Brisbane Roar FC
2
Match Complete
Sydney FC
1
| J. Pepper |  | 95' | ||
| D. Wenzel-Halls |  | 90' | ||
| 85' | | B. O'Neill | ||
| T. Mikkelsen | | 77' | ||
| A. L. SA!nchez | | 64' | ||
| 55' | | D. D. Silva | ||
| 52' | | M. Ninkovic | ||
| 33' | | B. Warland | ||
| L. D. Vere | | 1' |
| 15 | Shots | 18 | ||
| 4 | On Target | 5 | ||
| 8 | Fouls | 6 | ||
| 6 | Corners | 5 | ||
| 3 | Offsides | 3 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
Sydney FC face an opportunity to close the gap on the top two when they take on Brisbane Roar in Round 18 of the A-League at Suncorp Stadium at 7:50pm (AEDT). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
With the top two teams facing off on Sunday (Perth and Victory), a Sydney FC win against the regrettable Brisbane Roar would keep the pressure on and could allow the Sky Blues to finish the round in second place on the ladder.
And what a team to be facing when you’re trying to keep your points total high. Brisbane are coming off a famously terrible result, coughing up a 3-0 lead last week to Adelaide to go down 4-3.
Before the Adelaide game Roar fans must have wondered if they had reached rock bottom: a wholly forgettable season that promised a finals berth, with manager John Aloisi walking out the door before he was shown it.
But with that Adelaide game, Brisbane emphatically asked fans to hold their beer. Four goals conceded and two red cards later – including one contentiously shown to goalkeeper Jamie Young – and Roar fans were surely convinced that rock bottom had arrived.
Sydney meanwhile has been quietly going about their business. Four wins out of five, including an impressive dismantling of Melbourne City last week has kept the sky blues in contention.
English import Adam LeFondre has been a spectacular success this season and has three toes inside the Golden Boot with 12 goals.
Over January Sydney has done fantastic business, adding Iranian Reza Ghoochennejhad and Aussie journeyman Anthony Caceras, along with some squad depth in Mitch Austin.
Add in the coming of age of 18-year-old forward Luke Ivanovic (who scored last week before taking a knock), and the return of Rhyan Grant from international duty and Sydney’s squad must surely be the deepest in the league.
Complicating matters further for the Roar is the return this week from injury and suspension of experienced heads Michael Zullo and Alex Brosque.
Despite the Roar’s weakened squad there is some hope. Adam Taggart is always tricky (he sits a goal behind LeFondre on the table), and 21 year old wide player Dylan Wenzel-Halls joined Taggart on the scoreboard last week and shows a lot of potential.
They have also added Ruan Tongyik (centreback) and Charles Lokoli-Ngoy (winger) to their books this week, and both are in the match day squad to pressure incumbents in their positions.
Sadly the more likely scenario for the Roar is that rock bottom is even deeper than they realised.
Prediction
It would be impossible to predict a positive result for the Roar. Sydney are flying, have talent and depth at every level and could (and should) brutalise Roar backup keeper Brendan White. In fact, this one could get ugly.
Brisbane Roar 0 – Sydney FC 4
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
yep, we really earn the joy of a win at times like these love this club
Aw
Guest
Sydney are a disgrace of a side. Absolutely pathetic. The players are crap. No backbone in them at all when it gets tough. Collapse like a house of cards. Credit to Brisbane tho
Brisvegas
Guest
It's for moments like this that you support your team. This is why you go to games and invest some of yourself in your team of choice, even if they aren't on a winning streak. The armchair sports fan will say "jolly good show, old chaps. That was a surprise." The fan will bounce around and say "WHADAFCKINBEAUTY!". You can't beat passion.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
That's all for tonight folks! Bitter disappointment for Sydney fans, and the exact opposite (sweet thrills?) for Brisbane-ites. It's fair to say my prediction of a Sydney cakewalk didn't eventuate. Well-played to the Roar for making me look stupid with that tip! Neutrals will be pleased that the upsets are still possible in this league, and neutral Socceroos may just be penciling in Izaack Powell's name as 2026 back-up to Alex Gersbach (if your spreadsheet looks that far forward). Good night and all the best!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT: An extraordinary game of football at Suncorp with Sydney losing the unlosable game 2-1 to cellar dwellers Brisbane Roar. Brisbane went into this one with a severely depleted defensive line, and went on to lose DeVere and Hingert from their back 4 within the first half an hour. From that point on Brisbane faced the top goalscorer in the competition (leFondre), and a man who competed for Iran in Russia (Ghoochannejhad) with central defender Matt McKay and a 16 year old Izaack Powell on debut at left back. That shaped as a nightmare for the Roar, but it turned out not to be far from it. Sydney’s frontline was rusty, ineffective, and once they stripped the tempo out of the game (after going a goal up), they ensured that the Sydney’s defenders will be the ones up tonight in a cold sweat. The first half was largely forgettable, both teams had chances – Ninkovic criminally blasting a tap-in over the bar – but it was a half punctuated by poor cross, poor touches and untaken chances. The pairing of Taggart and Wenzell-Halls threatened, but weren’t quite able to convert their better moments, and at the other end leFondre and Ghoochannejhad started to find their groove together just before the whistle. In the second half it looked like a Sydney masterclass was inevitable. Sydney did eventually open the scoring with Daniel DeSilva after 55 minutes when third-choice keeper White parried a shot into his path. That goal was the culmination of a lot of possession in their forward third, with Ninkovic seeking to atone for his poor early miss. But after that goal Sydney dropped sail and coasted. The tempo reduced and suddenly the Brisbane back four - who looked so susceptible in the opening minutes of the second half - had time to close down their opponents and grow into the game. Brisbane’s goals, ultimately, were hard won but well worthy of the scoresheet. Both were set up directly (or indirectly) from direct balls into Adam Taggart’s feet, and his exchanges unlocked both Mikkelsen and Wenzell-Halls to heroically blast inside Andrew Redmayne’s near post. Indeed, Adam Taggart was probably the difference tonight. A team as threadbare as Brisbane can only thrive when their plan A is simple, and a player like Taggart – who can play with both his back and front to goal – is the perfect outlet option for them. His ability to hold, link the pla, and get shots off himself kept the sky blues guessing all night. The stats also indicate how close this game was. Sydney had a lot more of the ball (62%), but they only slightly edged shots (18 to 15) and shots on target (5 to 4). But after the early exits of Brisbane’s injured defenders Sydney should have achieved a lot more from this game. MAN OF THE MATCH was Taggart. Major props are owed to both man-mountain defender Matt McKay and unlikely keeper saviour Brendan White, and extra special props for goalscorer Wenzell-Halls who also nearly opened the scoring for Brisbane in the first half. But Adam Taggart was Brisbane’s most important player and is proving in a weak team that he belongs in the conversation for the league’s best striker.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Good one you Roar. Can't see Sydney doing the three-peat in the Premiers Plate. My money is on whoever wins on Sunday.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
T shirt printers in Brisbane will be swamped on monday with orders for WHITE - NIGRO - PEPPER - McKAY - POWELL. An outstanding shift from the replacement backline for Brisbane. They were tight, organised, and conceded in difficult circumstances when Sydney were really pushing into them.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Well what can I say?? Brisbane were good for the win after Sydney pulled the handbrake after an hour. That last half an hour brought a lot of confidence to the Roar and that enthusiasm increased with each minute until they literally ran over Sydney. Sloppy touches, a lack of ambition and zero urgency cost Sydney dearly tonight. Sydney have now ceded the top 2 spots and will find it really hard to finish above third now.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
two good goals to Bris
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Winning in front of home supporters. Well done Roar.
95'
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
FULL TIME! Brisbane have WON!!! The scoreline is 2-1 but, ultimtely, it is a disaster for Sydney.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
95' - O'Neill's ball in is long and White collects to continue his Herculean legacy.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
94' - Pepper is booked now for a YELLOW CARD, for a hack down on Austin. It gives Sydney a dangerous FREE KICK with seconds left.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Time is nearly up here. The hourglass is nearly out of sand.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
93' - Sydney win a free kick in a dangerous position... O'Neill drives it into the mixer from wide and Brosque gets a head on it, but puts it WIDE.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
I've done Wenzell-Halls a disservice in my description. Taggart's ball was a little too long and Warland just smashed it into the young forward who caught the rebound. A brilliant strike and extremely well earned.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Always love the way Matt McKay tucks his shirt into his shorts. Mum would be proud :)
90'
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
92' - Two Roar players are down. Wenzell-Halls and Pepper clash after a long Sydney throw. They're both up now -which is a good sign.