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They were scenes that emphatically screamed football is alive and healthy in Australia.
In a sold-out Sydney derby at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, Sydney FC took all three points with a 3-2 win on a night of high drama.
The 41,213 fans set a regular-season attendance record in any sport at the venue, and they were vocal throughout an entertaining and, at times, spiteful encounter.
As is their wont, the Red and Black Bloc (RBB) made plenty of noise and their now customary flares made their way into the area behind the goals as the Wanderers ran onto the field, but it was Sydney FC’s fan group ‘The Cove’ who had the bigger of the moments, just like their team.
As a reminder that they have been here longer than the A-League new boys, they unfurled a banner as the Sky Blues came onto the pitch that read “West is just geography, Sydney is a state of mind!”.
That statement spoke loudest.
The “Sydney FC” chants were at times deafening, even from the confines of the media box – they roared loudest.
The game might have been played on the pitch but, in the stands, the battle was also on and it almost reached a flashpoint in the 69th minute when Wanderers Brazilian star Vitor Saba was given a straight red for a lunging studs-up challenge on Sydney FC midfielder Terry Antonis.
The Wanderers’ fans made a show of throwing bottles onto the playing surface in disgust as security earned their money, but again Sydney FC would not be outdone on the pitch or off it.
Ten minutes later, an old hero became one again when Alex Brosque scored the match-winner, beating Ante Covic one-on-one before running to the corner to celebrate. The Sydney FC fans joined him.
Members of The Cove streamed over the fence invading the pitch to celebrate with their heroes, taking the Sydney derby and proving football is a rising code in the harbour city.
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