Well, thank God for that. After 70 minutes of execrable football Sydney somehow discovered a blistering spell of one touch, pass and move football.
The ball spent precious little time on the ground for long periods of yesterday's match at Parramatta Stadium. Touch players Alex Brosque, Mark Bridge and Robbie Fowler could not get into a long-ball game - though Sydney's "Killer B's" were the best on the ground in the second half of the second period.
Rather embarrassingly, I believed the newly-bald Rhyan Grant was Scott Jamieson for a long time (and found it curious that he was playing on the right of the midfield three). Playing three defensive midfielders against the A League's weakest team was quite Manchester City of Sydney FC. Once again the conservative formation produced frustrating football for an enthusiastic Western Sydney crowd - until Sydney slipped into gear.
The crowd of 6654 is reportedly Sydney's record low. The club must take action to draw back the fans for the build up to the Asian Champion's League campaign. A guest player in the ilk of Kazu must be contemplated. Sydney's style of football is not going to bring back the fans - unless of course the Sky Blues can get out of second gear for more than 20 minutes of a match.
Shannon Cole's decisive run, goal and backflip celebration were all perfectly timed. But his man of the match award was farcical - Cole's distribution was off all afternoon and at times he comically gave away the ball. Byun was a little more solid on the other side and both fullbacks at least did the job defensively.
Hayden Foxe was similarly wasteful and during the first half he took the ball past the Perth centre circle before playing a poor pass straight to a Glory player. Sydney were so startled to see a centre half in a ball-playing role that Foxe's position was left completely empty and only an atrocious Perth pass saved Sydney's skin.
The comparison with Brisbane's Luke DeVere is stark. Sydney are still ball-watching and only thinking one pass ahead.
When Dimitri Petratos took the field, it seemed the team collectively decided to play football. Sydney played first time passes, cute balls around the corner and made runs that actually predicted the play two moves ahead.
Though Hiro Moriyasu make some incisive runs (before taking dreadful options) the most surprising performance came from Mark Bridge, who showed glimpses of his creative best while still taking a touch too many on several occasions. Nicky Carle should return to the first choice 11 but Bridge did well in the absence of Carle and Bruno Cazarine.
The brief glimpse of swashbuckling football at the end of the second half was largely sparked by Bridge and Alex Brosque. Where Hiro's swashbuckling runs ended in damnable indecision, Bridge and Brosque reignited their once-lethal understanding and buzzed around Perth's static defence. Their movement and touch was powered by the faith of their midfield, who finally had the guts to play a short pass and move forward to create space for a comrade.
Michael Cockerill puts Brosque's inconsistency down to a lack of desire. I doubt that this is the case. Brosque's touch, pace and finishing have found their level: he is a four star A League striker. Brosque has never stood up and claimed a spot for the Socceroos, he has only scored 38 goals in 123 A League appearances and has never bagged more than 8 in a season.
Brosque has been Sydney's best player this season (which isn't saying much) but even in last season's ball-to-feet focused side, he only scored seven goals. His 10 assists that year tell the story - Brosque is not a goal machine striker and that is why Bruno Cazarine is so important to the squad.
Brosque has appropriately won the headlines but Bridge was impressive and may keep his spot when Bruno returns. I would slot Hiro back into the midfield three at Grant's expense. If you are going to have three defensive midfielders, one of them should at least show a bit of dynamism.
If Shannon Cole can do the simple things but keep the showtime going, if Hiro can take better options (such as his through ball that released Brosque for the second goal) and if Mark Bridge can keep improving, Sydney might still sneak a finals spot.
With Bruno and Nicky Carle coming back into the squad, the future is looking brighter for Sydney FC.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Game 13 - Sydney FC 1 vs Newcastle Jets 0 - 7/11/10
Perhaps Sydney were due a gift. But Sunday's scrappy win against fellow cellar-dwellers Newcastle left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Sydney created few chances and will take little confidence to the Gold Coast despite the win and first clean sheet of the season. The champions should not settle for winning ugly. Viteslav Lavicka was not wrong to state: "We are doing small steps forward now."
Sydney FC should be running. Hiro Moriyasu earned his new contract for his enthusiasm. His dynamic play has energized Sydney's formerly ponderous midfield and it was little surprise to see him pushed further forward into a front three role. If his touch could compare to Karol Kisel's, Sydney might be in business.
It doesn't. Not yet, anyway. But Lavicka is entitled to expect further improvements from his state league recruit. Without Nicky Carle he has few others to turn to, as it would seem that Danning and Antonis may as well write off the season.
Goal scorer Bruno Cazarine continues to impress. He lacks Viduka's touch and his distribution is frequently dodgy, but Bruno closes down, employs more than one defender at most times and is adept at stealing goals. His heading at set pieces has been disappointing in the last few home matches and he and Brosque rarely display an understanding. Again, more is expected as time goes on. Both men are undroppable with Mark Bridge injured and out of form.
That said, it has been a long time since Alex Brosque has made an impression on a match. Some strikers can afford to live moment by moment. Sydney need more from their most creative (healthy) player.
Bridge will surely return to the bench for the next match as Stuart Musialik mostly impressed with more agile men around him. Lavicka will however be disappointed by how Newcastle overran and outplayed Sydney for large periods of the match.
Sydney's midfield were unable to keep the ball under sustained pressure and the old bad habit of ball watching and finger pointing resurfaced in the second half. Players seemed intent on bossing each other around and not moving into space to receive or allow a pass. Rhyan Grant is still finding his way and Terry McFlynn offered aggression and little else. Ben Kantarovski would slide straight into this Sydney side and so would a few others.
Ali Abbas impressed with everything but his finishing and it is high time that Scott Jamieson repayed the club for recruiting him with intent. By all reports Byun will depart at the end of his contract and Jamieson must start defending with effort and authority. Shannon Cole similarly needs to get out of third gear and the delivery from wide areas has been poor all season.
Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller were pegged back but managed for the most part. But the question must be asked - with Ryall benched, Foxe surely on his last legs and Keller similarly out of contract, does Lavicka have a recruitment strategy in place? One would hope so, but his work in this department does not inspire confidence. A top class centreback must be the first priority for Asia.
And now Sydney travel to meet their nemesis. Thankfully Gold Coast cannot boast much of a home ground advantage. It is time for several Sydney players to remember how good they can be.
Sydney created few chances and will take little confidence to the Gold Coast despite the win and first clean sheet of the season. The champions should not settle for winning ugly. Viteslav Lavicka was not wrong to state: "We are doing small steps forward now."
Sydney FC should be running. Hiro Moriyasu earned his new contract for his enthusiasm. His dynamic play has energized Sydney's formerly ponderous midfield and it was little surprise to see him pushed further forward into a front three role. If his touch could compare to Karol Kisel's, Sydney might be in business.
It doesn't. Not yet, anyway. But Lavicka is entitled to expect further improvements from his state league recruit. Without Nicky Carle he has few others to turn to, as it would seem that Danning and Antonis may as well write off the season.
Goal scorer Bruno Cazarine continues to impress. He lacks Viduka's touch and his distribution is frequently dodgy, but Bruno closes down, employs more than one defender at most times and is adept at stealing goals. His heading at set pieces has been disappointing in the last few home matches and he and Brosque rarely display an understanding. Again, more is expected as time goes on. Both men are undroppable with Mark Bridge injured and out of form.
That said, it has been a long time since Alex Brosque has made an impression on a match. Some strikers can afford to live moment by moment. Sydney need more from their most creative (healthy) player.
Bridge will surely return to the bench for the next match as Stuart Musialik mostly impressed with more agile men around him. Lavicka will however be disappointed by how Newcastle overran and outplayed Sydney for large periods of the match.
Sydney's midfield were unable to keep the ball under sustained pressure and the old bad habit of ball watching and finger pointing resurfaced in the second half. Players seemed intent on bossing each other around and not moving into space to receive or allow a pass. Rhyan Grant is still finding his way and Terry McFlynn offered aggression and little else. Ben Kantarovski would slide straight into this Sydney side and so would a few others.
Ali Abbas impressed with everything but his finishing and it is high time that Scott Jamieson repayed the club for recruiting him with intent. By all reports Byun will depart at the end of his contract and Jamieson must start defending with effort and authority. Shannon Cole similarly needs to get out of third gear and the delivery from wide areas has been poor all season.
Hayden Foxe and Stephan Keller were pegged back but managed for the most part. But the question must be asked - with Ryall benched, Foxe surely on his last legs and Keller similarly out of contract, does Lavicka have a recruitment strategy in place? One would hope so, but his work in this department does not inspire confidence. A top class centreback must be the first priority for Asia.
And now Sydney travel to meet their nemesis. Thankfully Gold Coast cannot boast much of a home ground advantage. It is time for several Sydney players to remember how good they can be.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Game 12 - Sydney FC 1 vs Brisbane Roar 1 - 30/10/10
It is perhaps appropriate to pen this rather late analysis of the Roar game as we learn that Nicky Carle will be out for another month.
Michael Cockerill has written quite persuasively that Sydney's title defence is over and the club should look to the Asian Champions League. With Carle succumbing to another injury I completely agree with him. Sydney’s chance of making the finals is as unlikely as West Brom reaching the Champions League, but the Asian preparations require more than tinkering around the edges of Terry McFlynn's responsibilities.
Carle has played seven games for Sydney and frankly his performance in the opening match against Melbourne remains the most complete I have seen from any Sky Blue this season.
That a season can start so well and slip so low is lamentable. An impressive preseason against high class European opposition seems so long ago. It is time to properly blood youngsters such as Terry Antonis and Seb Ryall, bench underperformers (most notably Bridge) and finally give Kofi Danning a three or four game stretch to test out his errant touch. If he fails, let the lad go to a club like the Fury, where his pace may finally find a home.
If Byun will not sign a new deal, Scott Jamieson should play at left back. Hayden Foxe, class player that he is, cannot be expected to lead the backline for much longer and may not last the Asian campaign. Lavicka must play Ryall to build his confidence. He must also decide on his best goalkeeper and stick with him. Hiro Moriyasu deserves to keep his spot and the chance at a new deal.
It is time for Sydney to "move forward". Brisbane again showed Sydney that standing still is no option in the A League. The Roar had an off night yet moved the ball with pace, intent and absolute confidence. Sydney had an off night and looked continually shell-shocked.
Only Bruno Cazarine and Hiro Moriyasu played above themselves. The back four put in an adequate shift but Necevski's punch was so bad it was perhaps best he did not attempt to catch the ball.
Terry McFlynn was wasteful with the ball and Brisbane's quick passing showed up his general lack of mobility. Rhyan Grant was anonymous and tortured by the Roar's quick movement, but it is early days and his manager did the lad no favours by leaving him on the pitch when he was clearly exhausted. Stuart Musialik's sins must have been grave indeed.
As for Alex Brosque, his chipped goal was coolly done, but the Asian Cup is surely receding faster and faster from view from a player unable to influence a match. Mark Bridge put in another feeble performance and his new contract must seem like a blessing.
Sydney pressed three at a time and moved off the ball in trios, not as a team. Brisbane blew them off the park. Defending champions should not pray for the whistle. Their fans should not have to whistle from the stands. It should never be acceptable, but it was, and I was whistling as well, whistling into a deepening dark.
Ever since Viteslav Lavicka arrived he has attempted to teach Sydney to play a multi-paced, patient game based around short passes, movement off the ball and neat first touches around a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. The full backs provide most of the width but crawl rather than break forward, and the pivotal man in the hole requires creative support from his midfield comrades.
The system relies on a cool-headed number 10, a stingy defence, confidence throughout the squad and a lethal frontman. This season Lavicka has no Steve Corica, Karol Kisel, Nicky Carle or John Aloisi. The side has lost experience, enjoys no confidence and literally cannot keep a clean sheet.
This Sky Blues squad degrade in the second half and the Brisbane match was no exception. As the match wound down Sydney laid on three bad passes, four dodgy first touches and the same number of turnovers in a five minute period.
Sydney scored a lucky goal with their first shot of the match. They would muster few others. That a defending champion can take less than half a dozen shots in a home match demonstrates the exciting, evolutionary nature of the A League - as well as Sydney's evolving mediocrity.
The squad's new striker would provide Lavicka with welcome selection headache, but as I have stated before, Lavicka more desperately needs a playmaker to back up Carle - or more accurately, to play the Kisel to Corica's Carle.
Or he could change his system. Like he did against Perth. When Sydney won. Hmm...
Michael Cockerill has written quite persuasively that Sydney's title defence is over and the club should look to the Asian Champions League. With Carle succumbing to another injury I completely agree with him. Sydney’s chance of making the finals is as unlikely as West Brom reaching the Champions League, but the Asian preparations require more than tinkering around the edges of Terry McFlynn's responsibilities.
Carle has played seven games for Sydney and frankly his performance in the opening match against Melbourne remains the most complete I have seen from any Sky Blue this season.
That a season can start so well and slip so low is lamentable. An impressive preseason against high class European opposition seems so long ago. It is time to properly blood youngsters such as Terry Antonis and Seb Ryall, bench underperformers (most notably Bridge) and finally give Kofi Danning a three or four game stretch to test out his errant touch. If he fails, let the lad go to a club like the Fury, where his pace may finally find a home.
If Byun will not sign a new deal, Scott Jamieson should play at left back. Hayden Foxe, class player that he is, cannot be expected to lead the backline for much longer and may not last the Asian campaign. Lavicka must play Ryall to build his confidence. He must also decide on his best goalkeeper and stick with him. Hiro Moriyasu deserves to keep his spot and the chance at a new deal.
It is time for Sydney to "move forward". Brisbane again showed Sydney that standing still is no option in the A League. The Roar had an off night yet moved the ball with pace, intent and absolute confidence. Sydney had an off night and looked continually shell-shocked.
Only Bruno Cazarine and Hiro Moriyasu played above themselves. The back four put in an adequate shift but Necevski's punch was so bad it was perhaps best he did not attempt to catch the ball.
Terry McFlynn was wasteful with the ball and Brisbane's quick passing showed up his general lack of mobility. Rhyan Grant was anonymous and tortured by the Roar's quick movement, but it is early days and his manager did the lad no favours by leaving him on the pitch when he was clearly exhausted. Stuart Musialik's sins must have been grave indeed.
As for Alex Brosque, his chipped goal was coolly done, but the Asian Cup is surely receding faster and faster from view from a player unable to influence a match. Mark Bridge put in another feeble performance and his new contract must seem like a blessing.
Sydney pressed three at a time and moved off the ball in trios, not as a team. Brisbane blew them off the park. Defending champions should not pray for the whistle. Their fans should not have to whistle from the stands. It should never be acceptable, but it was, and I was whistling as well, whistling into a deepening dark.
Ever since Viteslav Lavicka arrived he has attempted to teach Sydney to play a multi-paced, patient game based around short passes, movement off the ball and neat first touches around a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. The full backs provide most of the width but crawl rather than break forward, and the pivotal man in the hole requires creative support from his midfield comrades.
The system relies on a cool-headed number 10, a stingy defence, confidence throughout the squad and a lethal frontman. This season Lavicka has no Steve Corica, Karol Kisel, Nicky Carle or John Aloisi. The side has lost experience, enjoys no confidence and literally cannot keep a clean sheet.
This Sky Blues squad degrade in the second half and the Brisbane match was no exception. As the match wound down Sydney laid on three bad passes, four dodgy first touches and the same number of turnovers in a five minute period.
Sydney scored a lucky goal with their first shot of the match. They would muster few others. That a defending champion can take less than half a dozen shots in a home match demonstrates the exciting, evolutionary nature of the A League - as well as Sydney's evolving mediocrity.
The squad's new striker would provide Lavicka with welcome selection headache, but as I have stated before, Lavicka more desperately needs a playmaker to back up Carle - or more accurately, to play the Kisel to Corica's Carle.
Or he could change his system. Like he did against Perth. When Sydney won. Hmm...
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