Sydney FC recorded their victory of the A-League Men season with 5-1 demolition of Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Saturday.
The clash was Ufuk Talay’s first in charge of Sydney since replacing Steve Corica during the week and the Sky Blues turned on the style for their new coach.
“I just wanted a good performance and I always believe that if we focus on the performance then eight or nine times out of ten we get a good result,” Talay said.
“So that’s something we definitely did and at the same time they rewarded themselves with the opportunities they created.”
Joe Lolley starred with two goals and two assists while young midfielder Jaiden Kurchaski also notched up a brace and an assist.
Sydney made the perfect start when Lolley broke the deadlock after just four minutes.
Kucharski released the English midfielder out wide on the right, before he cut inside and picked out the top corner with a powerful left-foot drive from just inside the area.
Lolley had a brace on 13 minutes when he found himself in the right spot at the perfect time.
A near-post corner from Robert Mak became a scramble inside the area which was helped on by Joel King. It found Lolley who was unmarked at the back post and tucked the ball away from close range.
The visitors made it three on 31 minutes when Kucharski grabbed his first A-League goal.
Fabio took possession and laid off for the young midfielder who charged forward before sliding under Reds’ keeper Joe Gauci from eight metres.
A minute before half time Lolley and Kucharski combined for Sydney’s fourth to complete the first-half demolition.
Lolley drove through the Reds’ defence and slipped through Kurcharski who dinked it over the onrushing Gauci.
Adelaide coach Carl Veart made a triple change at the break in the hope of resurrecting the Reds but a minute into the second half Sydney scored a fifth.
Lolley was involved again after his side won back possession in midfield, lifting an expertly weighted cross into the area for Fabio who was perfectly positioned between two defenders to nod home from six yards.
The visitors would have added a sixth on the hour if not for the heroics of Gauci.
Fabio was slipped through by Anthony Cacares and squared across the face of goal for Mak but his shot was brilliantly kept out by a diving save.
United pulled one back in the 67th minute when Zach Clough converted a spot kick after he was bundled over inside the area by Mak.
Reds coach Carl Veart was blunt in his assessment of United’s performance.
“We knew Sydney were going to come out hard in the first 15, 20 minutes,” he said.
“And we just didn’t deal with it. We were second to everything and very naive in the way we played.”
Garry
Roar Rookie
unavailable for personal reasons
Redondo
Roar Rookie
So clearly Sydney FC's players were as bored playing for Corica as we fans were watching them. Simply upping the intensity made a huge difference. And Kucharski's 2 goals were excellently taken - very impressive. Where was Grant?
Redcap
Roar Guru
So, it's the ref's fault that Lolley and Kucharski were afforded the freedom of Adelaide by a disorganised defence...?
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Bias Ref gave SFC the game again.
Waz
Roar Rookie
“ everythng went right for Sydney yesterday” … that’s often the bounce a new manager gets - Coricca might argue that everything went wrong for him in these last few games which magically seem to lift when a new coach arrives. Hell of a game next up for Sydney though - let’s see how they go then. Looking forward to that one.
Garry
Roar Rookie
:stoked: whilst the result was great a word of caution..everythng went right for Sydney yesterday which hopefully gives them confidence to carry on BUT even when well ahead they were caught out defensively a few times. Mind you I think the pen was a bit harsh..technically correct but Mak was off balance because of the tug outside the box leading tp the push in the box..neither player was innocent there either! lets hope the women complete the double 9pm tonight !! ps glad Kucharski started, disappointed Brattan did too..
NoMates
Roar Rookie
I did enjoy it tbh, was good seeing AUFC getting thrashed. SFC looked like a team that had been unbeaten from far from the side that couldn't score. I also liked the fact that they didn't let up and really put the dick into Adeliade but wanting more goals.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Sydney were very good but Adelaide were questionable. The first goal by Lolley usually he is running backward and sideways and has to shoot off balance as everyone is trying to stop him cutting inside, Kitto let him cut inside too easily, and then no one else came to stop him . It was his best game, but he has been targetted by the oppositon as the one big threat in every other game. Kucharski he scored two tough one on one finishes, he also does a lot of neat passes unusual for someone his age,he didnt get any credit for the shot that gave Gomes the tap in the final. He should be the no 2 attacker behind Lolley. The no 3 attacker should have been Segecic, I dont really get him being loaned out, Glasson they should have loaned out once they got Gomes as there are too many strikers. Talay is certainly always on the teams back, as long as he stops any Brattan funny business returning then he can compete for the title. I think Corica will go on a long holiday, maybe it will be permanent, he did very well in his first two years with a smaller budget. Then he became like Mourinho and Aloisi, is he going to repeat the pattern get sacked,holiday, new club, success, long contract, get sacked again,
Punter
Roar Rookie
He does make a lot of poor calls.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Hopefully the start of something special. I hope NoMates enjoyed the game.