Sydney FC have taken down Guangzhou Evergrande, edging the cashed-up Chinese heavyweights 2-1 to steer their Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign back on track.
Huang Bowen cancelled out Robert Stambolziev’s first-half opener at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night, before substitute Milos Dimitrijevic struck a dramatic 88th-minute winner.
The question had always been whether Sydney could stack up against Evergrande, the reigning ACL champions and one of Asia’s most expensively assembled sides.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side were classy but displayed a fitness befitting a squad still in Chinese Super League pre-season.
Guangzhou’s $65 million man Jackson Martinez lurked and took a couple of stabs, but could not put a goal away against his less-opulent but grittier Australian counterparts.
Having warned they wouldn’t be intimidated, Sydney gave as good as they got, David Carney and Milos Ninkovic thriving in space not usually afforded to them in the A-League.
Maybe that was the key, as it was one of the Sky Blues’ best performances this season and one that yielded the opening goal.
Off a corner and some superb build-up play, Carney latched onto a through ball and headed to Shane Smeltz.
The striker flicked his own header back to Stambolziev, whose left boot sent a snappy first-time finish past Guangzhou gloveman Zeng Cheng.
Sydney barely had minutes to celebrate before the unthinkable happened.
Seb Ryall yanked Martinez to the turf by his shirt, earning a yellow card and conceding a penalty.
Goalkeeper Vedran Janjetovic incredibly saved Ricardo Goulart’s strike from the spot, but an equaliser came three minutes later.
On the counter-attack, Huang found space on the right flank and drove in a goalward bullet, which Aaron Calver inadvertently buried into the net while trying to clear.
From there, the Sky Blues absorbed wave after wave of attack, ACL debutant Brandon O’Neill and Matt Jurman doing a particularly diligent job.
When their defence had no answer, Janjetovic made more crucial saves.
The second half was just as open-ended, and chances came and went for both sides.
Smeltz and Ninkovic both fired wide and Yu Hanchao botched a simple point-blank strike.
Both coaches, Graham Arnold and Scolari, were on fire in the dugout but only the former had cause to celebrate when, two minutes from time, Carney flicked a shot to Dimitrijevic, who threaded through two defenders and made no mistake.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
I thought they were all Sydney FC fans in the mansion but they just chose to wear red on the night :P
j binnie
Guest
Ago - Of all the praise beng handed out here isn't it strange that not one of the "expert commenters" have mentioned that both the teams played last night have not even started their seasons proper,whereas our teams are fully primed for our season's end.Sure our teams played well,battled through to get a result but I thought it noticeable that both opponents started to run out of "steam" long before the end. This is an definite advantage to our entrants in the early rounds of this competition. and it is good to see our players taking advantage of the situation. Re. Arnold's supposed "change in thinking" it has to be remembered here his team is playing in what is actually a six game home and away "shootout" not a 27 game long slog played over some months.Could that be the cause for last night's change in attitude.?? jb
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Congrats punter!!! Epic win mate. Humble pie for the lot of us!
Realfootball
Guest
Never was a hat eaten with so much pleasure, Punter.
Fadida
Guest
I agree with some of that Punter. I've said all along I'd love Arnold at the Jets. His coaching suits being the underdog, his style of play reactive and spoiling suited to smaller sides with less talent. Don't lose, then hope to win. He said it himself, results at the expense of entertaining. I think that the thrashing he received in the final last year has made him more negative and afraid even. This season it has all been about work and containment, and quite frankly the style has been very hard to watch. Recruiting has been of workers, grafters. Last night they needed to win or they were going to struggle to make it out of the group. This forced his hand. Much like going behind v WSW and MV, he was forced to attack, to be postive. And when they were they got a result. And entertained. The question is, which Sydney will he send out next week? Oh, the "little" teams can justify results over entertainment. The juggernauts of the league can't
Punter
Guest
Fadida, you know I respect your comments, you have football first & foremost & fully appreciate the need to entertain. I see that Arnold made some mistakes this year, Dimitrivic is not the player he was last year & his transition is slow, he gambled on Smeltz & that failed miserably, Holosko, while technicality gifted, is not a speedster & SFC are found out by lack of pace & an exciting & vibrant front 3 like either of Melbourne's sides. But as shown last night & in many of the big matches, eg MV, WSW, MC, when teams come to play, we are not far off the mark. It's when team sits back we lack the pace & guile to open up teams. I admitted that & admitted without glam front 3 of some of the other teams to appear exciting, but I definitely did not see the doom & gloom & the Arnold is a poor coach (should only coach the lower teams). I did not buy that. Arnold made mistakes & are trying to limit the damage, smart coach. There is some very good players at SFC & some of the football is not as bad as some make it out to be.
AGO74
Guest
As an aside re some of Sydney's troubles of late people talk of missing janko and it is certainly true but what doesn't seem to get commented on is that we also lost ibini and Antonis who were both amongst out best last season. Antonis and ibini would have run riot in 2nd half last night with amount of space in midfield. Unfortunately the recruits haven't replaced that overall loss of quality but it is a bit simplistic to say that the playing personnel issues are solely down to loss of janko.
Fadida
Guest
Enjoy your day Punter. You are a loyal fan. Don't be a revisionist though. It's SFC who have been parking here bus. Amazing how much better they play with a positive approach
Needles
Guest
We'll see
Punter
Guest
Thank you RF, respect!!!!
Realfootball
Guest
Unable to post in detail as I am fully occupied eating large quantities of humble pie, to be followed by several hats. Happy to do it though. What a result!
Punter
Guest
It's my day Fadida!!!! Jackson Martinez said. “They have a great team. They are a strong team, a very organised team and it’s a team that is very good tactically,” he said. FBK from MV said. 'SFC are the only team that plays with the European discipline'. I accept we are slow (Hoole excepted) & poor in the final third !!!!
SVB
Guest
To be honest Fadida, the best manager's always diversify and change their tactics depending on the game situation. I think there has been a bit of an overreaction to this whole SFC affair. Arnold got a lot of his recruitment and tactics right last season. This year he has slipped back a bit for whatever reason (perhaps trying too many things and not keeping it simple enough), but as we saw last night they are still a dangerous team and can play.
Kaks
Roar Guru
The issue is that the expensive foreigners gloss over the fact that the rest of the Chinese players arent that great, probably a level below most A-league players. Chinese teams are not that strong as a unit. You look at the A-league teams and while there arent any superstars, they are good, competent, balanced teams. Whats that saying? "A champion team always beats a team of champions"
Fadida
Guest
Agree totally with the sentiments of your 2nd paragraph Towser. Watching the Chinese side last night it was clear that while the focus was on the money they had spent, there were 3 foreigners, all expensively acquired. None were great players, Paulinho a poor EPL player, Martinez an exotic Heskey. The rest were Chinese internationals, a weaker team than out own NT. The gross overspending hides the fact they are a good side, nothing more.
Towser
Guest
Good result for Sydney FC and Carney can be excellent,he just doesn't always show it(could be what Fadida said who knows), seperates the likes of himself from the likes of Harry and Dukes in terms of being outstanding Australian players. However what these sort of results confirm to me is that smart recruiting in the A-League is the key, coaching expertise of course also. I wrote this the other week:- "There is no doubt however we need more moolah in the game from whatever source, otherwise the growth I believe in will be stymied. But provided that is forthcoming the mantra is astute recruiting. We have examples in our own A-League history of what needs to be done, by looking at players like Fornaroli, Broich, Carrusca and Berisha. These are guys who entertain and add to team play in spades – more please. With more money comes even better players. Also in English football, I note a few things from this article in The Age about Leicester City. What we need is all A-League clubs on the same page as clubs like them and Bournemouth First, they have richer owners than historically bigger football clubs in England (look North to Asia, in particular China). Secondly their recruiting is excellent, with managers who can pick quality players to fit in. Australian football obviously can’t generate EPL-esque money, but we can take note of spreading TV money evenly across the A-League." The Chinese are forking out big dollars,but is the amount of money being spent wisely, IMO at the moment its like if Liberace had spent $100 million dollars on a diamond sequined gold plated jacket, but did that make him a better piano player? The future who knows, depends on whether the Chinese learn that burning dollars makes a great bonfire and not much else. However we will never compete dollar wise with them or the MLS,so we need to be a league full of Leicesters and Bournemouths. I believe that is the path that is naturally occurring, but vigilance will be needed forever in that respect by all sectors of football in Australia. Ah yes I also might add what Qantas said above " a bit of True Aussie sporting grit" doesn't go astray. I remember when I first started to take an interest in football in Australia I saw it in spades at the 1974 World Cup and many times after with the Socceroos, who despite lack of "Technical ability" produced some outstanding results.
Fadida
Guest
Here I am Qantas. I'll never go missing. Great performance from your team. An enthralling and entertaining game. Amazing what happens when your coach stops trying to spoil a game with niggling fouls and a negative approach. I hope your fellow fans are asking the question of why doesn't he take a positive approach more often? My thoughts on the game and Carney are above.
Fadida
Guest
Agree. Thoroughly enjoyed the game
Fadida
Guest
Tavares was superb, for about the third week in a row. When he carries the ball forward he looks majestic
Fadida
Guest
Carney was adverti$ing hi$ $ervices$ for the Chine$e market. He'$ alway$ been talented, but choo$e$ when to make the effort. Great performance from Sydney, but it was one game