Sydney FC captain Rhyan Grant says the Sky Blues can hold their heads high despite Saturday night’s narrow Grand Final defeat to Auckland FC, believing the club has laid a strong platform for the future under Head Coach Patrick Kisnorbo.
Auckland claimed a 1-0 victory in New Zealand to secure the Championship, with Grant admitting the result hurt but praising his side’s effort in a tense and physical contest.
“I’m not disappointed in the way it happened, just the result obviously,” Grant said post-match.
“The boys did well, we tried, but credit to Auckland, they got their chance and took it.”
The veteran defender described the game as a tight battle throughout, with both teams unable to fully impose their preferred style of football.
“I wouldn’t say scrappy, but it felt on a knife’s edge for a while,” he said.
“Both teams probably weren’t playing the football they wanted to.
“It felt like if we got half a chance we might get one, but it wasn’t to be.”
Grant acknowledged Auckland’s direct style and aggressive defensive structure made it difficult for Sydney FC to settle into rhythm.
“They know how to play their style of football and they did that tonight,” he said.
“They went man-to-man in our build-up and forced us to go long at times, which probably played into their hands.
“Credit to them, they played a style that suited them and troubled us at times.”
Despite the frustration of defeat, Grant said the squad remained proud of what they achieved during Kisnorbo’s first few months in charge.
The Sky Blues surged into the Finals Series under the new Head Coach before progressing all the way to the Grand Final.
“If when PK came in you told us we’d be in the final, we would’ve snapped your hand off,” Grant said.
“To be here and lose is disappointing, but there are a lot of positives to build on.
“It’s hard to see that at the moment because of the disappointment, but we know we’ve done really well over the last couple of months.”
Grant believes Sydney FC’s recent performances have provided a glimpse of what the club can become under Kisnorbo moving forward.
“The proof’s in the pudding from the last couple of months,” he said.
“There’s a good foundation now and hopefully we can keep a lot of faces around and build on it for next season.”
The captain also reflected on the unique challenge of finals football, where style often becomes secondary to simply finding a way to win.
“Even before the game we knew it didn’t have to be pretty,” he said.
“In a final you just want to get the result.
“At times we tried to play our style and we created some stuff, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the goal at our end and they did.”
Sydney FC’s run to the Grand Final capped off a strong campaign which saw the club remain inside the top six throughout the season before producing an impressive Finals Series charge.
While Saturday’s defeat ended the season in heartbreak, Grant says the squad remains optimistic about what lies ahead.
“We’re still very proud of what we’ve done,” he said.
“There’s a lot to build on.”
