All photos by Paul Smith Photography.
Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar played out a hard fought 1-1 draw at CBUS Super Stadium on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
Trent Buhagiar notched his third goal of pre-season for the Sky Blues while Stefan Mauk equalised for the hosts in a well contested hit out.
The Sky Blues started the brightest and took the lead after 17 minutes as Buhagiar headed home the opener.
The build play that led to the goal was typical of the Sky Blues as the ball went through Retre, Brillante, Brosque, Ninkovic and Zullo who played in a perfect cross for the header.
Head Coach Steve Corica’s charges dominated possession for the remainder of the half and carried that lead in to the break.
The second half was much the same with Sydney FC enjoying the majority of the chances.
Both Head Coaches took full opportunity to cast their eyes over their players with a number of substitutes taking place throughout the second 45 minutes.
Buhagiar almost doubled the Sky Blues’ lead when he broke clear however he pulled his shot wide of the post, before a double save by Roar custodian Jamie Young from Alex Brosque and then trialist Sebastian Gallegos kept the Sky Blues at bay.
With time ticking down, Roar midfielder Stefan Mauk restored parity in the 78th minute, heading home to ensure the stalemate.
Both sides settled for the draw in what was an important hit out for the Sky Blues as they prepare to face Cairns FC in the FFA Cup Round of 16 next Tuesday night at Barlow Park (kick off 7:30pm AEST).
Sydney FC Head Coach, Steve Corica, was pleased with the performance which gave his squad valuable game minutes as they wound up their Gold Coast pre-season camp.
“It was very hot up here and the warm conditions helped in our preparation for Cairns” said Corica.
“It was a great week on the Gold Coast. We worked the players very hard and we came through today’s game with no injuries so we ticked all the boxes” he added.
Sydney FC would like to thank Gold Coast City council for providing the venue to Wednesday’s clash and for playing host to the Sky Blues during their week on the Gold Coast.
MATCH DETAILS
Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar FC
CBUS Super Stadium, Robina
Wednesday, 15 August
Sydney FC 1 (17′ Buhagiar) drew w. Brisbane Roar 1 (78′ Mauk)
