Sydney FC’s character will face the ultimate test on Sunday when they take on Champions Brisbane Roar after they were left stung and fuming following a 2-1 defeat against Wellington Phoenix in Wellington on Sunday afternoon.
Sydney FC-s character will face the ultimate test on Sunday when they take on Champions Brisbane Roar after they were left stung and fuming following a 2-1 defeat against Wellington Phoenix in Wellington on Sunday afternoon.
Wellington shaded a slow-starting Sydney FC in the contest but the Sky Blues were fuming they were denied two penalty claims, one in each half.
Despite the defeat Sydney FC remain in 3rd position on the Hyundai A-League ladder but they face a rampant Brisbane Roar at Kogarah-s WIN Jubilee Oval on Sunday in what is shaping as a bumper match.
Sydney FC went into the match with the same starting line up as last weekend but Juho Makela made his first appearance of the season as a substitute as Lavicka went into the game with an attacking bench, also including striker Bruno Cazarine and midfielder/defender Shannon Cole.
It was Wellington that started the fastest and they took the lead in 10th minute when Paul Ifill ran onto a long ball that evaded Pascal Bosschaart and Ifill slid the ball under the advancing Liam Reddy into an empty net.
The goal came while Terry Antonis, celebrating his 18th birthday, was receiving treatment on the sideline for a badly bleeding nose.
There was no let up following the goal with Wellington having two more chances before Sydney FC managed to get a toe hold in the game by keeping possession and switching play down both flanks.
The lift in gear should have resulted in a penalty in the shadows of half time when Scott Jamieson went to ground after he was pushed in the back by Ben Sigmund but referee Ryan Shephard waved away the claims.
Sydney FC reacted after the break by injecting Cazarine into the match in the 55th minute and the visitors looked likely until a magnificent goal by Tim Brown saw the home side take a 2-0 lead. Brown muscled his way past Carle in the middle of the pitch and then let fly with a 40m shot that looped over the head of Sydney FC ‘keeper Liam Reddy.
Sydney FC-s customary comeback started in earnest in the 71st minute when Cazarine scored his second goal of the season off the bench when he was first to react to a flick on by fellow substitute Juho Makela.
Both sides had chances late in the game but in the 93rd minute Sydney FC had another penalty claim knocked back, this time after defender Michael Beauchamp was pushed from behind.
Next Sunday (4 December) Sydney FC takes football to the Community when Kogarah-s WIN Jubilee Oval hosts its first Hyundai A-League clash when the Sky Blues take on Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar comes into the match fresh from breaking the Australian domestic football record with 36 consecutive undefeated matches.
Wellington Phoenix 2 (Paul Ifill 10, Tim Brown 60) d Sydney FC 1 (Bruno Cazarine 71)
Westpac Stadium
Crowd: 6,308
Referee: Ryan Shephard
Sydney FC: 1. Liam Reddy, 3. Jamie Coyne (12. Shannon Cole ‘76), 4. Pascal Bosschaart, 5. Michael Beauchamp, 7. Brett Emerton, 8. Karol Kisel, 10. Nick Carle, 15. Terry McFlynn (c), 17. Terry Antonis (9.Bruno Cazarine ‘55), 19. Mark Bridge (18. Juho Makela ‘65), 21. Scott Jamieson.
Sub not used: 20. Ivan Necevski.
Yellow cards: Scott Jamieson 63.
Red cards: Nil
Wellington Phoenix: 20. Tony Warner, 2. Manny Muscat, 3. Tony Lochhead, 6. Tim Brown, 7. Leo Bertos, 8. Paul Ifill (14. Mirjan Pavlovic ‘61), 9. Chris Greenacre, 12. Nick Ward, 17. Vince Lia, 18. Ben Sigmund, 22. Andrew Durante (c).
Sub not used: (gk) 1. Mark Paston, 11. Daniel Cortes and 24. Alex Smith.
Yellow cards: Andrew Durante 72, Manny Muscat 74.
Red cards: Nil
NEXT WEEKEND MATCH DETAILS
Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar
Kogarah-s WIN Jubilee Oval
Sunday 4 December
5.00pm kick off
