A few months back, some had written of Sydney FC as serious contenders for the 2022-23 A-League championship.
Right now, they are sixth in the league and somewhere around the third or fourth line of betting.
However, the Sky Blue are back, losing just once in their last six and racking up 13 points since late January.
As much as many around the country were enjoying seeing Steve Corica’s men battling away outside the top six through the first half of the season, the momentum has shifted and a few further wins across the next month will see Sydney challenging for a top-four position come season’s end.
After wins in two Big Blues and the Sydney Derby, along with an additional four points taken against Brisbane and Central Coast, Sydney FC are lurking with intent. They will also be loving the fact that others are twitching in their pants and nervous of missing out on finals play thanks to the presence of the mightiest team in A-League history.
And you know what? Bring it on.
Sydney’s resurgence is exactly what the league needs. For every fairy tale that emerges, whether it be another Mariners run at the finals or Adelaide showing its normal grit and resilience to be there or thereabouts more often than not, the broader nation loves to death knell Sydney FC, or hate them immensely when dominant.
(Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
In fact, it probably extends far beyond the city’s football team.
I’ve lived in Sydney for the majority of my life, work commitments have necessitated that, yet its cesspool-like nature escapes few, even its residents. The nation’s most populated city is a heartless, soulless behemoth that eats people up and spits them out on their last breath.
It lacks Adelaide’s class, Melbourne’s culture, Brisbane’s free-spiritedness, Hobart’s innocence and Perth’s individualism, yet does contain an elitist, latte set that never fails to astonish.
Sydney is a means to an end, rather than a place building or working towards anything. Thus, its sporting teams reflect the same psychology.
Sydney FC came to life in the opening season of the A-League, it built a deep roster with which to work, won immediately and has done so frequently ever since, despite a few speed bumps along the way.
No matter those challenges, the corporate dollar and the importance of success in Australia’s biggest market has seen the club rebound briskly each time and compete soon after a lull.
So well managed is the corporate image of Sydney’s dominant team, that Wanderers fans still sing passionately and crudely of their hatred for “East Sydney”.
People around the nation call out perceived bias in A-League refereeing decisions that they claim always seem to help out Corica’s side and the “east-coast conspiracy” was born of the widespread belief that the powers-that-be were determined to always have a team in Sky Blue competing deep into the season.
Others can debate the myth or factuality behind such commentary, yet the one thing that is certain this season, is that the appearance of Sydney FC in sixth spot on the ladder as we enter the final seven rounds of the competition will cause many fans to long for others to steal a finals spot away from them.
With Victory now a spent force and last year’s champs Western United also now unlikely to feature across the final month, fans finally have what they wanted – bar the classy Melbourne City, who continue to loom as the potential Celtic or Juventus of the A-League.
The Reds are well in the hunt, Central Coast are not done just yet, Western Sydney will be hoping for the benefit of a Sydney grand final certainty, and Wellington continue to win and push for the top four.
Realistically, Sydney appear to need a miracle to go all the way this season, yet most fans will still be cheering on the Jets and Bulls in the hope they eliminate Sydney FC from the finals.
And as much as you might like or dislike the above line of thinking, that passion and intense dislike for opposition teams is exactly what football is all about. Remove it and we have nothing.
So Sydney FC, keep winning and opposition fans, keep hating. It is what makes football great.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I see that more each week – they were terrible last night. I don’t have the depth of knowledge that other writers have, but with Burgess out, wouldn’t you at least have a striker such as Wood or Parsons with Lolley and Mak as attacking midfielders interchanging on the right and left? Why did they sign Parsons – he’s good, but not getting time. Why did they sign Caballo? A waste of an import spot. I’d rather a local than him. And give Segecic some time. And what’s happened to King? He has gone backwards.
Grem
Roar Rookie
They need to try something new and I’d love to see some young guys get a go. Segecic is a talented player and if he was to succeed at 10 that would be good for us and possibly our Socceroos in the future.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
Hate to sound like a broken record, but Caceres is the wrong person to be playing in 'the last pass' position. He has good qualities but he is clueless when it comes to penetrative passing. If Scout is right and it's Segecic's natural position Corica would be better off playing Segecic there.
Grem
Roar Rookie
That’s the coaching like you wrote, Punter. They never really looked like they would score. They “controlled” the game? That last pass, last decision is often poor. And I wonder what Veart could do with Kurchaski, Wood, Parsons, etc.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Watching the Wellington game - we just don’t look like we can score. Plenty of ball, plenty of decent players, but no ball in the net!
Roger
Guest
Stuart, I am struggling to see why your status says expert with such disrespectful, vindictive and immature opinions. Sorry you don't enjoy living in Sydney, but many people do. The state v state and city v city debate in Australia is very old and very tired. I have my opinions about all the cities, some I like more than others, but they all have wonderful aspects and benefits to them, and are all different. Your comments about all the sporting teams reflecting the city by not building anything or working towards anything is utter nonsense and simply not true. A quick glance at Sydney Swans or Penrith Panthers would suggest otherwise, and many other clubs would also dispute your statement. Different opinions and different views are part of the passion of sport, and part of life, however the quality and respect of the debate is important to uphold. It's a shame that supposedly like Sydney you lack the class of Adelaide my friend.
Aiden
Guest
Have to say I enjoyed the anti Sydney rant. It has very little going for it. Decent weather (although not for the last two years). And the bay is nice from a boat. That’s it. Awful place full of awful weirdly aggressive people.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
but the commentary kids us all the time, telling us ex Melbourne xx players
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
There is a difference between making a yearly loss and debt. Clubs like City whatever money they lose City group will just keep putting money in. So they never get a debt, they would probably have all their bills paid on time or early. No one is going to loan an A-league club money as they have no assets to borrow off so they have to just keep putting money in to pay debts. .The NSL was notorious for clubs using income to pay off last years bills. Something that Roar also has a history of doing with training facilities and super, the minute you stop paying wages the PFA are on the scene like a rat up a drainpipe we haven't heard from them for a while. What could also happen is if you have more than one owner , the owner that has money lends the club money. I dont get how Victory got in so much debt unless they got loans from Biasin and then his estate wanted the money back. There are devious ways of shifting money so one entity ends up with a huge debt which they never even got the money, or in the case of Mariners their purchase of land had a delayed payments of millions.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Wsw were foolish. Ninkovic has done littlw, but Sydney made them look smart with Rodwell. I suppose the whole point of Ninkovic needing to became an citizen was to have Rodwell, so it could have been both at Sydney together. So it could have been worse.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
A fair go for Newcastle in comparison to what happened to the Fury or Gold Coast? Your club is owned by Sydney, Wanderers, Western United. All you do is lip on about Sydney, and suck up to Adelaide skinflints.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't be suprised if Le Fondre gets another contract. I dont see how Sydney dont have a striker issue now and it will get worse if he does get another contract.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Everyone talked about Matt Simon they forgot all the subs before him, unlike you however it was negative stuff about Arnies long ball when Simon came on, and how much Simon hacked people and got yellow card. In the 2017/2018 there were less subs and Simon came on for longer. in the year before Simon was on for the last 5-10 mins. Corica does more with the players he has , Arnie had the better squads and players, and Arnie valued foreign spots, Holosko was a good player for Sydney but he was 33 despite winning the title Arnie doesn't renew his contract, and Holosko went back to the Slovak league so he didnt have another option. If Corica took over then he would kept Holosko around till late 30's.
Dennis
Guest
Josh, haven’t you asked yourself why Sydney FC get so many messages on here ? For an aging team running sixth, I don’t understand how that warrants 119 threads on this post ? There again if the moderators and contributors are just Sydney FC fans then we have an answer. Maybe change the title from The Roar to The Sydney FC Roar.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
ive discussed victoria a lot of here over the past 18 months, because ive been in melbourne a lot (im there for 3-4 days every month) and have a very good working relationship with western united now victoria as a state is really struggling to develope players (especially players with african heritage) its a massive concern not only for victoria but football in this country.
Beach
Roar Rookie
Fabulous city. Lived there for a time band and loved it.
Beach
Roar Rookie
I grew up in Hobart. To describe it as innocent is complete nonsense.
Beach
Roar Rookie
This is a fallacious comparison. The only valid comparison is with the attendance in the last pre covid season
Josh
Guest
There's an actual picture if you look for it.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
On the replay Harper had no idea it wasn;t a corner either, he didnt complain about it until well after the goal was scored . Looking at it live it looked a great chance for Wilkinson it looked like he knicked it , and Geria looked in the path of it. I think the only person who was certain was Geria he didnt appeal for it, then you see on one of the replays he turns around and sees a corner and then blows up. I think the lucky thing is it was only Harper this time, Harper and Hill and the Bozza at half time crying and ranting was what used to happen on Foxtel when you suspected they had money on the match.