Opinion
With the season postponed, here’s a review of Sydney FC’s 2019-20 season.
Sydney FC defended their title admirably this season, being by far the best team. Boasting the strongest squad in the competition, Sydney have been dominant, losing only two games for the season and going on a hot undefeated streak, in which they lost only one game after Round 3 before the season was suspended.
Season highlight: 4-1 win against Melbourne Victory, Round 22
Having won convincingly in Round 16 against the Victory in Melbourne, Sydney FC backed it up again their Round 22 clash, winning 4-1. Despite going down early in the match, Sydney rallied to a 4-1 win against their traditional rival.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Season low: Going winless against Western Sydney Wanderers
In the three occasions Sydney played local rivals the Wanderers, they failed to take the three points. In Round 3 the Wanderers won 1-0 at Bankwest Stadium, and then did the same at Jubilee Oval in Round 21. Their final clash resulted in a 1-1 draw back at Bankwest. Despite being the superior team throughout the 2019-20 season, their inability to beat their lower-ranked rivals is a blight on what has been a great season.
End-of-season bonus: Paulo Retre
With the lack of cap space and current financial situation that Sydney FC are in due to the coronavirus, it’s likely that there will not be anyone getting a raise. But a player who deserves one is Paulo Retre. The defensive midfielder has been a solid contributor this season in the 19 games that he has played. In addition to his defensive work, he also found the back of the net twice this season and assisted one other goal.
Chopping block: Alexander Baumjohann
Although his contract doesn’t expire until next year, in order to free cap space moving on, Baumjohann should be gone. He’s been a good acquisition for Sydney, but they have depth in midfield and at age 33 he’s coming to the back end of his career. So if they can get a transfer fee for him, it would be a good move.
Season score: 9/10
Sydney have been the superior team all season, with the season suspension and the Western Sydney Wanderers the only things stopping them all season. If the season resumes, they should be poised to win their third league title in four seasons.
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