ALM semi first leg v Smurfs away

[true believer]

eyes on the prize

Yep, it was an empty water bottle. Don’t blame the Sydney girls. They were really copping it from our bay.

i hope your not being sympathetic towards $hitty !

 

[Michael]

Honestly, from what I’ve seen of Sydney this season, they’re just reliant on teams crumbling under their press and/or individual brilliance from caceres and Lolley etc.

Our set up is much more reliable, especially with 7 days prep.

 

[marinermick]

eyes on the prize

i hope your not being sympathetic towards $hitty !

Never sympathetic. Just don’t get the comments. We absolutely stuck it to the girls. Fair play that they gave it to us and didn’t back down to some sweaty shirtless teenagers and bloated middle aged men.

No

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

I saw Ben Abraham out for a walk this morning. Brattan is still following him around whining like a biatch!

I honestly think that's how Kuol got carded when Brattan lined him up and flattened him. Brattan was chasing the ref for 2 minutes during the entire injury time and looks like he clearly got inside his head. Whereas as a referee, you should really be more suspicious of Brattan any time they came together. Obviously Brattan should have been booked for the ongoing dissent (and not to mention - everytime there was a problem on the field, he's involved), but he's played Abrahams well. Absolute tosspot, and Abrahams let Brattan put him in his pocket rather than deal with the situation.

I think the occasion of his first finals match got to Abrahams - he had an absolutely shocking match, though the errors at least went both ways. At least for their first red he had a poor view of it. Thought their second one could easily have been a straight red, but oh well.

There was a break at the end where we should have cleaned Fabio up on half way and taken the yellow. Was enough players there would never be dogso.

I was saying the exact same thing at the time

Anyway, amazing win. Though I feel like Sydney's second red actually disrupted us more than them and we were in real danger of conceding an equalising goal. We're really good at knowing our job and our strategy, letting the other team play and just working on them until we get on top. When they lost their second, we seemed to lose all this and a lot of kicking the ball around without any real decent attacking movement, and it looked like we moved out of position too much allowing them to move straight through the midfield easily. I was already saying that we're in real danger of conceding on the counter when they scored their disallowed goal.

But, we held out, and that's something that I'm sure will be talked about. Was certainly nervous times when they scored their first and I was afraid they would. Nervewracking match, but to achieve this less than 5 days after winning the AFC GF is huge. They didn't even looked gassed, and we've played 3 games in 9 days - each of them massive games too.

I know we won't be complacent coming home next week. Everything favours us coming into that game - and that can make Sydney even more dangerous. But, that's been the case against NJ and AU, but we played with the right mindset and not complacent, so full credit to Danny and the coaching staff for keeping their heads in the right place. Hope it's an awesome turnout.

 

[Big Al]

It was interesting that Talay sent out a team filled with defenders and defensive midfielders.He had Fabio,Wood and Burgess on the bench.Perhaps he wanted us to have the ball( as we did for the first 15 minutes or so) and wear ourselves out trying to break them down.Also possibly to swamp Nizzy and Doka in the midfield.

However when Girdwood-Reich went off ( and what a spoiled boy face he has)on came Burgess and FC started to control the game.His darting runs and ability to put in dangerous crosses and clever passes spelt danger for us.Caceres had been well contained till then but with Burgess on the field he started to become involved.Their goal ( lucky deflection that it was) was due to a well flighted cross from Burgess.It was fortuitous for Talay that the sub was forced on him and actually improved Sydney's play

Nizzy's goal on half time stunned Sydney and they were a bit shell shocked at the start of the second stanza.Rodwell's reckless tackle on Theoharous showed that they were getting desperate and the Caceres foul on Theo resulting in the penalty sealed the result.Doka wasn't put off by Redmayne's clownish antics and slotted it home easily.

Theoharous was involved in the two crucial incidents of the game but otherwise it was an early season performance by him.Kuol had Brattan in his ear and the FC captain tried to get him noticed by the ref when he went down with a sniper shot early in the game when Aloushoved him in the chest.It worked as Alou got the yellow when he and the Brat went for the ball and collided and if anything both should have been carded of a free kick given (to either team)

Yeah interesting starting lineup and positioning. May have cost them the game.

I think he wanted to press us later thinking we would tire (which we did).

Also Lolley is a massive loss for them.

 

[Big Al]

Max was my MOTM

He was fantastic last night and you could tell he is one of the guys struggling to sleep. He was cranky last night but it was great to see. He tried to match Bratton or always be around making sure the ref wasn’t manipulated.

That play in first half when they were literally holding him and he spun through 3 and came out and went passed another before being fouled was beautiful and he was at the ref for a yellow for it. Next foul they got a yellow for accumulating fouls. Was a real captains type game. I agree he was MOM. Was awesome 👏🏻

 

[Ironbark]

Doka's penalty was absolute perfection. It was impressive.

Peil spoke a lot about beefing up the sports science side of things when he came in, can't help but feel it's a key piece of the puzzle with all the games and travel. Add Ezio in for mindset, the rigorous prep by coaching staff and teaching the players how to play the chess side of the game and look at where we are

Rest of the credit has to go to the players for buying in and stepping up over and over.

Best ALeague team ever

 

[Big Al]

Nah. Big energy, just what's required from a sub. Great touch too.

I didn’t feel that last night. Repeatably turned the ball over and lead to us not controlling the last 20 minutes. Every thing broke down on his side.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Doka's penalty was absolute perfection. It was impressive.

Peil spoke a lot about beefing up the sports science side of things when he came in, can't help but feel it's a key piece of the puzzle with all the games and travel. Add Ezio in for mindset, the rigorous prep by coaching staff and teaching the players how to play the chess side of the game and look at where we are

Rest of the credit has to go to the players for buying in and stepping up over and over.

Best ALeague team ever

Yeah good point about the sports science.

And that pen...and inch to the left, hits Redmayne's glove (and echoing others - these antics are supposed to be banned). Inch to the right, hits to the post.

I love that Redmayne picked it and still couldn't save it.

 

[Allreet?]

Best ALeague team ever

Hard to beat our 2013 side.

Different eras - different football. I wonder how many future Socceroos we have at the moment?

 

[true believer]

Never sympathetic. Just don’t get the comments. We absolutely stuck it to the girls. Fair play that they gave it to us and didn’t back down to some sweaty shirtless teenagers and bloated middle aged men.

No

So nobody stole v vhine's parking spot ?

 

[true believer]

Hard to beat our 2013 side.

Different eras - different football. I wonder how many future Socceroos we have at the moment?

I think max will captain australia

 

[marinermick]

So nobody stole v vhine's parking spot ?

That was the basis of my abuse to her

 

[Huddo]

That was the basis of my abuse to her

Same

 

[Ironbark]

I think max will captain australia

Agreed

 

[Archie]

The travelling support as always was brilliant, best in the land and just imagine how much better it would’ve been if it wasn’t on a Friday night. See you all at Gosford on Saturday, COYY

 

[Wombat]

I didn’t feel that last night. Repeatably turned the ball over and lead to us not controlling the last 20 minutes. Every thing broke down on his side.

Yes agreed. Ronny was poor after two brilliant halfs against Scum and the Lebos.

 

[Insertnamehere]

Ive seen enough of Ronnie to expect he'd get a deal fot next season plus maybe a option fot yr2

 

[Tevor]

Yes agreed. Ronny was poor after two brilliant halfs against Scum and the Lebos.

I have a theory on Ronnie, he doesn’t perform that well against teams like sfc and nix as they press and tackle hard. I think he is getting better as he gets used to Australian football but is easily pushed off the ball and dispossessed. His energy is always good and welcomed though. Was a great assist in Oman.

 

[style_cafe]

Just realised it'll be right about when my wife will finish running 50 km in the Blue Mountains. Spewing. Will have to settle for the Grand Final.

Drop her at Hornsby and get her to meet you after the game…