It’s a big week for football in Sydney but the city’s football club is still tottering on the precipice, determined not to make a leap of faith, and refusing to kick out and kick-start a stalled season.
In fairness, Sydney FC could not have come much closer to finding their first win (incredible, isn’t it?) of the season. To have one goal scored a second after the ref’s whistle, hit the post and play against ten men for a good half hour but still not win must be galling.
Take heart boys. Sunday afternoon’s draw against Gold Coast was surely Sydney’s most impressive performance of the season. The Sky Blues showed some of last season’s maturity, determination and composure but still could not truly earn three points.
Essentially Sydney have to rediscover their ruthless streak.
This obviously applies to efforts in front of goal where Alex Brosque was unlucky and rusty, Byun continues to frustrate, Bridge seems uninterested in striking through the ball and Musialik looks more likely to lob the keeper from 50 metres than smack one from the edge of the box.
Sydney must also find their edge in possession.
Too many players settled for crossing the ball from deep when Gold Coast were down to ten men, despite the true Bling FC boys looking far more vulnerable throughout the match to feints and touches around the edge of the box. By the end of the match Sydney were attempting one-man plays and panicking for the goal, but again seemed completely terrified of turning with their first touch despite having space to do so.
This is a continuing facet of the Age of Lavicka and a lamentable one.
When your opponent is down to 10 men and sitting deep it is the number 10’s job to make the play. Mark Bridge pulled the strings well and played some nice football but failed to impose himself when it mattered most and remains an absolute enigma.
I have long thought Bridge is best played as a target man but coaches switch him from a leading striker to a ghost striker, then to a man in the hole and even send him to either side as a genuine winger.
Bridge has the basic skills to play each position and rarely puts in a horrible game. But he is yet to dominate a match and should be dropped for Nicky Carle as soon as possible.
Alex Brosque is understandably yet to form this season but if he can play 60 minutes on Wednesday night, I think he will score. He hit the post, slightly dithered over his “non-goal” and failed when sent through the lines by Bridge in the second half.
Sydney need him sharper and focused on the right battles. New man Bruno Cazarine sated his taste for goal and heard his name sung by The Cove. Let us hope that is enough as he seems a willing striker and tough player, but certainly not someone to frighten the likes of Michael Thwaite or Simon Colosimo.
Enough carping. Sydney’s improvement was dramatic and it began, as it always should, at the back and off the ball.
For once Byun and Jamieson worked in harmony on the left. Jamieson remains an enigma within the team – technically adequate with the ball at his feet, positionally very sound, defensively strong, but entirely unwilling to (or not allowed to) take on a man.
He put in a good shift but his substitution came as no surprise despite Sydney starting with at least three other players short of genuine match fitness.
McFlynn was McFlynn, a welcome return, but a midfield of McFlynn, Jamieson and Musialik is never going to create much. That will heap more pressure on Cazarinie, Brosque, Bridge and Carle, whose stats suggest they have never been prolific goalscorers. These are the personnel choices Lavicka has made and now he has to justify them on Wednesday night.
How he would love to have both Nicky Carle and Karol Kisel at his disposal.
Sydney can take most heart from their centre of defence. I thought Keller was due a spell on the bench but he and Ryall performed mostly brilliantly in open play, with Ryall unlucky not to be man of the match.
I used to have little time for Ryall but if he plays this well against the Fury and particularly Adelaide, the future will look decidedly brighter for all Sydney fans.
Both goals came from corners and featured positionally astute finishing. Sydney inexplicably pulled the ball out of their net with two men at the near post and after allowing two free headers.
McFlynn has confessed to losing his man but it was Keller who went for the ball and completely missed it while vacating the space that Djite eagerly entered. It was a lax moment and to concede in added time only added to the bitterness of another soft goal.
Reddy looked solid in goal (if a little erratic when coming to punch) and continues to justify his recruitment.
Gold Coast can heart from this match. Bruce Djite looks an improved player and hungry for goals, while Culina and Porter will win them games like this. They have no obvious weak link and may well play a home semifinal in front of two thousand fans.
The big story for Sydney is that the pressure on last season’s champions will continue to build until Wednesday night. The clearest symptom of the strain on the squad came when Sydney received yet another card for dissent after Alex Brosque decided to inexplicably tick off a previously-friendly referee. But injuries and fitness permitting, Viteslav Lavicka showed on Sunday that he has no need to change his system.
His players just need to perform to the level required by it.
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