As the curtain comes down on the 2023/24 season, we look back on what was a history making year both on and off the pitch at Sydney FC.
It began back in August with the opening of Sky Park, the brand new state of the art training base which houses the Men’s, Women’s, Academy and Admin staff all under the one roof and finished in May with the Women lifting their second Championship in a row.
We now take a look back at some of our top 5 moments on the pitch from this season, in no particular order.
Australia Cup Win
Right at the start of the 2023/24 season, the Australia Cup campaign got the ball rolling and brought with it, the first piece of silverware for the Men since the 2019/20 Premiership and Championship double.
The Sky Blues came from behind at Allianz Stadium with three second half goals and lifted the first trophy inside the newly built Allianz Stadium.
Fabio Gomes netted a brace off the bench and Joe Lolley gave a teaser for the season he was about to have, being crowned the Mark Viduka Medalist after a man of the match performance in the Final.
Setting Attendance Records
The opening round of the Liberty A-League season was a sight to behold and more than 11,000 people packed into Allianz Stadium to watch the 23rd Sydney Derby, a record for a standalone women’s fixture in the Liberty A-League.
Kirsty Fenton got the party started early with a sublime volley into the top corner and before long, Fiona Worts made it two with a deft chip over the keeper.
This set the marker for the rest of the campaign and Ante Juric’s side continued to have the best attendances and the best atmospheres, both home and away.
Double Derby Delight
Away from home at CommBank Stadium in March could not have gone any more perfectly for the Sky Blues.
The Women made it nine matches in a row against the Wanderers without defeat and Mackenzie Hawkesby confidently slotted the penalty home announcing her return to the league before Caley Tallon-Henniker scored her first ever goal to seal the all important three points.
Once the celebrations for the Women had died down, the Men took to the field and found themselves two goals to the good inside the opening seven minutes when Rhyan Grant nodded home and Fabio Gomes dispatched a penalty.
Second half goals to Robert Mak and Gomes sealed a famous victory on enemy territory, the biggest away result in the Derby for the Sky Blues since 2017.
Dramatic Derby Ending
When the third and final Sydney Derby of the season came to Allianz Stadium in mid April, the 26 thousand inside Moore Park bore witness to the greatest ending to a Sydney Derby ever.
The Sky Blues peppered the goal of the Wanderers all match but only had a one goal advantage heading into stoppage time. The visitors came up with an equaliser with less than 2 minutes left after the 90 and celebrated it like a winner.
However, the hosts would have the final say, going up the other end of the pitch and scoring the match winner from the boot of Academy graduate Jaiden Kucharki. The celebrations from that goal will be remembered for a very long time by all inside Allianz Stadium with players and fans collectively exhaling as one.
Back to Back Championships
After narrowly missing out on the Liberty A-League Premiership, Sydney FC travelled to AAMI Park to take on Melbourne City with the odds stacked against them.
City had never lost a Grand Final. Numerous Sky Blues were ruled out through injury. But they still found a way to win it.
After soaking up so much pressure, substitute Shea Connors was on the pitch for less than three minutes and popped up with the match winner, her first goal of the season.
That Championship win puts Sydney FC atop the list with five in their 16 year history, cementing their title as the most successful side in the Liberty A-League.
Another season in the books. What will 2024/25 bring?
