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Sydney FC 2-0 Melbourne Victory: Sky Blues Take Title
Redemption was sweet for Aloisi as Lavicka's men ended up heroes.
Feb 14, 2010 3:19:00 AM
By Chris Paraskevas
Sydney FC have stolen the A-League Premiership on the final day of the regular season, courtesy of an emphatic 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium this evening.
Wonder-strikes from Karol Kisel and John Aloisi on either side of the half gave Sydney a win that will live long in the memories of their first generation of fans, who saw a perennial villain turn into a hero during a dramatic 90 minutes of football.
From the outset it was clear that this clash was going to live up to its pre-match hype, with the biggest crowd of Sydney’s season – 25,407 – treated to a frantic start to proceedings.
The visitors in fact should have taken the lead just two minutes in, Nick Ward left criminally unmarked from a corner kick, only to send a weak volley into the ground and eventually the arms of a grateful Clint Bolton in the Sydney goal.
Such moments often pass by in such derby clashes in a split second, only to be re-visited in later analysis as the archetypal turning point or regrettable missed opportunity.
In truth, the same could be said of what was a strong opening to the game by Ernie Merrick’s men, as they pressed effectively in midfield and looked to exploit Sydney’s relative lack of pace in defence by running at the likes of Stephan Keller and Simon Colosimo.
It was only seven minutes later that Ward was presented with another wonderful chance to open the scoring, playing an intricate one-two with Carlos Hernandez on the edge of the penalty area before sending a mis-cued effort bouncing wide of the far post.
The Sky Blues were looking particularly uncomfortable with Melbourne’s intricate, narrow style and in an attacking capacity they suffered a huge blow with the departure of retiring captain Steve Corica on 18 minutes with a hamstring injury.
Aside from the emotional and psychological facets of the injury given this was Corica’s last league match in front of his own fans, Sydney seemed set to suffer from the absence of his characteristic range of passing and technical quality in-behind a front pairing of Alex Brosque and John Aloisi.
Such fears were laid to rest in spectacular fashion on 34 minutes however, when the most unlikely of heroes gave Sydney a sudden lead.
Karol Kisel it was who stepped up to send an already passionate crowd wild, sending a quite incredible half-volley swerving over goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak and inside the far post following Alex Brosque’s intelligent cushioned header.
That it was the usually hard working midfielder grafter Kisel who scored the decisive goal was typical of a match in which the script could hardly have been imagined, drama in quantity despite breakdowns in the rhythm of play at times.
Robbie Kruse tried to better the effort of his Sydney counterpart on 39 minutes but his own half-volley from range was rather less spectacular, bouncing into the arms of Bolton.
On the other side of the half both sides emerged without any changes but it was only four minutes after the restart that the complexion of the match would be turned on its head once again, courtesy of John Aloisi.
The veteran striker has been the subject of ridicule and criticism virtually throughout his short Sydney career, though with his strike this evening he has perhaps redeemed and earned a place in the hearts Sky Blue fans – if not for the consistency of his goal-scoring exploits then certainly for his persistence until this point.
The former Socceroo produced a moment reminiscent of his earlier years, turning his man brilliantly on half-way before approaching the area confidently and sending a swerving effort past Langerak and into the top left-hand corner of the net.
And while Kisel’s effort might have even drawn a second-or-two of silence before the eruption of a stunned crowd, there was no such delay in greeting the effort of an individual who in the space of a few seconds perhaps justified his not inconsiderable wage packet (a wage packet at the centre of the constant focus on the player at the club).
Sharply contrasting his resurrection was the plight of Nik Mrdja, the Central Coast Mariners striker at the centre of a bizarre transfer dealing this past week, snapped up on a short-term deal by the Victory despite having extended his contract with his former employers.
It was perhaps appropriate that he strike the post with a 57th minute effort that had Clint Bolton beaten but ended up bouncing away harmlessly, the forward having been largely anonymous for most of the match after a week of intense media scrutiny of his movements.
That effort was to prove the closest Melbourne would come to reducing the deficit on an evening in which they were outclassed by their rivals, a late free-kick from Hernandez saved by Bolton but perhaps too late to make a difference in injury time in any case.
Steve Corica it was who subsequently lifted up the Premiers Plate, giving Sydney the first of what they hope will be two pieces of silverware under manager Vitezslav Lavicka with the finals series just around the corner and these two sides set to resume their absorbing rivalry with a Major Semi Final.
Wonder-strikes from Karol Kisel and John Aloisi on either side of the half gave Sydney a win that will live long in the memories of their first generation of fans, who saw a perennial villain turn into a hero during a dramatic 90 minutes of football.
From the outset it was clear that this clash was going to live up to its pre-match hype, with the biggest crowd of Sydney’s season – 25,407 – treated to a frantic start to proceedings.
The visitors in fact should have taken the lead just two minutes in, Nick Ward left criminally unmarked from a corner kick, only to send a weak volley into the ground and eventually the arms of a grateful Clint Bolton in the Sydney goal.
Such moments often pass by in such derby clashes in a split second, only to be re-visited in later analysis as the archetypal turning point or regrettable missed opportunity.
In truth, the same could be said of what was a strong opening to the game by Ernie Merrick’s men, as they pressed effectively in midfield and looked to exploit Sydney’s relative lack of pace in defence by running at the likes of Stephan Keller and Simon Colosimo.
It was only seven minutes later that Ward was presented with another wonderful chance to open the scoring, playing an intricate one-two with Carlos Hernandez on the edge of the penalty area before sending a mis-cued effort bouncing wide of the far post.
The Sky Blues were looking particularly uncomfortable with Melbourne’s intricate, narrow style and in an attacking capacity they suffered a huge blow with the departure of retiring captain Steve Corica on 18 minutes with a hamstring injury.
Aside from the emotional and psychological facets of the injury given this was Corica’s last league match in front of his own fans, Sydney seemed set to suffer from the absence of his characteristic range of passing and technical quality in-behind a front pairing of Alex Brosque and John Aloisi.
Such fears were laid to rest in spectacular fashion on 34 minutes however, when the most unlikely of heroes gave Sydney a sudden lead.
Karol Kisel it was who stepped up to send an already passionate crowd wild, sending a quite incredible half-volley swerving over goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak and inside the far post following Alex Brosque’s intelligent cushioned header.
That it was the usually hard working midfielder grafter Kisel who scored the decisive goal was typical of a match in which the script could hardly have been imagined, drama in quantity despite breakdowns in the rhythm of play at times.
Robbie Kruse tried to better the effort of his Sydney counterpart on 39 minutes but his own half-volley from range was rather less spectacular, bouncing into the arms of Bolton.
On the other side of the half both sides emerged without any changes but it was only four minutes after the restart that the complexion of the match would be turned on its head once again, courtesy of John Aloisi.
The veteran striker has been the subject of ridicule and criticism virtually throughout his short Sydney career, though with his strike this evening he has perhaps redeemed and earned a place in the hearts Sky Blue fans – if not for the consistency of his goal-scoring exploits then certainly for his persistence until this point.
The former Socceroo produced a moment reminiscent of his earlier years, turning his man brilliantly on half-way before approaching the area confidently and sending a swerving effort past Langerak and into the top left-hand corner of the net.
And while Kisel’s effort might have even drawn a second-or-two of silence before the eruption of a stunned crowd, there was no such delay in greeting the effort of an individual who in the space of a few seconds perhaps justified his not inconsiderable wage packet (a wage packet at the centre of the constant focus on the player at the club).
Sharply contrasting his resurrection was the plight of Nik Mrdja, the Central Coast Mariners striker at the centre of a bizarre transfer dealing this past week, snapped up on a short-term deal by the Victory despite having extended his contract with his former employers.
It was perhaps appropriate that he strike the post with a 57th minute effort that had Clint Bolton beaten but ended up bouncing away harmlessly, the forward having been largely anonymous for most of the match after a week of intense media scrutiny of his movements.
That effort was to prove the closest Melbourne would come to reducing the deficit on an evening in which they were outclassed by their rivals, a late free-kick from Hernandez saved by Bolton but perhaps too late to make a difference in injury time in any case.
Steve Corica it was who subsequently lifted up the Premiers Plate, giving Sydney the first of what they hope will be two pieces of silverware under manager Vitezslav Lavicka with the finals series just around the corner and these two sides set to resume their absorbing rivalry with a Major Semi Final.
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