The previous week was the big clash against the arch rivals Melbourne, Kewell v Emerton. Somehow the whole thing seemed an entirely seperate competition and with their first home game Sydney were hoping to put in a creditable performance, prefereably a win, against a much more accomplished side but one without the popular appeal of a Kewell in the side. Anticipation. While the season is young there is a sweet and earnest hope that is as delicious as last March was bitter.
Then there were no match programs.
Yes they're overpriced and generally have the kind of stanards reserved for the last sentence of the first paragraph but somehow they're a part of the experience like the stomach rumbles after eating something you would *never* buy outside the stadium... ever. This is also something I did without... but you know what I'm talking about.
Getting into the stadium the pitch markings look to have been made shorter than previous seasons. By about 3-4 metres at either end. It was weird.. and other people mentioned it also. Coach Lavicka has a walk around, the early birds in the cove cheer and he stands in the corner arc and faces across the field. Why does he do that? I've seen it before and it's weird, is there a promo shot being taken from up in the stands? Is it a superstition thing? Anyway he then autographs a few of the younger fans merchandise as he makes his way back to the locker room. Nice touch. After the warmups were done Sydney are still doing the sprinkler thing.
As the game began it was clear that Brisbane were still good... damnit. They had the whole crisp passing thing going on but I have to admit that Sydney surprisingly were looking for quick counters. Sadly that quite often resulted in offside decisions and the referee was quick to blow whistle on anything that he deemed too physical. Brisbane were pushing up the field and there was a lot of space to move into... but somehow it never really came together for Sydney.
McFlynn earned himself an early yellow for persistently doing his job... the whole thing about him being someone with a reputation for physical play probably wasn't helping. Plus he ran into Strebre Delovski who really likes officiating because he does it a lot.
The exchanges escalated into goal opportunities... Brisbane had a far post header and Sydney shot over the bar after a scramble following from a corner.
Antonis had a narrow attempt tipped over the bar by the Brissy keeper.
While Brisbane generally had the prettier of the play you got the sense that Sydney was hanging in there and could make one of their half chances count. Emerton was being heavily worked in defence and had limited chances forward but Sydney's goose is cooked if they become a one man team. Last season I saw the entire team pass the ball to Carle and then sit back waiting for him to do something. That sort of play isn't going to work... unless you're a Hagi, or a Maradona and with all due respect...
Anyway some way deep into the first half Brisbane's Mitch Nicolls got Brisbane's first card... presumably for being an argumentative cock. Sometimes it's hard to tell ;-).
And then, just as it all looked to go into the break in a tightly wound draw Brisbane finally did open up the Sydney defence and a fierce drive from the left was only palmed away by Reddy and it was Berisha who was quickest to the loose ball and put it into the net. It wasn't so much against the run of play but it did come somewhat unexpectedly... and that's always the trouble isn't it. You don't often give up goals when you know what's coming because you can usually mitigate against it.
After that the equation changed a little. The crowd expects.. if not a barrage of goals agains a side that has a lenghty unbeaten recoard then at least some enterprise and style. When the goal went in Brisbane stuck more rigidly to their game plan which seemed to be along the lines of take it to the line and cut or cross it back across the goal and see what happens. It's not a bad tactic in general I guess and while there was a late chance for Sydney to make something happen and go into the break with a 1-1 the second half really ebbed towards the visitors.
Sydney weren't done by any means but the slow, steady and almost relentless buildup of the Brisbane team was not quite as flashy as usual and not really as heart-in-the-mouth as when a free kick was quickly taken, wasn't called offside when it was sent forward and Carle rounded the keeper but took it too wide to score and had to pull the ball back. To Brisbane players.
Cazarine had a header deflected away. So Sydney were close... but not.
After an hour the changes started coming and it really only made the match swing more towards the Brisbane team and having gotten some Boos for his trouble Danning sped down the right of a ground he knows so well and as the playbook must say put the ball back and eventually found Broich who took his first time shot with aplomb and rifled the ball home for a sealing goal with just over 15 minutes to go.
I know in theory that kind of lead can be reeled in, but the people starting to head out 10 minutes from the end knew that wasn't going to happen. Not today, not here.
1 point from 2 games isn't a disaster but Sydney are going to have to get their wins somewhere and the remaining sides are no push overs... step 1, find some goalscorers. Cazarine is useful.. Bridge would have been handy today but is serving a suspension for his red card in round 1... and he can't do it alone.