Sydney FC tonight wasted several opportunities to cruise into the second leg of their minor semi-finals encounter with an advantage over Queensland Roar.
The nil-all result was a relief for both coaches and reflects poor football from their teams.
Queensland's defence was solid, mostly, and when there were lapses Alex Brosque missed decent chances.
For their part, despite having the better of Sydney for pace, Queensland never looked like scoring and hardly got a threatening shot on target.
Rather than engineer goals, the key tactic for both sides was to brutalise opposing forwards. Sydney were penalised for many more offences; midway through the second half my daughter was actually expressing sympathy for Queensland?s zippy Michael Zullo.
But Sasa Ognenovski and Craig Moore were no angels; they were just better at getting away with it.
Before kick off it was clear the crowd wouldn?t equal the turnout for the previous week?s game against Melbourne. But the money queue was still very long; even longer than the beer queue.
The sky was overcast. But no rain.
Queensland started with the ball. Reinaldo and Marcinho applied the pressure and Robbie Middleby conceded a corner.
Tackling was already quite fierce.
A free kick by Marcinho was stopped low by Clint Bolton at the right post.
A cross from the right by Sydney's Terry McFlynn was put away for a corner by Josh McCloughan. Queensland scrambled the ball clear and Mark Milligan earned the first yellow card for a foul on Robbie Kruse.
Ognenovski was strong over the back of Brosque, Zullo got his head to a cross in front of goal, but with no real purchase, and when Brosque received the ball on the left the crowd cheered in some deluded anticipation that he could escape the five orange shirts surrounding him.
Steve Corica played a good ball down right for Middleby but Zullo gave chase and tackled successfully.
Sydney got the ball into the right side of the Queensland penalty area and it must have been exciting because everyone stood up; but Sydney didn't score.
Juninho gained lots of ground with a run from left midfield but bounced off Moore. There was no free kick; Queensland started a counter move and were immediately awarded a free kick. The crowd booed its anger then cheered ironically when Reinaldo fluffed a shot.
Did you teach him that, Farina? came a call from behind me.
Brosque got away down the right and was fouled by Moore. Then Ognenovski almost gave Brosque a chance with a poor pass back to goalkeeper Griffin McMaster.
Ognenovski earned his yellow for fouling Middleby as he was escaping down the right. Frank Farina complained and the crowd shouted from him to sit down. But, more seriously for Sydney, Middleby was hurt in the chase and had to be replaced, throwing into disarray any plans John Kosmina had for employing Ruben Zadkovich later in the match.
A long ball found Reinaldo down the left but his cross went behind Kruse, who fell over in the box. Potential chance. Wasted.
Zadkovich came on for Middleby in the 26th minute and soon got away down the right but McCloughan caught him and conceded a corner.
Sydney continued to pump long balls instead of playing out from the backs. A guy sitting near us said, ?I didn?t know Terry Butcher was back. Which nicely explained Sydney?s problem ? if they were really trying to score. In recent games Brosque has been isolated at the front chasing or trying to hold up long balls; which isn?t what he?s good at. Especially when closely marked by two or three players 20 centimetres taller than him. He led the A-League scorers? table when someone else held up the ball and he had close support, particularly from Juninho, who would play shorter balls for him, dissecting the line of defenders. Lately Sydney has had two or three ball players too deep to be of any use.
Of course Sydney has had a good run of late. But it's been hard to blame Brosque for not scoring as often. Except in this game.
Juninho finally got the ball in a decent position, ran it forward and slid it through a tad too firmly for McFlynn to latch onto.
Zadkovich won another corner after a good battle with McCloughan, another Sydney long ball just cleared the Queensland defensive line and almost gave Brosque a chance, McCloughan fouled McFlynn, Farina got to his feet again and the crowd told him, 'Down in front!'
Kruse fouled Renaud (a turn-up for the books) and Massimo Murdocca defended over Corica's head in front of goal on a cross from the right.
The crowd thought the assistant ref on our side was a complete idiot and thought by his past decisions he'd agree with them when they yelled it was a corner when the ball went out over the sideline.
Bolton slugged another ball up to Brosque with three Queensland players looking over his shoulders, Renaud got a yellow for helping Marcinho fall over the ball, and Bolton got down again to collect the Ognenovski free kick, Queensland's second decent shot on target.
Then Bolton had to be sharp to stop Marcinho who tried to shoot after making a decent run.
Brosque beat Moore down the left and crossed but McCloughan took the ball in front of Zadkovich.
Juninho punted a long volley toward goal when McMaster came off his line, but it fell short into McMaster's arms.
Early in the second half Marcinho cut in across the top of the Sydney penalty area and shot wide.
The guy next to us was concerned that Renaud wasn?t quite quick enough for Kruse. Then Reinaldo flogged Renaud, crossed and Milligan almost scored his second own goal in as many weeks. The corner was cleared.
Brosque's first big gaffe. He rounded a fallen Andrew Packer and, faced only with McMaster, chipped the keeper, goal and all.
Iain Fyfe won a good tackle and got the ball to Brosque who was fouled by Ognenovski. A free kick for Sydney came across the face of goal and looked like a prospect for the home side, but Queensland got it away and attacked through Zullo, burning Sydney down the left. Zullo was stopped by Talay who received a yellow card.
Poor kid, said my daughter. Every time he gets the ball he gets hit.
Brosque, twice supplied by Juninho, had free shots but once picked out McMaster and once could not beat McMaster (slight difference).
Renaud looked dead but was playing some decent ball. Everyone else was giving it away. No sooner did I note that than Renaud stuffed a pass and Juninho was forced to foul to save Sydney's ass.
Kruse was relieved by Tahj Minniecon, who the guy next to us thought would also burn Renaud. 'Kossie, wake up! - he yelled. 'Drink some more coffee will you, mate'
And, sure enough, Minniecon got three good possessions in quick succession, savaging Renaud and eventually forcing a corner.
Corica was replaced by Patrick and the crowd, for some reason, thought that was a good thing.
Patrick predictably proceeded to play rubbish and Marcinho shot high.
Apart from their inability to shoot near the target, Queensland were ruling the game now. Sydney were just holding on.
Packer crossed from the right and Reinaldo attempted a diving header, which missed the ball by only, say, 15 centimetres.
Brosque and Kruse were replaced. Juninho busted his gut to beat a defender and cross from the right but - Brosque was gone.
So Juninho tried playing through for Brendon Santalab, who was easily outmanoeuvred by Matt Mackay.
Milligan hit a good cross looking for Patrick across the face of goal, but there was no shot. Pathetic.
Popovic saved as Queensland attacked down the right and conceded a corner. Sydney broke with Juninho again looking for Santalab, who was offside.
In time added on Santalab was blocked by Moore in the right of the Queensland penalty area.
Both coaches seemed to think they would have some kind of advantage when they faced each other again at Lang Park on February 8.
Sydney can play better. But can Queensland?