Pressure. It can do funny things to people; people at the top of their game, people so normally clinical in what they do.
Legendary LA Dodgers coach and Baseball Hall of Fame member Tommy Lasorda says of pressure.
“Pressure is a word that is misused in our vocabulary. When you start thinking of pressure, it’s because you’ve started to think of failure.”
Equally, Peyton Manning, two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback and one of the best to ever play the game, says:
“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
Sydney FC certainly know what the hell they’re doing. You don’t go through a season losing only once if you don’t, but how their players handle the pressure of expectation this Sunday afternoon will go a long way to determining the outcome of the 2016-17 A-League grand final.
So far they have handled the pressure situations well, but truth be told for most of the A-League season they were never truly tested and they never had any real pressure applied. They had the Premiers Plate sewn up by the turn of the year and cruised into the grand final.
This is what makes grand finals so fantastic. It’s the ultimate examination of a team and their mettle. Few would argue that Sydney FC weren’t the best team this season, but what makes finals so good is their sudden death nature.
Can they deliver when it matters the most? Not on a lazy Sunday in Gosford in front of 6000 fans, not on a quiet Friday night at home against the Roar, but on the biggest stage, in front of 45,000 expectant fans and a big national TV audience?
Try as Graham Arnold might to frame it as such, this isn’t ‘Round 29’, this isn’t a normal game. He knows it and the players know it.
While the pressure of outright favouritism will fall squarely on the shoulders of the eleven players who walk out in Sky Blue shirts on Sunday, that’s not to say there isn’t pressure on Melbourne Victory.
I don’t buy into the cliché that as the underdog there is ‘nothing to lose’. There is everything to lose. An A-League record fourth championship is on the line. In a grand final there is always something to lose.
The pressure is different though. This is internal pressure, rather than external. In this situation Melbourne Victory is the goalkeeper in a penalty shootout. All the pressure rests on the penalty taker, they are the one expected to get the result. A save is an unexpected bonus, but the ‘goalkeeper’, with pride on the line, will always put pressure on themselves.
That is Melbourne Victory’s lot this weekend. No one expects them to win, so they can, theoretically, play with more freedom.
They have shown in the three encounters with Sydney FC this season that it can match them on the pitch, but, crucially, not for the full 90 minutes. That is their challenge this weekend.
But for poor finishing they would have been well clear by half time in their first encounter this season at Allianz Stadium, long before David Carney’s controversial hand ball winner.
That is the difference between the two sides this year, though. Where Melbourne Victory has often fluffed their lines, Sydney FC has been clinical and ruthless. Give them half a sniff and they’ll make you pay, and they have made Melbourne Victory pay on all three occasions.
While all three matches have been tight and hotly contested, the ledger still reads Sydney FC three, Melbourne Victory zero.
It’s for that reason the bookmakers, and all the fans and pundits rocking up to Allianz Stadium on Sunday expect Sydney FC to win. Expectation rather than hope. It’s a very different mindset.
A win will also turbo charge the debate as to who is the best A-League team of all time – Graham Arnold’s Sydney FC or Ange Postecoglou’s Brisbane Roar. There is no clear answer, it’s down to what you like from your football. B
ut that only comes to pass if Sydney FC win. If they don’t, they’ll go down as just another good team. A very, very good one, but just a good one, not a great (or the greatest) one.
The players know it. Graham Arnold knows it. Their legacy at Sydney FC depends on it.
That’s pressure.
Caltex & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
Marty - still doesn't hide the fact that the world dismisses Aussie Rules as a substandard, insular, myopic, code which is only popular in the @rse end of Australia.
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
Let's compare the top level crowds of AFL vs A League vs Test cricket. AFL average 50,000 A League 12,000 Test cricket. 15,000 BBl. 30,000 Game over
TK
Guest
I reckon Sydney will be hard to beat. They have been good all season, great hard working midfield, fast well controlled ball movement, swift in attack and measly in defence. Quality players all over the park from front to back, Vukovic, Zullo, Buijis, Grant, Ninkovic, Brosque, Brillante, Bobo, Holosko, Ibini, It'll be a tough squad to keep together, but they have been great to watch and they deserve to win.
Swanny
Guest
Parramatta finished 8 th in 2009 goose. The grand final was declared a no winner as storm chested the salary cap . Back to naughty corner mr spruce goose
punter
Guest
I tend to agree Ago. I think we have played some lovely football. Maybe it's just that we do take the foot of the pedal at times & allow the other teams to dominate to absorb the pressure. However when we turn it on, no team has been able to go with us this year.
Mango Jack
Guest
No, Bob's just low hanging fruit! I thought that sounded wrong about Miller. Bloody legend!
Lionheart
Guest
are you two from the same tree? The British newspaper discovery about Keith Miller is wrong. His Service file is now held by the National Archives of Australia and can be viewed by anyone online, though it won't mean much to most people. He flew operational missions on Mosquitos in 1944, a twin engine long range fighter, flying escort to bombers. He was awarded the France and Germany Star and the Returned from Active Service Badge. They are not awarded for being in training. Lest we forget.
AGO74
Guest
Personally, I find a lot of these Sydney FC are not good to watch comments more reflective of a bias against Sydney FC than anything else. Brillante's had a couple of thunderbolts but my goal of the season is Sydney's 2nd in their win against Wellington. Tell me that goal isn't easy on the eye! From where it starts, the cross field switch, the interplay, Grant's cross of pin-point accuracy and then Bobo to finish off. A team in unison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYXjbH5xQ8M
punter
Guest
Bruce Grobbelaar, the famous Liverpool goalkeeper in the 1980s, produced some antics during a penalty shootout for the Champions League (formerly called European Cup) final. Included was wobbling his knees in mock terror and pretending to eat the net, both times the players missed the penalty. When asked why he was so calm in such a tense situation, he said, tense was watching his best mate being shot dead, right next to him during the Rhodesian Bush War.
Mango Bob
Guest
A British newspaper discovered that Miller was still in training when the war ended and never saw battle but still a good line.
Mango Bob
Guest
I think it suits the FFA to have a dodgy surface for the Grand Final because its always a shared tenancy..This way they can blame the RU for not moving but the bad ground should make the contest more of a lottery than otherwise. Win -Win
Mango Jack
Guest
I prefer the definition of legendary cricketer, and WW2 pilot Keith Miller: "Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your ar$e". But yes, there will be more pressure on SFC, that goes with favouritism, and is a good environment to test a great team.
punter
Guest
Holosko, does so much of the donkey work, he works so hard, maybe he is the reason some don't find SFC easy on the eye, he's no FBK or Broich in the flair department. However, Ninkovic is a a different kettle of fish, he is so skillful & brings other players Grant, Brosque, Bobo, Brillante into play & is a joy to see. I don't remember too many pretty teams to watch (Barcelona like) in the A-League, maybe Roar under Ange, well not maybe, yes, not too many others. Most were grinders.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Agreed. As unlikely as it is, anything can happen in finals football. All it takes is an off day for SFC and one of those days where everything goes right for Victory. Throw in a shoddy pitch, potential refereeing mishaps - or VAR overturning a decision - and who know's. My money is still on SFC, but there is that small percentage that says Victory can win.
spruce moose
Guest
In all codes, no matter how dominant you are, you are bound to lose eventually. Sydney FC will hope that it's round 1 next year, and not the GF. But, there is history (recent history) of teams dominating the regular season and not walking away with the chocolates: Geelong in the AFL were beaten by Hawthorn after posting a 21-1 regular season in 2008 Parramatta in 2009 stormed into the GF on a 9 game winning streak, and just fell short. WSW dominated the league and fell short at the final hurdle. While I think Sydney will win, I won't be remotely shocked if Victory stole it.
spruce moose
Guest
Bring back Sheriff Lobo!
AGO74
Guest
Yep - agree with your ninko comments. You could see his quality in ACL last year. The longer an import of quality pedigree stays in the league, the better they get. Same can be said of Holosko but not on same level of quality as Ninkovic. Hopefully the lifestyle and an upgrade to marquee can help persuade Ninko to stay on despite the big offers that are coming his way.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Can't see Sydney losing this. They will grind out a win again. It isn't pretty to watch, but it's effective.
punter
Guest
Ago, I hope so too. I watched him live all season, in the beginning he was making runs but no-one was able to find him, but as season went on, he got better & the players saw his runs. It took Ninkovic a season to get used to the A-League pace, he, Ninkovic, played well in the ACL, but didn't have the time in the A-League last year. This year Ninko understood the pace a lot better. I expect Bobo to be even better next year.
AGO74
Guest
Second that Punter - He's gotten so much better as year has gone on. I really hope we can re-sign him for next year.