Live Game Report:
As the sun dropped below the hills as a fiery ball, I pulled the van into
the street opposite Bosnjaks Bus Depot and joined the people walking toward
the bright spotlights, past chequered flags and banners, past chequered food
stalls, with my Breakers cap pulled down over my eyes, sweet little boys
pointed and said things like - "you're gunnna lose", and "cro-arztshia".
This will be 'good' I thought as I handed over my ticket and entered - King
Tomislav Croatia Park (or so my Gregory's calls it!) Turn right and walk
around the ground. Haven't been here before - a compact real football
ground, not much by way of stands, around the ground I go until I spy a
small group of blue & white shirts behind the western goal. The Rowdies!
An intrepid band had made it down - about a dozen Rowdies and a few dozen more Breakers supporters including families. I joined them, donned my Breakers shirt, and watched the NYL game whilst chatting to Rui Melo and the others. NYL result Sydney United 2 Newcastle 0.
The Breakers come out into the dusk and warm up behind us. Whose on - yes! Scottie Thomas is in, No! Ironside is in. We start to warm up our voices with some classics from the Rowdies song book. Around us chequer-boarded and black shirted fans eye us strangely and silently. Have we broken some taboo, sone special moment of silence before the game? Who cares - Breakers! Breakers! Breakers! More stares.
The game starts at just after 6.30pm. Eddie Lennie the Referee is wired for sound. The Rowdies stretch the focal chords some more. Kids try to destroy the banner on the fence - chased off by the Breakers kids. The game progresses, uneventful on the field but we seem to be attracting little groups of aggressive young men with aussie accents and 'ushtasi' t-shirts! Look front and keep singing! Arguments start with isolated Pumas fans around the edge of our group. Security guards patrol behind us. We keep singing. Rui Melo comments after the match that this is his first time at King Tom and his last. As a Sydney Newcastle Breakers fan I can't be as choosy but I know what he means. At the end some of the menacing looking fellows came up and shook our hands and said thanks for coming; old blokes come up and say - Ish good club mite!
Mixed reactions - walk back to car (with shirt covered over). Will I go back - yes! Will I draw attention to myself - no - not without 50 Breakers fans! Other reactions - ground seems OK, not as many (or as good looking) girls as at Bossley Park. The Croatia chant only came a few times. I'm glad they had won the premiership, but they also didn't quite know how to take us. We weren't the usual ethnic/political threat. When they sang Croatia we sang Australia. When we sang the usual songs they laughed. Weird night!
The game: Sydney United Pumas 2 Newcastle Topper Breakers 0 (0-0)
Game: 6/10 - didn't raise to great heights. Referee: Eddie Lennie 7/10.
Scorers: Marusic, and Milicic
Best for Newcastle: Swancott, Halpin, Austin.
Best for Hroatzia: Kalac, Marusic, Babic
The two defences were on top most of the game, with the first half even points and we were hopefull at half time that the Breakers could find a way through. They applied enough pressure but the final pass was picked up, or the moves broke down. Kalac picked up everything in the air, and the defence was very tight on the ground. The Breakers defence also had been holding Zdrillic and Millicic easily, until 10 minutes into the 2nd half when the defence parted to let in a nice strike which Brad Swancott could do nothing about. One more lapse 15 minutes later was all that separated the teams. Two chances to SU - taken. Several to the Breakers - not taken. Where oh can we find a goal scorer we can afford? SU worthy winners, but ..! Oh, well UTS next week and that sees out our season!
PS. If you are not doing anything Thurs 24th go to The King Tomislav Croatian Club for a Dance Party. But go in military gear. You know AK-47 slung across your chest!