Chris Jones 2 (Panopoulos, Vlahos)
Sydney Olympic 0
The stats lie. Chris Jones today had the best performance I have ever seen in an NSL match. Even eclipsing Colosimo's hattrick last season against Wollongong.
Technicially not a great game - the conditions and referee conspired against it - but easily the most memorable of this season.
Jones was simply awesome. Crosses, stops, diving at attacker's feet. Nothing could get past him. It is beyond believe Souths signed a useless Hunagarian and actually played him ahead of Jones. Only Souths.
I thought the fact Jones was subject to a 1M+ offer recently was absurd, but anything less than 10M wouldn't do justice.
Orlic hauled down Arambasic early, got sent off. Now, Con the con was utterly spot on in the first 25 minutes or so, then just completely lost it. De Amicis walked for 2 nothing challenges and everyone else was in danger of collecting a card. Fair go, he handed out more cards than a frigging lawyer at a train wreck.
Olympic could have been 2-0 up when Souths won a penalty. It looked like a classic borderline between legitimate dive and legitimate penalty. Perhaps those in the Press Box can give their opinion? Panop converted.
I thought Carlton were the worst team when it came to numerical advantage, but Olympic take the cake. They had 75 minutes against 10 men and about 30 with 9. Yes you read that right. Souths had 2 players sent off at home.
How Olympic beat Souths 6-0 a few days ago is impossible. Drugs, sex and money by both teams is the only plausible explanation.
Trimboli with the most beautiful reverse pass found Vlahos in space who clipped it past the keeper. The pass was simply extraordinary. Vlahos didn't do much, yet at the same time was death in the penalty area, having a chip come off the crossbar in the first half.
The Souths fans are getting vocal as of late "Where's the money" and "Sack the board" were given a belting. Heh. But there could be only one chant by day's end - "Jonesy!"