Sydney away 8th Jan

[priorpeter]

Well, I'm still dusty from last night but this one is sneaking up on us quite quickly.
My gut feel says this could be a tricky one for us to navigate, but I'm confident.
2-1 to the good guys, Bernie and Mat... oh.. What's that? He's.. gone? Right. Well, Bernie and Amini.
Thoughts? Predictions?

 

[dibo]

Hearfield to bust the net for a late winner, 1-0 to us.

 

[MrCelery]

Strangely I don't rate Sydney at all this year.

So a dangerous one then!

It will depend how well Arnie gets the lads re-tooled for the post-Matty era.

If we can navigate the ship past the rocks of the next two games, both tough derbies, it could set us up nicely for the run home to the Premiership.

2-1 to us.

 

[bikinigirl]

So a dangerous one then!

It will depend how well Arnie gets the lads re-tooled for the post-Matty era.

. agreed - and sydney should be hurting at the moment. the whole team was lifted for matty's last game ... and the emotion/adrenaline would have been pumping overtime

. the trick is to get the recovery right (perhaps another factor for keeping the amini/ibini contribution to a minimum) ... and then get in the right head space for a short turn around for the weekend

. a short commute is fortunate. it is then up to arnie and the senior guys (wilko, big pat & hutch particularly) to get the team in the right mindset. perhaps the short turn around won't give the players an opportunity to 'miss' matty

 

[scottmac]

I feel really good about this game.
Swanny to come back and Amini and Ibini in. Must say that its really good planning by Arnie the way Swanny's cards fell

Arnie will be at the guys to proove that Simon leaving is not going to effect us and he will want them to make a statement to the rest of the league that even though he's gone, we are just as dangerous. Motivation and enthusiasim will be at an all time high.

We have not had a game where all the luck fell our way for quite some time. I reckon it will be this weekend. 5 - 0 us.

 

[Jesus]

Am pretty hopeful.

The basic resting of ibini and amini should have them fitm to go, as with Zwan.

Sydney also coming back from wellington.

Hopefully grif is back to add more options as well.

Carle is not in the preliminary squad, but he could always be added. If he is out, i really dont think they will create much against us. If he is in, he can be a handful this year.

 

[Deej]

If Sydney defend like they did in their past 2 games we should win, personally I'm very interested to see how we go in attack with no Matty, i think hearfield and ibini will get the nod and kwas could make the bench? Wouldn't mind seeing McBreen retain his starting role with musti being more of an impact off the bench, keeps our options open for Mcbreen to push forward and use his muscle as needed.

We don't have a great record against Sydney down there, going for 1-1 sorry

 

[Golly]

Going to my first Sydney away game
Can't wait
Thanks for the pass out wifey!
Kwas won't make the bench
I see a win for us 3-0
Sydney are rubbish

 

[true believer]

a fresh musty,berni & zwanee look out bling .
lavicka will be looking over his shoulder after the Adelaide and melbourne assassinations.
i think macka will play up front just for his physical presents with
the two kids.

3 zot

 

[Deej]

Going to my first Sydney away game
Can't wait
Thanks for the pass out wifey!
Kwas won't make the bench
I see a win for us 3-0
Sydney are rubbish

Kwas will be on the bench

 

[Fishsdad]

Nervous about this one. Wednesday was such a big, emotional night, it will be hard to 'come up' just a few days later.
I can't see the team playing anywhere near the standard of last Wednesday, and I'm not confident about the result.

 

[Roy Law]

Twelve games unbeaten is the good part; add another clean sheet and a dominant position at the top of the ladder and you have got to be happy with this result. We should have put them to bed in the first half when we absolutely outclassed them but if you only score one then you always allow the other team a chance to come back. Sydney came back and might have pinched a draw but a combination of good defence, intelligent, and brave, goalkeeping, and a willingness to dig deep saw us take the points. One moment late in the second half showed how much we have improved as a team since the early years of the A league - when Emo (what a waste of money...) got free on the right the defenders didn't chase after the ball they looked around and cut off the runs and the passing lanes; it was outstanding heads up play. We might have hung on but it is intelligence like this that makes a difference.
Ryan was masterly in goal - great sweeping, dominant in the air and calm in everything he did. Bojic was his usual unstopping and unstoppable self, Rose gave us good width in the first half; Wilko (do not listen to the siren calls from China,please, we have a Championship to win!)was immaculate and Zwaanswijk a physical monster in the centre. Hutch did well esp. late in the game when he was still winning the ball; McGlinchey didn't stop all day and Bozanic was much improved on recent weeks; Amini came and went in patches but again didn't stop trying and his late cross field pass to Rose showed his genius - but although all worked hard enough we definitely conceded the midfield to Sydney in the second half. Bernie did ok, had some good touches, could have scored in the first and the second half but his cramp showed how much more Matt Simon could give us up front and McBreen played well early but can only last sixty minutes at that level. Hearfield was a very lively substitute and did well and unlucky that Bernie didn't score from hos good work. Kwas? came on but needs more game time to make his mark.
MoM - Patrick, followed by McGlinchey and Ryan

 

[style_cafe]

Twelve games unbeaten is the good part; add another clean sheet and a dominant position at the top of the ladder and you have got to be happy with this result. We should have put them to bed in the first half when we absolutely outclassed them but if you only score one then you always allow the other team a chance to come back. Sydney came back and might have pinched a draw but a combination of good defence, intelligent, and brave, goalkeeping, and a willingness to dig deep saw us take the points. One moment late in the second half showed how much we have improved as a team since the early years of the A league - when Emo (what a waste of money...) got free on the right the defenders didn't chase after the ball they looked around and cut off the runs and the passing lanes; it was outstanding heads up play. We might have hung on but it is intelligence like this that makes a difference.
Ryan was masterly in goal - great sweeping, dominant in the air and calm in everything he did. Bojic was his usual unstopping and unstoppable self, Rose gave us good width in the first half; Wilko (do not listen to the siren calls from China,please, we have a Championship to win!)was immaculate and Zwaanswijk a physical monster in the centre. Hutch did well esp. late in the game when he was still winning the ball; McGlinchey didn't stop all day and Bozanic was much improved on recent weeks; Amini came and went in patches but again didn't stop trying and his late cross field pass to Rose showed his genius - but although all worked hard enough we definitely conceded the midfield to Sydney in the second half. Bernie did ok, had some good touches, could have scored in the first and the second half but his cramp showed how much more Matt Simon could give us up front and McBreen played well early but can only last sixty minutes at that level. Hearfield was a very lively substitute and did well and unlucky that Bernie didn't score from hos good work. Kwas? came on but needs more game time to make his mark.
MoM - Patrick, followed by McGlinchey and Ryan

Thanks Roy,
I couldn`t get to the game but listened to it on the radio.
It sounded like the first 35mins we were all over SFC then just fell away in the last 10.
The second half ,according to the commentary we just defended doggedly & ground out a win.

In past seasons we would have conceded a goal & hung on for a draw.This squad is proving to be something special.Even without Matty we can continue to improve.

 

[gull]

Good tough win. We're now top of the league by eight points with a game in hand over the snore. This is certainly a season to enjoy!

 

[MrCelery]

All the results went our way this weekend, and we did only just enough to grind out a win. Was hoping for a classier 2nd half display but can't complain. The table is looking better and better as we put distance between us and the wannabes.

How good was the long range pinpoint passing from Patrick? This man is a genius.

 

[Wombat]

Pretty good effort but nothing to get too excited about....however another great 3pts.

We should have gone on and buried them but instead we made very hard work of it. Did we miss Matty?......sure did. Are we good enough to win the league without him....sure are.

Ryan 7.5. Very competent
Bojic. 7. Mixed bag. Some great moments mixed in with a few nightmare moments. Had to laugh when Arnie called him a f**kin idiot.
Rose 7.5. Pretty good.
Wilko 7. Solid..
Dutchy 8. Real handful and so assured.
WeeMac 8. In good form now....looks confident.
Hutcho 8.5. Really good game, especially the second half. Haven't seen Hutcho like this since season 1. Looked classy and motivated. My MOM.
Amini 6.5. Not really on today but still decent and still showed glimpses of absolute quality.
Olly 7. Nice game. Solid in his defensive duties and lively in attack.
McBreen 6.5. Worked hard and his flick on for Ibini was beautiful. Subbed at correct time.
Bernie 7. Makes so many chances, often out of nothing much but still needs polish.


Hearfield 7.5. Another great Cameo. Good to see Kwassie back as we will need him.

3pts Hutch
2pt. Dutchy
1pt WeeMac

Also thought Reddy was great and kept them in the game.....but I,d still pick Ryan if given the choice of the two keepers!

 

[dibo]

Can I say how pleased I was to see the respect shown by our fans to the Cove and Sydney FC during the minute's silence for William 'Doggadog' Duran.

He was a supporter of football as passionate as they come, and his loss is being felt very hard in the Cove right now. Our players and our supporters observed the minute's silence impeccably and showed the respect a fellow fan is due.

Hats off guys.

 

[pjennings]

Can I say how pleased I was to see the respect shown by our fans to the Cove and Sydney FC during the minute's silence for William 'Doggadog' Duran.

He was a supporter of football as passionate as they come, and his loss is being felt very hard in the Cove right now. Our players and our supporters observed the minute's silence impeccably and showed the respect a fellow fan is due.

Hats off guys.

Very moving tribute by the Cove. Good to see Alex Brosque with them.

 

[BrisRecky]

well...we had a great first half pretty much, the second half, well, Smurfs had so much of the ball and were in our half that much, that i was seriously thinking that we were gonna snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, then i remembered that Sydney couldnt score pot in Nimbin.

young Super Keeper done another great job for us as did Olly , Wee Mac and Troy, Pedj put in another good shift , Rosey is getting back to last years superb form, Hell, all the boys done their bit, ESPECIALLY, the backs...who is next ?, scummers right...well we better not play them like we did smurfs in the second half of the game yesterday....

wonder if the young nike fella is gonna get a run soon, i'm interested to see what GA spent some coin on.

 

[Muppet]

Great first half. Mediocre second half. We won, they lost. Matt Ryan MOM for mine. He needs to be put on a long term contract. Mature beyond his years. Good to know we can win when playing bag. Bring on the bogan scum for another three points.