Sydney FC has suffered it’s first defeat in five games after a second half Alou Kuol goal gave arch rivals Western Sydney Wanderers all three points at CommBank Stadium.
Sydney FC 0 def. by Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Kuol 51’)
Moments That Mattered:
34’ | DEVENISH-MEARES SAVE – Barbarouses claims the ball just outside the area, driving forward to release a shot of force at goal, Devenish-Meares leaps up high and deflects the ball against the crossbar for a corner kick
50’ | KUOL GOAL – A long throw in is missed at the near post and falls to the feet of Kuol who side foots the ball home.
88’ | PENALTY APPEAL – A corner drops to Joe Lolley outside the area at the back post. He shoots first time and the ball is heading goalwards but hits the hand of Pantazopoulous however neither the referee of VAR deem it a penalty.
Match Report:
Sydney FC have gone down 1-0 to Western Sydney Wanderers in the 42nd Sydney Derby thanks to a second half Alou Kuol goal.
However they will feel unlucky not to have been awarded a second half penalty when Joe Lolley’s goal bound shot was stopped in the box by the hand of Anthony Pantazopoulous.
The Sky Blues open the 42nd Sydney Derby with pace and dominance, maintaining the bulk of the possession and ensuring the home side keep within their own half of the field, building momentum and applying more pressure as the minutes tick on.
The following ten minutes is end to end as the Wanderers pry at the Sydney FC backline, getting a few half chances at goal.
Talay’s men bite back with great intensity, not allowing anything through the central defenders who are muscling up for the occasion. They produce some outstanding tackles and headed clearances, to keep the game level as the mid-point of the half comes.
As the half hour mark approaches, Sydney FC find themselves in danger as the Wanderers pile on the pressure, with a spell of two shots testing Devenish-Meares both engineered by Barbarouses.
The Sky Blues keeper maintains his composure, doing well to keep the ball away and on one occasion tipping it onto the bar as they go into halftime in search of the first strike.
Wanderers took the lead in early in the second half when a corner wasn’t cleared properly and Alou Kuol had the easy chance to nudge the ball over the line from close range.
After that Sydney FC began to play and attack more following three substitutions and threw everything at the Wanderers goal.
They were close on numerous occasions to finding an equaliser and were controversially not awarded a penalty in the dying stages when a goal bound shot hit the arm of a Western Sydney defender and was not given.
The Sky Blues still sit on top of the ladder for now until Auckland play tomorrow
Post-Match Interviews: Ufuk Talay (Coach)
What they said: Ufuk Talay: “I don’t think it was about the quality of the opposition or individual players. They just had more hunger and desire than us, and that allowed them to impose their game at home.
“They scored from a throw-in with a bit of a calamity in the box. We started to play a bit more once we conceded, but sometimes playing good football isn’t enough.
“We need to show that same hunger and desire, and match the opposition in those moments.”
On the penalty appeal: “I haven’t seen it. The referees didn’t see it either. The players were saying the ball was going in and hit his hand or arm — I’m not too sure. It comes down to the referee’s discretion.
“I asked the ref after the game and he said he didn’t see it, and obviously VAR didn’t think it was a handball to give a pen.
“It was lengthy because the ball didn’t go out and they were checking it the whole time.”
Sydney FC (Away | Formation: 4-4-2: 0. Harrison DEVENISH-MEARES (GK), 5. Alex GRANT, 32. Marcel TISSERAND, 16. Joel KING (17. Ben GARUCCIO 53’), 23. Rhyan GRANT (C), 24. Paul OKON-ENGSTLER (20. Tiago QUINTAL 66), 36. Rhys YOULLEY, 35. Al Hassan TOURE (11. Abel WALATEE 53’), 10. Joesph LOLLEY, 7. Piero Quispe CORDOVA (13. Pat WOOD 52’), 9. Victor CAMPUZANO
Head Coach: Ufuk TALAY
Unused Substitutions: 1. Gus HOESFLOOT (GK), 26. Nic ALFARO, 41. Alex POPOVIC.
Yellow Cards: Alex Grant 65’.
Red Cards: None
Western Sydney Wanderers (Home) | Formation: 4-3-3: 0. Lawerence THOMAS (GK), 4. Alexander BONETIG, 22. Anthony PANTAZOPOULOUS, 3. Alex GERSBACH (19. Ruon TONGYIK 60’), 31. Aidan SIMMONS (2. Gabriel CLEUR 45’), 32. Angus THURGATE, 25. Joshua BRILLANTE, 8. Stephen UGAROVIC (5. Dylan SCICLUNA 85’) 23. Bozhidar KRAEV, 9. Kosta BARBAROUSES (37. Alaat ABDUL-RAHMAN 85’), 45. Alou KUOL (21. Ayden HAMMOND 54’)
Head Coach: Alen STAJCIC
Unused Substitutions: 30. Jordan HOLMES (GK), 16. Jarrod CARLUCCIO.
Yellow Cards: 31. Aidan SIMMONS 29’, 22. Anthony PANTAZOPOLOUS 81’.
Red Cards: None
Venue: CommBank Stadium, Parramatta, NSW
Attendance: 21,258
Referee: Alex KING
