Sky Blues fan
  • The watermelon shirt colours at 6:30am in the air

Double-quick Cameroon down China

Cameroon 2 China 0

A beautiful sunny day in Melbourne, there was no suggestion in the CBD that there was a football game happening this afternoon, a handful of red-shirted China fans making their way inconspicuously through the crowds at Flinders Station en route for AAMI Park. Outside the stadium, the gates were locked until after the players disappeared down the tunnel for their final team talks, the China fans making the noise with their drum while waving their red flags. The sea of green seats, hands covering faces on the eastern side to shield from the fierce sun, was comparable to Accor Stadium on Friday when the blue seats were pierced by the odd soul, but this time the China fans in the corner were more visible and the two burly Cameroonians singing the French remix national anthem had the floor to themselves. The teams swapped ends, some advantage having been noted by one of the team captains, perhaps a stiff breeze playing its part.

  • The active ssupporter’s favourite airline
  • Proof that this was in Melbourne
  • The gold balls of AAMI Park
  • F*ck you Melbourne Victory ole
  • We might be seing this later
  • Set up done

As coach David Pagou had ineloquently suggested in his post-match press-conference on Friday, Cameroon had a completely different starting line-up and there was indeed no cross-over of personnel from the first game of this FIFA International Series. Both teams in their change strips, Cameroon all white and China all yellow with indecipherable numbers, it was the African team who started brightly, Angel Yondjo cutting to the byline to centre but goalkeeper Junling Yan cut the cross out. Cameroon were in a giving mood at the back, offering the ball to their opposition early in the game, but they scored soon after, Karl Etta Eyong racing onto a slide-rule pass, perhaps not meant for him, to touch the ball past Yan for 1-0. Incredibly it was 2-0 before we knew it, Cameroon winning a corner that they had no right to win, and as China dozed at the corner kick, a chance at the near post was sliced across goal to Saidou Alioum at the far post who was completely unmarked to rifle home a second goal. Eight minutes played, the China fans growing in number and bringing their voices, the stadium was stunned.

Yudong Wang was taken down in a heavy challenge by Stephane Keller, the free-kick in a dangerous position, but Wang’s free-kick was hit straight out of play to groans from the China fans at the other end. China were wasteful with the ball, their forays into the Cameroon half breaking down with balls into their forwards being laid off under heavy pressure. Mael Monyebe was taken out racing for a through ball but the referee was unmoved. Cameroon were a step above their opponents, physically and skilfully, and were looking more likely to extend their lead. Alioum went over in a heap in front of the China fans who showed contempt, the handful of colourful Cameroon fans dotted around the stadium enjoying what they were seeing. The players were contending with a somewhat slippery pitch, the stud of choice not quite doing it on the slick surface, Keven Keben helping his opponent to the floor to receive a lecture from the referee.

  • Balls
  • See your balls?
  • Vey Important People
  • Beautiful vista
  • The AAMI Park steps
  • Under the Bridge
  • Come on in, there’s a game beforehand!

Cameroon won a free kick on the right, Mahamadou Nagida curling a beauty just past the post with Yan at full stretch. Eyong should have done better with a shot from distance when China coughed up possession coming out from the back, and when Alioum got clear on the right, he drilled to the near post where Eyong was unmarked but somehow blasted wide from close range. The sun was finally being pushed back in the East stand as an injury used up some time, the referee urging the players not to take on water when he could have simply played the drop ball with half of the players at the edge of the pitch. China came back into the game as the half wore on, perhaps another indication that Cameroon’s ridiculous policy of playing two separate squads in this series was going to have its effect again. A corner from the left just evaded a China foot, but the two added minutes were spent in the China half as Cameroon searched for a third goal to underline their superiority.

China should have scored with their first attack of the second half, Liangming Lin’s first touch and he was clean through but he placed his shot past the post with the China fans already saluting a goal. This was frantic. Lin got the wrong side of his defender and made sure he was in the box before tumbling from the tackle, the referee deciding that the offence had happened outside the area. His free kick was drilled in and pushed behind for a corner. This was a siege, China were buzzing around, two shots fired in quick succession blocked by the valiant Cameroon defence; goalkeeper Simon Ngapandouetnbu went to ground to buy his team some breathing space after a tough opening five minutes of the second period. Lin and Jackson Tchatchoua collided in a big hit that left the Cameroonian on the ground in discomfort, and from the free kick, Alioum acrobatically half-volleyed on goal but goalkeeper Yan turnd the thrilling shot away.

  • Daytime floodlights
  • Two completely contrasting Cameroon teamsheets
  • AAMI Park looking good
  • China fans making the noise
  • Hold on, opn the gates first!
  • Empty AAMI Park
  • Team shot

Mael Monyebe was on the ground after a scuffle in front of the Cameroon bench, when he appeared to be stood on, the whole bench up shaking their legs like a crazy dance, mimicking a stamp, jet-lagged referee Alireza Faghani unimpressed with some of the vehement appeals and he brandished a red card to one of five or six Cameroon staff to a huge roar from the crowd. The China fans had been in a good mood the whole game and were taken to another level, Monyebe dropping to the ground eliciting what sounded like a ‘Stand Up’ chant from the China corner. Konrad Nfanseu saved his team, touching a cross out for a corner with players lining up to convert for China, but that was his last touch, the stretch proving a bridge too far. There were heavy hits that went unpunished, but Cameroon remained composed and efficient in defence. Eyong headed over from a corner, Arthur Avom danced through the defence with a sparkling run, but the impressive Alioum managed to put the chance wide. This was a robust game, the players throwing themselves into challenges; there was no love lost, but the game was being played in good spirit.

  • China anthem
  • Wait for me…
  • Stampsies
  • Cameroon on the attack
  • It’ all over
  • The China bench ready to applaud the team

China upped the tempo, Lin was superb, but it was his opposite number Alioum who was thrilling the crowd, another blazing run up the left stopped by a cynical foul and a yellow card. Cameroon should have scored when Oliver Kamdem surged up the right and crossed, Alioum taking aim but sending his shot into orbit. The China fans, resembling a decent English League One away following, were marvellous, providing all the atmosphere and reacting to everything on the pitch. A clever move from Danny Namaso up the right saw him play a one-two with the corner flag, ultimately winning the corner off the defender; moments later, Kamdem took a theatrical tumble in front of the referee and won a free kick. His delivery was incredibly poor, but Avom smashed in the rebound that took a deflection and just cleared the post. There were three minutes of injury time, enough for Keller to drag back his opponent as China broke upfield, the referee realising that he had already brandished a yellow card and producing the red after a short delay. There was enough time for the free kick to be delivered and Chenje Zhu smashed the knockdown over with a spectacular shot to bring the action to a close.

This had been a very entertaining game. Such a random fixture to see in Melbourne, two teams that missed out on World Cup qualification going at each other full throttle in a contest that was completely absorbing. There were stand-out performances from Saidou Alioum for Cameroon and second-half substitute Liangming Lin for China and there must be a tip of the hat to the well-travelled referee Ali Faghani for backing up from Thursday’s Intercontinental play-off in Mexico with a stern performance to keep these two teams from boiling over.

Attention now turns to the main event of the evening, Australia taking on fellow World Cup qualifiers Curacao in the second game of this Melbourne double-header. Stay tuned!

Sydney FC, it’s you that I dream of…

Sydney FC Women 2 Melbourne Victory 1

Our Girls In Blue picked the best timing to serve up a treat for their long-suffering fans, farewelling Leichhardt Oval with a Big Blue win and a gutsy performance to lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder. A picture-perfect early evening at the eighth wonder of the world seemed to be slipping away when former Sydney FC star Rachel Lowe fired home after a horror mistake, but a double from wing wizardess Riley Tanner turned the game and the home team hung on for a famous win. This was quite possibly the best Sydney Women’s Cove atmosphere of all time, MMTV leading her orchestra to a crescendo as the final home fixture reached it’s conclusion, and the seed was sown for next season, wherever that may be.

  • Arriving for the final time
  • Four non-players
  • Catching practice
  • Award for the ref
  • No announcement, just a quiet award
  • Where’s Plutonic?
  • Rossco recruiting ball crew for next season

This was a 5pm kick off, but the Cove assembled well before 3pm, kitchen closed at the Orange Grove Hotel leading to a liquid lunch ahead of a big fixture. A decent crowd was forming when we arrived, one of the referee team receiving an award to no fanfare and no announcement, as the players went through their final warm ups. The Cancer Council was giving away sunscreen and bucket hats, the white hats visible all around the stadium, and welcome in the warm sun. Muph did the rounds of the stadium, no sign of Plutonic, as the Sydney FC mascots break-up went public. The appearance of the players gave the Women’s Cove the opportunity to unveil their latest banner, and streamers rained down to signal the start of the party as We Are Sydney was belted out for one last time at this iconic venue before it takes a vastly different form. The anticipation was high, Sydney had won the toin coss, Charlotte McLean was back in sky blue, and there seemed little doubt that we’d see at least a spirited display from our heroes.

The signs that Sydney FC meant business were there from the start. Tori Tumeth had the ball caught between her legs as she went in for a meaty tackle in front of the Cove end, the referee unfazed by the Victory legs hacking at the ball, and there was a confidence on the ball that we’d not seen for some time. Possession was heavily in Victory’s favour, continuing the theme of the whole season, but the Sydney defence was relaxed and smart with the ball. It was some surprise then that Victory took the lead, and it was a comical moment, Amber Luchtmeijer leaving the ball for Clare Corbett in a dangerous position, and the ball somehow fell for Lowe who took a touch in space and rifled a shot into the top left-hand corner of Heather Hinz’s goal. That was a kick in the teeth, mid-chant in the Cove, another mistake costing Sydney FC a goal.

  • The Highest Highs
  • Guard of honour
  • Sing of f*ck off
  • Hinz claims victim number one
  • Subs get ready to change the game
  • Heavy bombardment

We didn’t have to wait long for an equaliser though, an extended Sydney Our City chant having just concluded, and it came up the far end from an equally poor mistake by the Victory defence. A cross-field pass invited Tanner to challenge for a ball that should never have been anywhere near her, and she got there first, advanced on goal, and with the stadium holding its collective breath, she steered the ball inside the post for a fabulous finish, sending the Sydney fauthful into jubilation. The Tsunami music started, the Cove was bouncing, what a moment and what a confident finish from one of our brightest players this season.

Hinz had already taken out Tanner with friendly fire in a desperate scramble to clear the ball, this time she inflicted pain on her opponent, the lively Ella O’Grady racing on to her own inadvertent flick to bring the Sydney goalkeeper racing out of goal. O’Grady got there first to clip a shot on goal, unceremoniously taken out by Hinz and we watched with open mouths as the ball dropped just past the empty goal, the referee straight on the scene to wave away any calls for a foul. To be honest, it could easily have been a red card – we’ve seen them given – but the fact that the Victory striker got the shot away on goal and the follow through was unavoidable may have worked in our favour.

Music played through the injury break, once again the fans unable to take advantage of the quiet time to make themselves heard, and Hinz had to be careful, getting a fingertip to a cross from the right and grabbing the ball before it spilled from her grasp. There was a hopeful shout up the other end when Tanner was bundled over in the box, but it was so far away that she could have simply fallen over, and Willa Pearon showed good feet on the right to get around her opponent, the cross cleared. This had been an entertaining half, and the whistle brought a spirited Forza Sydney FC chant to an end.

  • Heather gets lucky
  • The Cove enjoying the afternoon
  • What a sight!
  • Picnic time in the sun
  • MMTV the redeemer
  • If you don’t have a scarf, hold something up…

After taking in the beautiful sunset around the stadium for one final time, the players were out, looking focused. That focus evaporated within seconds though as Sydney coughed up possession trying to play out from the back and a shot from O’Grady was sent just past the post. A warning sign perhaps, but it was the visitors who came bearing gifts soon after, and again it was Tanner, high on adrenaline and ready to pounce at any moment, who read the back pass, took the ball in her stride and finished with panache past the stranded Victory goalkeeper. And every time we score, I get that feeling sang the Cove at this unexpected present from the very generous Melbourne Victory defence, and Sydney had turned the game in their favour.

Sydney pressed, but Mackenzie Hawkesby sent a dangerous free kick into the side-netting, another frustrating delivery, before Jodi Ulkekl sized up her options and fired on goal when Abby Lemon was in space just next to her. Tanner went on a mazy run down the left, mirroring a similar run by Victory in the opening stages, and when she arrived in the six-yard box, her cut-back was drilled on goal by Ukekl. The feet of the Courtney Newbon repelled the first effort, the ball kept alive by Ukekl who fired on goal again, this time a deflection sending the ball against the post and when the ball spun into space, Newbon flung herself at Lemon’s feet to deflect the ball over the bar. What a thrilling passage of play, and the crowd was reaching fever pitch.

  • We Are Sydney!
  • Straight over to the Cove
  • Macca and Charlotte back together in victory
  • Special request for a song
  • This is a lovely sight

Luchtmeijer was shoved into the substitutes’ bench after getting a deft touch to a ball up the line, nothing given, and the referee seemed to have forgotten about yellow cards, some industrial challenges coming in. Taylor Ray took exception to some good bustling by Tanner and shoved the Sydney goalscorer to the ground, as tempers started to flare. This was Big Blue action at its peak. Tanner and Luchtmeijer got involved in some pushing soon after – the Sydney players knew the assignment – and the yellows came out. What better player to bring on when a game is bubbling over than Kirsty Fenton, this was going to be spicy.

There was clear desperation from Victory, they sent players up to swarm all over Sydney, Hawkesby giving up the ball in a dagerous position, but McLean was across to clear up. Tanner went down cheaply running through on goal by former Sydney star Taylor Ray, but the referee was not to be fooled, and when Ukekl played in Lemon on the left, she cut inside but couldn’t find a corner, an easy save for Newbon. The game was open, fast and furious. Hinz was busy at the other end, it looked as though she would be beaten when a ball came in from the left, but she made a simple save from right in front.

Tumeth played an unbelievabe ball, right to left, to set Caley Tallon-Henniker away, and she cut in just as Lemon had done earlier, only to find the arms of Newbon with a tame effort. Public enemy number one Lowe escaped a booking when Hawkesby gave her a cuddle after an impetuous drag back, before Fenton was pulled over and looked as though she was going to get up and chin her opponent. Victory finished the game on the attack, pouring forward in numbers but finding the Sydney goal closed for business. They had a glorious chance from O’Grady who looked clean through but hit her shot straight at Hinz, Lowe fired over from distance to relieve the pressure and the final whistle brought cheers from the crowd at a marvellous result.

  • The cutest ever
  • “…don’t ever leave…”
  • Won’t be needing this again
  • Theft in broad daylight

The scenes after the final whistle were heart-warming. This could have been a Sydney team celebrating making the finals; instead it was prising themselves off the bottom of the ladder and playing a part in the demise of Melbourne Victory’s finals hopes. The Cove onesie presented to captain Nat Tobin was a lovely moment, the hugs from the fans for Charlotte McLean meant so much, and a special request from one un-named player with perhaps some T’s in her name, saw the home fans erupt in one final chant of F*ck You Melbourne Victory Olé as the players danced a jig, Macca and McLean two long-lost best friends reunited in joy.

What an occasion. The players stepped up, the Cove was on fire, the fight was there, the passion unbridled and any Sydney member thinking of not renewing for next season after two years of pain was instantly persuaded otherwise. A fabulous evening at Leichhardt Oval, alas we had to leave the celebrations to make a birthday dinner, the goal posts being carried out of the main entrance of the stadium alongside the fans, a symbol of football’s place at this famous rugby league venue. One more game to go this season, Central Coast away, a potentially vital game, let’s end the season in style! Forza Sydney FC!

Socceroos’ welcome winter win

Australia 1 Cameroon 0

The onset of winter in Sydney gave fans plenty of warning to rug up for a Friday night in the elements, but they were warmed by the Socceroos who came good after weathering the early stages. The introduction of Nestory Irankunda was key to Australia unlocking the Cameroon defence, although they looked to have missed their (forever) golden chance after Devis Epassy made a simple save from Ajden Hrustic’s penalty with twenty minutes remaining. Cue Jordy Bos, ghosting into the box to finish off a smart move to give Tony Popovic an important win in their farewell game to Sydney before the FIFA World Cup in June and to spare us from a needless penalty shootout. The result was good, but there was much to discuss after the game and the fallout from the first-half display may be seen on Tuesday in Melbourne’s second farewell.

  • You’ve only got one C
  • Look out behind you, Texi
  • The legends bar at the Brewery
  • Socceroos Active at your service
  • One C, you’ve only got one C

Uncle Michael West welcomed the fans to Accor Stadium, the rain having disappeared to unveil a beautiful Sydney evening, the Socceroos Active fans having trouble with the damp green and gold flags that were heaving in the stiff breeze. The period between games at a double-header, a proper one-ticket occasion, is always a strange one, the China fans having vacated the stadium en masse following their team’s 2-0 success over Curacao earlier in the night, uninterested in Australia v Cameroon. The Aussie fans at the Brewery at the Novotel next to the stadium were watching the Friday night footy, there was not a single activation in front of the stadium, save for a huge excavator which seemed to have no context whatsoever with the national teams, football or Australia. This was a far cry from last Saturday’s huge event here, and with the neighbouring Easter Show ready but dormant, the stadium precinct was quite a sorry sight. The anthems were well received by the paltry crowd, the Cameroon national hymn strikingly close to La Marseillaise, while the Australian national anthem was its usual rousing rally cry.

  • Moody sky over Olympic Park
  • The fence has gone, the buses remain
  • Cameroon fans predict the score
  • What a lovely sight
  • Fireworks
  • More fireworks
  • Red fireworks

The silence at the opening whistle was again stark compared to the booming music that had filled the stadium in the lead-up, Australia’s line-up a hotchpotch of established quality, unknown quantities and first-team hopefuls. The Socceroos were immediately on the attack, Jacob Italiano’s low cross touched behind with Martin Boyle steaming into the box and Riley McGree was caught by Emmanuel Moungam to get the crowd off their seats. Passes were wayward playing out from the back, Alessandro Circati guilty of a dreadful pass when trying the long ball. Connor Metcalfe looked laid back as if on holiday, casually stroking one-touch passes out from the middle of midfield, and Italiano was full of running. Lucas Herrington was the next to be loose playing out from the back, and Cameroon won a series of corners, Arthur Avom lifting into the area, but Australia were resolute.

Surprise striker Demi Juric was clattered as he raced after a hopeful ball from Metcalfe, but received no sympathy from the referee, Cameroon putting the ball out when it was obvious he was in pain. Young Herrington looked composed and unflustered on his maiden appearance, Italiano took a hefty knock as the Cameroon midfield pressed; the Socceroos were holding their own against an opponent known for their physicality, Boyle handing out a reminder to his man with a late challenge. Maty Ryan plucked a ball out of the air before English Premier League referee Rob Jones made it difficult for the players, getting in the way trying to hurdle a ball with two opponents converging on the ball. Boyle was flattened in the box, Metcalfe handing out the retribution moments later, barging over Oliver Kamdem. This certainly was a tough game without being niggly, both teams unafraid to go in for low-percentage challenges. The referee was keeping the ball moving as much as he could, some of the challenges bordering on assault.

This was absorbing if not particularly entertaining, both teams decked out in classic kits, the Socceroos new number out this week and the Cameroon kit evoking memories of the glory years of football in the football-mad country. Juric didn’t look out of place up front, aided and abetted by Riley McGree’s advanced midfield position, but we were still waiting for the first real chance on goal. Italiano fashioned an opening from nothing on the right, McGree chose not to shoot with the crowd urging him on and Juric’s shot was eventually blocked. Cameroon got themselves into good positions, but the delivery into the area was woeful. When they did make it to the box, Kamdem was more interested in winning a penalty than making the most of Christian Kofane’s through ball. For the first time in football since the introduction of the new additional time rules for Qatar 2022, a half of football ended on 45 minutes, quite puzzling given the fact that we’d had both cards and stoppages.

  • Legends on the field
  • Here come the players
  • The line-ups
  • The anthems
  • Media scrum for the Socceroos
  • One photographer for the Lions
  • Swapping ends!

A half-time reenactment of the 2005 penalty shootout save by Mark Schwarzer followed by an underwhelming repeat of the John Aloisi winner had the 20,000+ crowd interested as the half-time heroes went about their life-or-death mini-games. Cameroon were out for the second half well before their hosts, Boyle replaced by Awer Mabil and Nestory Irankunda on for Juric. Perhaps Tony Popovic had not been impressed by what he had seen in the first period. And the opening stages of the second half looked good for the home team, as they strode around confidently, drawing fouls from their more physical opponents. Mabil was close to connecting with a hopeful cross from the left, Bos won a corner from nothing on a rampaging run up the left, but there was still nothing to show in the shots on target column. The 50-strong pack of Socceroos active fans behind the Cameroon goal were doing their best to create atmosphere, but it was a hard slog., the acoustics of this stadium notoriously rubbish and the wind not helping. Ryan Fosso smashed one over the bar from distance, Italiano took a heavy knock but was still full of running. Mabil was slow to turn with the ball and was easily picked off, Cameroon not taking full advantage, this was quite a frustrating watch.

With Irankunda changing his boots and Italiano getting more running repairs, if this was a World Cup third-round group stage do-or-die shoot-out, one of these teams would need to go for it and cast off the shackles to get the win. It was unclear at this stage who that team would be. Popa went to his bench with a triple substitution as Metcalfe was receiving lengthy treatment, Paul Okon-Engstler, Aidan Hrustic and Cam Burgess all on. The entertainment had evaporated – if there was ever a time for a Mexican wave it was now. Or a goal. Italiano was close to finding Irankunda, but his ball in from the right was just too high, and when the ball went out to Aidan O’Niell, he was taken down in the penalty area. Play went on, the referee not interested, but at the next stoppage, the referee was invited to the screen, somehow VAR in operation today after making no decisions in the first game of the double-header, and the stonewall penalty was awarded. Up stepped recently-introduced Aidan Hrustic with his trusty left foot and found the arms of captain Devis Epassy, a thoroughly appropriate penalty execution in tune with the rest of the game.

  • Half time, off you go
  • Recreating famous moments
  • The flags blowing away
  • Up steps Hrustic…
  • That’s all? Should have been at Commbank

This could and should have woken the game up, Burgess went close with a header after great work by Irankunda, and Irankunda himself worked some magic to keep a ball in that almost unlocked the Cameroon defence, but the rusty Mabil had strayed frustratingly offside. A stray plastic bag blew around the field, the urban equivalent to tumbleweed, but the 23,798 fans were still engaged, Irankunda again the architect with a surging run that brought a smart stop from Epassy. The crowd was at fever pitch as Mabil’s hopeful cross somehow got through to Irankunda, and the expectation was not met with reality as the gun striker’s shot was wildly wide. Another triple substitution brought some anticipation, Milos Degenek, Kai Trewin and Patrick Yazbek brought into the fray, and finally we had a goal. The Socceroos were building something, Okon-Engstler looked for Hrustic who just couldn’t reach the ball, and that unwitting feint allowed Jordy Bos to break free and calmly stroke the ball home for 1-0, no suggestion of VAR or offside. Maty Ryan’s courageous leap to claim a long ball moments later allowed the Socceroos a moment to compose themselves – they had five minutes to hold on, or even to go on and embellish the scoreline.

Irankunda bulldozed through the middle but forgot to offload, eliciting a tackle, a yellow card for the aggressor and a visit from the medical staff; a glance to his right and he could have set one of two teammates away on goal. The yellow card meant that Irankunda didn’t need to go off, and he was free to hit the free kick, and he did, the ball dipping in front of the goalkeeper, who grabbed the ball before there was further damage. The three minutes of stoppage time were without incident, Herrington having coughed up possession with the final kick but there was no time to pay for it. Irankunda dropped to the ground at the final whistle, his injury perhaps more than we thought.

  • The four-person panel for making subs
  • Irankunda on the ground at the end
  • EPL referee! Rob Jones!
  • It’s all over
  • Three subs? Why not more?
  • Content with the win

The Socceroos had given a good account for themselves as the game wore on, the win was important, the opponents had been worthy and the crowd was engaged just enough to give a positive vibe heading to Melbourne. A fitting farewell to the Sydney crowd and for those bound for the FIFA World Cup. Were we entertained? Looking back on the game, we cannot deny there were positive moments that will have the supporters looking forward to their North American vacation in June, and the fact that the Socceroos turned what looked like a draw into a win was encouraging with the World Cup group stages in mind.

Post-match, following a difficult press conference with Cameroon coach David Pagou, Tony Popovic seemed happy with what he had seen. The heavy pitch, especially in the first half, had left his players fatigued, and that could play a part in his selections for the next game. There was praise for Herrington and Italiano, no injury concerns for Metcalfe after he was replaced, and getting the win and being able to bring in players at the same time was a massive bonus.

We move on to Tuesday now and a tough game against another physical team in Curacao. Get your tickets and see the Socceroos off to Vancouver with a smile.