It was good to see coach John Kosmina and marquee player John Aloisi smiling at the post-match media conference.
They were in good spirits after salvaging a draw in the second half against Queensland Roar, a team that had never beaten them at home.
But the first half had been so atrocious their own fans booed them off at half time. Such fans as there were: the poorest turn-out for a Sydney A-League home game. It will take some work to get those fans back, let alone those that stayed away.
Queensland looked so much like winning that their coach, Frank Farina, and the strong Matt McKay were despondent at the media conference, even after drawing away to a team that should have been the favourites.
What happened to let Sydney dominate in the last 30 minutes? Something both coaches need to address.
Rain had been falling before the game. So most fans on our side of the pitch were sitting under cover. The problem for those at the back was that the TV monitors weren't working (what does that matter, since the highlights are blacked out anyway?).
The weather was gloomy. And so was the mood of the fans around the ground.
Yet Sydney drew the first potential blood. John Aloisi was played into the left of the Queensland penalty area, chased by Craig Moore. Aloisi still got to push the ball towards the near post, where Liam Reddy collected.
Mark Bridge got into the front-line action, playing to Rob Middleby, getting the return near the edge of the goal box and back-heeling into the side netting. He must have been reading the tip on page 43 of the Australian Football Weekly before the game.
Key Roar Charlie Miller fluffed a shot from the right, Sydney newbie Bobby Petta played with confidence, Mitchell Prentice looked solid, Shannon Cole was making mistakes and Bridge could have focused more on direct play and less on flicking around.
The crowd applauded a long sequence of Sydney's one-touch passes.
But in the 12th minute Tahj Minniecon, after a jaunty run down the left, took on Cole at the edge of the penalty area, cut in to the right and shot. McKay beat Beau Busch to the rebound off Ivan Necevski (oops) and the visitors were leading.
The gloomy mood suddenly got glummer.
Minniecon tried exactly the same move against Petta a few minutes later, with less success.
Miller had another shot from just outside the penalty and appealed for a penalty when the shot was blocked just inside the box.
The crowd was less than impressed with referee Matthew Breeze when he gave Serginho van Dijk a free kick for leaping and tumbling over a steadfast Prentice.
McKay was sticking close to Sydney's main hope, Steve Corica.
Miller made Cole look silly, and a Sydney misunderstanding gave away a corner from which Miller set up Michael Zullo for a shot --- way off target.
McKay put a great ball out to the left for Zullo, who slipped past Cole but wasted his cross.
McKay then threw his body on the line, rushing out to block a Prentice shot.
Sydney passes started going astray. And the crowd started moaning.
Minniecon on the right looked for Miller in front of goal. It didn't find him, but the Sydney clearance went straight to van Dijk who mishit his shot.
Corica's face seemed to be saying, "What do I do?"
Prentice failed a couple of times to hit Cole down the right, then Queensland won possession after Zullo put pressure on Cole and van Dijk crossed to Miller who hit a ripper, well blocked by Necevski.
Cole, looking better going forward, won a corner off Zullo.
Bridge hit a frustration shot from 25 metres --- to the left of target.
Corica belted back to rob the ball from Josh McCloughan and then berated Cole for not following up on his good work.
In the 36th minute Aloisi got a good one-two in the box with Bridge, but to the right of goal shot and missed to the left of target. This was the best Sydney chance so far. And anyone, let alone a marquee player, might have been asking questions of themselves. Not even forcing a save?
Corica, meanwhile, was running and running into good positions and flapping his arms in despair.
Stuart Musialik, missing the creative freedom allowed him when Terry McFlynn is around, finally got involved and pushed through for Corica who was bundled over from behind by Moore.
In the 39th minute Miller was replaced by Danny Tiatto. Tiatto proceeded to have a good game. But Queensland's game changed for the worse.
Fyfe made a good tackle to stop van Dijk, Luke de Vere beat Aloisi in the air and, in the 42nd minute, Tiatto ran down the guts, let a shot fly and forced Necevski into a diving save.
Cole finally got the measure of Minniecon, but Musialik gave the ball away and was lucky Minniecon sprayed his shot way wide.
At the half time whistle the crowd booed. Not for the ref. Not from general disillusionment. But at their team.
It had been depressing. Perhaps if Obama had been on the team sheet there would have been hope. But half time sorrow drowning gives one the opportunity to consider the significance of the team sheet. And the numbers of the players thereon.
Of Queensland's top 12 numbers (and, okay, for the sake of this argument the top 12 players, even though McKay and Tiatto were further down the list) ten started this game. David Dodd and Reinaldo were missing.
Sydney (okay, no-one in 6 and 9 shirts now and Colosimo (4) is out for another couple of weeks) only had six of its top 12 numbers starting. But to get to ten starters you had to look down to number 28. To fill out the bench numbers 31 and 32 were needed.
Perhaps the coach could legitimately be crying poor. Some of those dragooned onto the team sheet might have potential, but in the A-League mix they aren't quite Bling.
And for all those cringing at Cole tonight, think about this: he has started more games than any player other than Bridge and Corica. And, while we are looking at the stats, praise the Lord for Corica.
Back to the second half: Petta in the left corner beat Andrew Packer (who had an okay game but as an ex-Sydney FC player you have to hate him) and won a free kick when Packer got resentful.
Sydney had started well, but Queensland countered. Middleby had to deal with Massimo Murdocca and Minniecon and did his job well.
Moore was finally pulled up for fouling Aloisi.
Petta gave the ball away and Zullo hit a good shot, easily dealt with by Necevski.
Some credit to Cole: he hadn't been bad heading clearances from the penalty area.
Alex Brosque got ready to come on and the crowd got excited (well, as excited as a clinically depressed crowd can be). Though Petta was doing not so bad, he was the obvious player to go.
Brosque's entrance changed things for Sydney.
But in the meantime you only had to look as far as Moore to see some class. Usually making himself the frontline in defence, he also led attacks, either playing the ball or pushing forward himself. Just before Brosque came on he cleaned up a Sydney move on the Queensland penalty area, cleared the ball left, chased it himself and almost delivered a wonderful pass for Zullo.
Later Zullo down the left, challenged by Cole, pulled the ball back for McKay who hit a firm shot at Necevski.
Tiatto, smart, read a flick pass intended for Corica.
Middleby made a good run down the left and hit a fine cross toward Corica at the far post who, unfortunately, was never going to have the height to benefit.
Aloisi down the left gave a horrid pass toward Brosque and Tiatto set Queensland off on a foray.
Corica, making a penetrating run, was fouled by Zullo. The Prentice free kick was headed around the penalty area before Busch muffed a chance.
In the 64th minute Middleby hit another great ball toward the right post. It sailed over Bridge and Corica got the better of Tiatto and bobbled the ball past Reddy. Somehow Sydney had equalised.
Minniecon earned his yellow card for crumbling Brosque.
In the 69th minute Middleby hit a beautiful, beautiful cross curling in front of goal and met almost perfectly by Bridge, who headed onto the crossbar.
Moore conceded a free kick to the left of the Queensland penalty area. Cole took it poorly but got the rebound and dropped the ball toward the goal box where Corica headed over goal.
Sydney fans called for the ball to be given to Brosque.
Brosque got the ball and took on and beat Murdocca down the left. He put the cross in toward Aloisi, who was shut down by Packer, but still applauded Brosque's effort.
Down the other flank, Zullo dropped in a cross for Mitchell Nichols (who replaced Minniecon). Nichols headed powerfully over goal from six metres. Nichols seemed to have a point to prove and wasn't doing badly at it.
Corica on a run to goal was blocked by Moore but the ball played back into the path of Brosque who blasted high.
Middleby, persistent down the left, beat three Queensland players at once.
Moore brought down Aloisi just outside the Queensland penalty area. From the free kick a Corica shot was deflected just to the left of goal.
Bridge, coming into the left of the Queensland penalty area, squeezed a shot post Moore and just to the right of goal --- so close that even Moore congratulated his effort.
Prentice's yellow was for a clumsy collision with Tiatto. A low Tiatto shot was well stopped by Necevski, low.
On a Sydney corner from the left Reddy misjudged his attempted clearance. From the consequent Corica shot Nichols became a hero, heading off the line.
Aloisi on the left found Prentice on the right. Prentice shot askew. Prentice was replaced by Brendan Gan, who impressed the crowd with skills evading Zullo --- just after Brosque demonstrated a similar manoeuvre.
Aloisi applauded another Middleby lob into the penalty area, after it was de Vere's turn to shut Aloisi down.
And the game ended even.
Kosmina said he told his players at half time to go out and stick it up the crowd. Which might suggest to the crowd that if it wants good results it should start booing before kick off.
The Sydney coach even said he found positives in the first half. Though he admitted Sydney had dug its way out of a hole ... "a real deep hole".
He said Sydney had conceded a soft goal (finger pointing at the goalkeeper).
Aloisi looked for the positives also: they had outplayed the best away team in the league in the last 30 minutes. Kosmina thought Sydney then had enough chances to win.
Of obvious criticism heading Cole's way, Kosmina said the fill-in right fullback had more to learn about the game and that even though he might be better in a more attacking position Sydney needed him in defence.
Aloisi said everyone went through patches. This had been a bad patch for him and he would get through it.
Farina said his side had the better of the game for the first 60 minutes but the situation changed once Sydney scored. He thought Queensland didn't capitalise on its chances, and that had been a typical problem lately.
To lose Miller at that stage was a blow: he was a more attacking player than Tiatto and adjustments had to be made.
A post-match fan's anecdote in a shopping centre the next day. Teenage girl and parents. Season ticket holders. Mother wanted to leave at half time. Father resisted --- they'd paid already. Mother blamed the coach. Thought Cole sucked mightily. Credited Sydney's turnaround to the introduction of Brosque.
I was in a lot of agreement with her. Would I have stayed if I didn't have to write this? Especially after Miller was replaced. At the time he was the most interesting thing on the pitch. McKay had been good, too. But with Miller gone he changed roles and lost some prominence.
But was that a good enough excuse for Queensland not to take the three points? Frank? Frank?