At the height of the wave, nestled comfortably in the frothy peak, it can all feel so easy.
Breezy victories over Adelaide and Wellington come and go, and the wave crests perfectly, sun glinting off the crystal azure waters.
Ties against the Victory and Brisbane are but slight wobbles, eventually righted, with the unbeaten record kept intact.
Thoughts of an invincible season wander through the mind, like the sweet strums of a ukulele, perfuming the preparations for a smooth descent down the glassy face, setting up a perfect cruise into shore.
But then the wave rears up, seaweed and grit blown up to the surface, and the trough digs away beneath. It all comes crashing down in an instant.
Suddenly the perfect season is strewn across the dirty whitewater, and as Sydney FC emerge from the churn, gasping and spluttering, they turn their heads to the next set of breakers rolling in, each with furious, foaming whitecaps, all of them bearing down. These next two matches, not the 20 that have come before them, will be the true test of the leaders’ mettle.
Alex Brosque was quick to make the point, its obviousness concealed somewhat by the frenzy of the occasion, after the derby.
“We’ve still only lost one league match all season,” said Brosque.
Indeed; had Sydney been offered their current record before the season – 14 wins, five draws and one loss with 41 goals scored and ten conceded – they would have laughed incredulously while snatching the offer up like a spoilt child would their umpteenth Christmas present. The position they’re in presently, with an eight-point gap, is still an incredibly strong one.
But their next two fixtures – against Melbourne City, the only team outside of Sydney to have beaten them this season, and against Melbourne Victory, the leading hound, slavering and galloping in the chasing pack – are absolutely critical.
If a post-first-defeat hangover occurs – like it did for Melbourne City’s W-League team, who went into a mini-slump this season following their maiden defeat as a franchise – and Sydney are handed their second and third defeats of the season on the trot, then the gap between them and the Victory could potentially be closed to two meagre points with five regular season matches remaining.
In that event Sydney will still have to play a Perth team that has scored ten goals in its last three games as well as Melbourne City again. A defeat to either of those teams could lose Graham Arnold the premiership. Of course all of this speculation could be rendered moot if Sydney composes themselves to win or draw their next two games.
There is something about Sydney that bolsters the belief that they will get right back on track; nothing about their 19-game unbeaten run was volatile. It was a phenomenal series of results built on the back of a historically parsimonious defence and an extremely efficient attack.
Sydney haven’t been flying by the seats of their pants playing kamikaze football. Although there were some fortunate moments – the 3-2 win over the Mariners in round 14 comes to mind – for the most part this was a composed, diligent team controlling games and patiently imposing their will. Even in some of the bigger matches, like the 1-1 draws they had with Brisbane and City, there was a sense of restraint, as if they knew overextending in search of some glorious winner was a fool’s game.
They were unfortunate to lose the derby. Had a penalty been rightly awarded – and converted – in the final minutes, then Sydney’s vastly superior goal difference would probably have allowed for three more defeats over their final seven matches, and for them still to seize the premiers plate.
The fallout from the RBB’s astonishingly infantile, homophobic banner has spared Sydney somewhat from an increased amount of scrutiny that might have followed their first defeat. They are still the best team in the competition and have displayed the fortitude over the last 20 matches to regather themselves. The hairline crack of their first league defeat should not cause the foundation to crumble like a Venetian apartment; there is no real reason for them to capitulate.
Melbourne Victory are relying on their city rivals to do them a favour; Melbourne City are 17 points behind Sydney and are coasting toward the finals. They will have to shake off the late-season fuzz and altruistically reinvigorate the race for the plate for the benefit of only Kevin Muscat’s team and the impassioned neutral.
The Victory were ravenous against the Mariners on Sunday – no doubt buoyed by the result of the derby the night before – with James Troisi and Besart Berisha playing with a sense of vim that can only come after having had a fresh whiff of a reopened title race.
There was, in spite of Sydney’s unbeaten run, always the feeling that the Victory’s refusal to lose sight of the leaders could be consequential. They have spent the season fighting through the dust, trudging through the tracks left by the leaders, and must be vigorously commended for enduring in this position for so long.
There are few things in the league more terrifying than a focused, bloodthirsty Melbourne Victory, and the impending Big Blue will likely be a seismic affair. As for the rest of the Victory’s run-in, it’s easier than Sydney’s, with only the Big Blue and a match away to Brisbane – who have to negotiate a packed schedule from now on – standing out as tricky fixtures.
A gentle cruise to the shore this will not be. The premiership is no longer a forgone conclusion. Sydney FC, recently rendered mortal, are in danger of being dragged back by the out-rushing tide. If they’re worthy of the mantle, the initial strokes they make over the next two weeks must be steady and decisive.
Nemesis
Guest
Ok, I've just looked at the Historical Tables for the NSL (http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/NSL.shtml) It is pure myth that NSL had Finals Series every season.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Nicely done Evan, A very measured and balanced lead in to the finals. My smurfs look the goods, but recently have struggled for goals. A dominant season is worth nothing more than a dominant season on paper and another loss or two on the way home will tighten things up. The finals will be a contest on the day. A Sydney FC v Victory at ANZ would suit me fine on grand final day. Won't happen, but would be an awesome event.
Nemesis
Guest
"And I the same but I didn’t play NSL where there was finals. Amateur level in many sports it’s mixed between finals and no finals but at the pointy end there has always been finals here." So, why did you suggest it's a European System when you clearly know it is not a European system, it's a system that's used in Australia for more competitions in sport than the Grand Final system? And, the NSL did not have Grand Finals every year, so, once again, you're just making stuff up. And, whilst there are Finals in the NPL Victoria, the team that finishes Top of the Table is the one that qualifies for the NPL National Tournament to see which team is the National NPL Champion. Bentleigh Greens finished Top in 2016 so they represented NPL Victoria at the National Tournament, even though Sth Melbourne won the Grand Final and Oakleigh Cannons were the runners up in the Grand Final. Australian football at NPL level treats the Top of the Table as the best team in Victoria.
Swampy
Guest
Wasn't talking about local leagues - talking national and state.
Swampy
Guest
And I the same but I didn't play NSL where there was finals. Amateur level in many sports it's mixed between finals and no finals but at the pointy end there has always been finals here.
punter
Guest
Then you have played in very different associations then I have. The association I played in didn't have finals. I have heard they have finals now, but are looking at scrapping it. The association (different) I coach now, it's all first past the post. There has been talk of scrapping the finals as well. . So it's not just a European tradition. As I said don't care what the Bulldogs, just highlighting they finished 7th. Sorry I thought you coached AFL. Never followed the NSL really, mainly the players only. Never had a team. Followed teh Socceroos.
Nemesis
Guest
I played football for around 20yrs in Victoria. Never was there a Grand Final or finals. It was Home & Away league system. The team on Top were Champions. Top 2 usually got promoted; Bottom 2 relegated. This is the AUSTRALIAN system. Lots of nonsense is written about it being a European System. It's not. It's a football system.
Swampy
Guest
@Punter. When you say tradition - you mean European tradition. Tradition in Australia is to have a GF in the people's leagues and the winner's are the champions (or whatever term you wish to allot them). We've conducted finals back to the 18th century. Even the NSL had finals (try name who finished top of the table the last two years of the NSL without consulting Google but alternatively you can probably name who were the GF winners straight off the top of your head). Regardless, when there are finals teams position themselves for finals and manage squads with a view to finals. It's different from playing out only a home and away series. The Bulldogs were one game from top 4 last year and 2 wins from top spot so they weren't floundering either. I don't coach AFL either. I played soccer/football all my life & coach juniors nowadays.
Swampy
Guest
Of course I follow both - avidly. Arsenal's 4th place trophy is ubiquitos - a term of scorn for the Gunners ceaseless ability to gain UCL qualification without ever threatening for the title. Honestly, in the A-League the Premiers Plate has only one reward - ACL qualification. There is little honour for finishing the home and away first - I certainly don't care for it. The real prize and the team we refer to as the 'Title Holders' or the 'Champions' is the winner of the Grand Final. This is what we do in Australia be it NRL, AFL, NBL, ABL, Super Rugby, A-League etc. Just a statement of fact. Yours is your own euro-snob interpretation.
punter
Guest
Liverpool being the most popular O/S football team in Australia, we all know a Liverpool fan & they are all same. I am loving this year, I think SFC has the potential to get even better.
punter
Guest
Swampy, There are two schools of thought on who is the winner, I happen to me with Nemesis on this, I'm old fashion, I'm a first past the post man. I know you coach AFL teams, well I coach football teams at junior level. In my association; The winner of all division 1 sides is the team on top of the table after all the H/A games. This team gets the position in the champion of champions league playing other winners of the other associations. The medals we get for topping the table is champions, the winner of the grand final is Knockout winner. This is not a Europe thing. In the A-League both the premiers (table topping) & the champions (Grand Final winners) gets a berth in the ACL, the next best in the table gets the 3rd spot, not the GF loser. The confusion is the FFA has never come out to state who is the real premiers/champions. The teams who win the double puts it without doubt. I'm a traditionalist & believe the best team as the team that tops the table, I would prefer SFC wins both, but if they could only win one, I'd prefer the premiers. In the AFL the team that came 7th won the GF & was deemed the premiers/champions. I don't care less as I don't really care for AFL, but that wouldn't sit well with me, if I followed the sport. Hence why I have no issue about 6 teams in the semis, if say WSW won the GF, I would not rate them the best team this year.
Nemesis
Guest
Adelaide won the ALeague title (Premiership) and they won the Grand Final (Championship). I presume you don't follow ALeague if you don't understand how the competition works and how ACL qualification works. And, it's got nothing to do with Europe. It's how the ALeague is formatted. PS: Arsenal finished 2nd last season, so you obviously don't even follow EPL.
Nemesis
Guest
And, if you watched Victory against Newcastle and Victory against CCM it was like watching 2 totally different teams. I'm just making my predictions based on what I watch and how teams are performing; not what I think should happen or what I would like to happen.
Mark
Guest
Let's remember, though, you tipped a CCM victory for last Sunday. Didn't exactly work out that way...in fact, it went the complete opposite way.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Ha! Dont make me sound like a Liverpool fan! Appreciate your condolences :'(
Swampy
Guest
Mmm - a bit like Arsenal's 4th place trophy really... So Adelaide didn't win the A-League title last year? I don't really follow your point. We are not Europe. End of story. The Champions are the winners of the Grand Final.
punter
Guest
It pains me to see you in pain my friend, there is always next year!!!!
Lionheart
Guest
I can't see Sydney losing from here, but sudden death finals will be different.
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
SBS2, will be featuring Melb C vs SFC. I will be anticipating an extraordinary game on Friday night. This match has all the hallmarks of a classic encounter. 2 all draw in Melbourne.
Nemesis
Guest
I think City will beat Sydney this week & win quite convincingly. But, the following week I don't think Victory has the right mental attitude to beat Sydney. A draw at best, or the 3rd loss for the Season against Sydney. Regardless, I'd expect Sydney to still win the Title. They're the most consistent side in the league and consistency wins titles. The Grand Final is open to anyone.