Sydney FC have had an amazing season. Rotating the top position throughout the league with rivals Melbourne Victory and debutants Gold Coast has made this A-League season the most exciting ever.
For many, Sydney FC’s Czech coach Vitezslav Lavicka was a strange appointment. But why? He was voted Czech Manager of the year twice and coached two of the biggest clubs in the league (Slovan Liberec and giants Sparta Prague) and on top of that he was the Czech U21 leader.
Coaches of his caliber are more than welcome to this country.
Newcastle Jets coach Branko Culina has been critical of the Czechs work. Why? Maybe jealousy has got the better of the man who should have won two if not three titles with the Sydney UTD side he had in the old NSL, and how can we forget his pathetic coaching stint with the skyblues.
“I don’t care what their coach says and the fact that he’s on $500,000 and I’m on 50 bucks or whatever it is, but if that’s what the foreigners are going to bring to this game, let’s have more local coached,” Culina said. And we hope he remains on $50 a week.
Mr Culina is eating his words.
The influence of Lavicka has been enormous, the charismatic Czech has put to play an East European style of play which has been welcomed by the Sydney FC fans. He also brought along with him former Slovak international Karol Kissel who has played under Lavicka and three different clubs.
Kissel has been dynamic in his performance from the heart of Sydney’s midfield, becoming a cult figure.
It’s beyond me why Vitezslav Lavicka was not voted Manager of the Year. In his first season in charge and he has taken the club to top of the league. It has to all come down to one thing really…envy.
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Joe Lolley was outstanding for the Sky Blues, scoring a brace as Sydney FC equaled their biggest ever victory.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
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A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
