Posts Tagged sky blues
Sydney FC suffers crisis of confidence
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 9, 2012
Just 11 days ago Sydney had the chance to go to second spot on the A-League ladder, but have now suffered their third straight loss to be clinging to fifth.
It was just little over a week ago that Sydney FC looked to have turned things around from their dismal last season – their worst on record.
They had the chance to climb to second spot on the A-League ladder with a win over Melbourne Heart on December 29 but instead suffered their worst ever home defeat – a 4-0 drubbing.
On Sunday they posted their third loss on the trot, going down 1-0 to league-leading Central Coast Mariners after losing 4-2 away to Wellington on Wednesday.
They now cling desperately to fifth spot, with Melbourne Victory, Adelaide and Perth hot on their heels.
Sydney looked sloppy and bereft of creativity against the Mariners, despite having playmaker Nicky Carle back from injury.
However, coach Vitezslav Lavicka believes the Sky Blues’ main problem is mental.
And if Lavicka was feeling the heat last season, things can’t be much better for the Czech coach now.
‘I think everyone is frustrated at Sydney FC at the moment including me of course,’ a dejected Lavicka said.
‘Because I feel full responsibility for the team.
‘A few days ago we had a good chance to reach second spot so everyone was confident.
‘But in football everything changes very quickly.
‘I think the boys are good enough physically, our main problem at the moment is up here,’ he said pointing to his head.
‘We have to believe in ourselves and our confidence can pick up bit by bit.
‘Maybe one goal, one good performance, one good win can turn things and we can start to be successful again.’
Skipper Terry McFlynn praised the spirit and character of the squad but admits the crisis of confidence in the team is affecting their football and their speed on the pitch.
And with their next clash against reigning premiers Brisbane, things won’t get any easier.
‘We’re just lacking a bit of confidence now,’ McFlynn said.
‘Some players are second guessing themselves and having an extra touch, which slows things down.
‘But confidence can hopefully be regained … we just have to get back to work and focus on the game against Brisbane.’
It was the opposite story for their opponents the Mariners who are going from strength to strength, extending their unbeaten run to 12 straight games to go eight points clear atop the ladder and with a game in hand.
In other clashes this round the second-placed Roar drew 1-1 to Adelaide on Saturday while the Melbourne Victory beat Newcastle 2-1.
In Sunday’s games Perth snatched a last minute 1-0 win over Wellington, their first ever at the Phoenix’s fortes Westpac Stadium while the Gold Coast held Melbourne Heart to a 1-1 draw.
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Are Sydney FC the most frustrating A-League team of all?
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 26, 2011
Sydney FC fans are either eternally loyal or completely daft for their continuing support of arguably the most frustrating team in the A-League.
A Sydney FC home game generally means one of two things: that it will rain and that Sydney fans will go home with chewed fingernails after watching their team mix a combination of the sublime with the downright stupid in their bid to collect points.
Last night’s 2-2 draw with Adelaide United was a classic case in point as Sydney skipper Terry McFlynn needlessly conceded an early corner and then watched in horror as Adelaide defender Daniel Mullen headed it home at the near post.
McFlynn is one of the more curious figures in the A-League.
As a captain he’s loved and loathed in almost equal measure, his passing is erratic and when it comes to timing his tackles, he’s about as accurate as a counterfeit Casio.
Yet he’s in the starting team on a weekly basis, in part because coach Vitezslav Lavicka seems to view change as a major inconvenience to be stubbornly resisted for as long as possible.
But just when Sky Blues fans drop their heads at the hopelessness of it all, up steps Bruno Cazarine with some cunning penalty-box football to coax defender Nigel Boogaard into committing a foul and suddenly Sydney fans are wondering why Cazarine doesn’t start every week.
And then the big striker breaks clear in open play and Sydney fans have an emphatic answer: Cazarine is about as pacy as a fish on a sand dune and any attempted through ball which doesn’t land within millimetres of his bootlaces is essentially wasted.
Sydney are full of contradictions on and off the park, yet the 10,000-strong core of their supporter base turns up regularly to spur their team on.
Does a club in a one-team town of more than four million deserve to play in front of bigger crowds? Undoubtedly.
But all the moaning and groaning about Sydney’s crowds sizes – and this point is applicable to all clubs across the A-League – ignores the loyal supporters who do turn out, in favour of persistently admonishing ‘fans’ who exist in name only.
And the idea that a western Sydney team will significantly build on the city’s A-League base is a notion fraught with danger.
We heard similar promises before when the Parramatta Eels rugby league side bankrolled NSL club the Parramatta Power, who lost fistfuls of money playing in front of lacklustre crowds.
And when so many so-called supporters conjure every excuse imaginable not to attend A-League games at the Sydney Football Stadium, who is to say they’d bother turning out anywhere else?
For all the talk of Sydneysiders being spoiled for entertainment choices, I’d say the truth is probably more prosaic – Sydney is a staggeringly expensive city to live in.
And with so many sports fans conditioned to stay at home and get their fix on television, I can’t see that situation changing regardless of where a western Sydney team is based.
That’s a moot point for now and so we’re back on to Sydney FC and their small but loyal band of supporters.
They’ve been rewarded with two championships so far, but they’ve also been punished by some of the most insipid football imaginable – most notably under Terry Butcher but at times under Lavicka as well.
Thankfully he’s taken the hint that fielding youngsters is not a crime and it was no surprise to see teenager Dimi Petratos smash home a stunning equaliser last night.
It left Sydney FC fans bounding home with a spring in their step and a sparkle in their eyes, despite the shoddy defending and mistimed tackles and heavy skies.
And a riddle which has existed since day one came no closer to being solved: are Sydney FC the most frustating A-League team to watch of all?
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Australia international Brett Emerton to commence training with Sydney FC on Monday
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on September 17, 2011
Sydney FC’s marquee signing Brett Emerton is to commence training with his new club on Monday and captain Terry McFlynn says the Socceroo’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.The Sky Blues face Newcastle Jets on Saturday in a warm-up game before taking on Perth Glory the following weekend as their pre-season preparation gets into full-swing ahead of their season-opener against bitter rivals Melbourne Victory on October 8.”It’s exciting to be moving a step closer to the start of the competition proper,” McFlynn told AAP on Friday.”As a player the start of the league is always something that drives you during pre-season. We’re looking forward to testing ourselves against Newcastle. They have brought in some good players, as we have, and we can’t wait to get onto the pitch tomorrow.”McFlynn also believes that the arrival of Emerton and the signings of Pascal Bosschaart, Socceroo Michael Beauchamp and former Perth Glory player Jamie Coyne should put them in a good position for the start of the season following last years’ dismal campaign.”As a squad we are fitter and ready to take on Newcastle and Perth over the next two weeks but the real focus is on Melbourne Victory on October 8 for the start of the league,” McFlynn said.Emerton, who left Premier League side Blackburn Rovers after eight years to return home to the A-League will miss Saturday’s clash against Newcastle, but should be in contention for the game against Perth the following weekend.
Australia international Brett Emerton to commence training with Sydney FC on Monday
Sydney FC’s Foxe hangs up his boots
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 28, 2011
Sydney FC defender Hayden Foxe has announced his retirement from football with immediate effect.
The former Socceroos, West Ham, Leeds United and Ajax centre-half, informed his teammates of his decision at training on Tuesday and will not feature in the Sky Blues' Asian Champions League campaign.
The 33-year-old joined Sydney FC midway through the 2009/10 A-League season and went on to score a penalty in the grand final win over the Melbourne Victory.
“everyone has had an impact in some way on my career from people behind the scenes to coaches and of course the players. I want to thank them for that”, Foxe said.
“it has been a rollercoaster ride. the highs have been really high while the lows were low but I wouldn't change anything.”
“I have made a lot of great friends in my time in football and I will have those forever.
“I will enjoy some time away from the game in the short term but I have aspirations of being a professional coach and that is what I will pursue.”
Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka said Foxe would be sorely missed.
“Hayden is a true professional, a great leader and an experienced player that helps the team every time he is at training, in a game and even in personal situations. I will miss him,” Lavicka said.
Sydney FC’s Foxe hangs up his boots
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on February 23, 2011
Sydney FC defender Hayden Foxe has announced his retirement from football with immediate effect.
The former Socceroos, West Ham, Leeds United and Ajax centre-half, informed his teammates of his decision at training on Tuesday and will not feature in the Sky Blues' Asian Champions League campaign.
The 33-year-old joined Sydney FC midway through the 2009/10 A-League season and went on to score a penalty in the grand final win over the Melbourne Victory.
“Everyone has had an impact in some way on my career from people behind the scenes to coaches and of course the players. I want to thank them for that”, Foxe said.
“It has been a rollercoaster ride. the highs have been really high while the lows were low but I wouldn't change anything.”
“I have made a lot of great friends in my time in football and I will have those forever.
“I will enjoy some time away from the game in the short term but I have aspirations of being a professional coach and that is what I will pursue.”
Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka said Foxe would be sorely missed.
“Hayden is a true professional, a great leader and an experienced player that helps the team every time he is at training, in a game and even in personal situations. I will miss him,” Lavicka said.
Sydney FC ends goal drought in Newcastle
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on January 6, 2011
SYDNEY FC has salvaged something out of the wreckage of a disastrous season to reignite its slim finals hopes.
Sydney beat injury ravaged Newcastle Jets 2-1 at EnergyAustralia Stadium yesterday.
In a week in which the future of embattled coach Vitezslav Lavicka was questioned, the Sky Blues fashioned a win to climb off the bottom of the table and inch closer to giving themselves a shot at the top six.
On a red-letter day, the defending champion ended a five-game losing sequence and scored its first goal in 500 minutes of football to inflict a third straight defeat on Newcastle and cast doubt on the Jets’ semi-final prospects.
The three points lifts Sydney into ninth spot on 21 points, still nine behind sixth-placed Melbourne Heart although it has played one less game than the Victorian team.
It would take a courageous man to tip the Sky Blues to sneak into the playoffs, but yesterday’s performance at least provides a ray of sunshine in an otherwise forgetable season.
It will momentarily take the heat off Lavicka after reports emerged last week that he would not be reappointed. the club later denied the artcile.
Newcastle is now a club under intense pressure. It has three games in hand over Heart, but a third straight loss has hurt its finals prospects.
The Jets are struggling for form and have at least six regular first-team players sidelined, most with long-term injuries.
For Sydney, Lavicka was forced to make a number of changes to the side beaten 2-0 by Adelaide United last week after defender Hayden Foxe and striker Mark Bridge were forced out with groin injuries.
Foxe will be out for at least three weeks while Bridge, who has struggled most of the season with injury, is expected to return next week.
Lavicka also dumped right back Shannon Cole, which meant a reshuffle in defence, with Sung-Hwan Byun moving from left back to replace Cole while Scott Jamieson went from left midfield to left back.
Culina made only one change to the side that lost 2-1 to Melbourne Victory, with new signing Ryan Griffiths coming in for the injured Francis Jeffers. Griffiths, who signed from Chinese club Beijing Guoan, was only cleared to play hours before kickoff.
Unfortunately for the Jets, Culina was forced into another change just nine minutes into the match, when big defender Ljubo Milicevic collapsed in agony inside his own area after making a tackle, and he eventually had to hobble off with what looked like an ankle injury.
That meant the home side, which had started the game well, had to reshuffle its defence, with Kasey Wehrman moving from midfield to partner Nikolai Topor Stanley in central defence.
The Jets looked sharp and positive in the opening 15 minutes and had Sydney under pressure.
Jobe Wheelhouse almost put his side one up after just six minutes. Ali Abbas dispossessed Stuart Musialik in his own penalty box before laying off to Marco Jesic, whose shot rebounded into the path of Wheelhouse.
Wheelhouse fired off a right-foot shot that goalkeeper Liam Reddy somehow tipped on to his right post before the ball was cleared.
Sydney broke the deadlock in the 36th minute following a Jamieson corner from the left that found an unmarked Moriyasu, who sidefooted the ball home from close range.
Sydney, until then without a goal in its past 500 minutes of football, added a second right on the stroke of half-time after a defensive blunder.
Wehrman left an attempted backpass to goalkeeper Ben Kennedy a fraction short, forcing Kennedy into a hurried clearance that fell straight at the feet of Cazarine, who calmly chipped into the net.
With his side finding it difficult to break down the Sydney defence, Culina made a double change on 62 minutes, replacing both his strikers, Griffiths and Jesic, with Sasho Petrovski and Labinot Haliti — and it brought an instant dividend.
The Jets pulled one back three minutes later, when Haliti scored after a brilliant piece of football. Wehrman played the ball into the box for Haliti, who held it up well before laying off to Zadkovic. the midfielder dummied as though to cross, wrongfooting a defender before slipping a pass back to Haliti, who smashed it into the net.
Sydney FC say they can still make final
Posted by Malcolm in Uncategorized on December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010 » 05:21pm
They were booed off the SFS at halftime of their 1-0 loss to Brisbane on Sunday, but Sydney FC believe they still have what it takes to make the finals.
Judging by performance, the defending premiers appear down and out but, mathematically, they’re only four points out of the top six and a playoff berth is still within reach.
While it wasn’t a repeat of their 4-0 drubbing by Central Coast last week, The Sky Blues were still totally outclassed by Brisbane in the crucial moments, played in front of just 7554 frustrated supporters.
Coach Vitezslav Lavicka found positives in a more spirited second half, but the Roar always held the upper hand and played an up tempo style Sydney simply couldn’t touch.
With the scores locked at 0-0 for the majority of the first half at least Sydney fans could hope they were still in the contest, but when Kosta Barbarouses scored a classy goal in the final five minutes before the break, supporters decided to vent their frustrations.
Jeering followed the players into the sheds, but captain Terry McFlynn was adamant their post-season dream is still alive.
‘We just have to stay strong as a group, stay positive, keep working hard,’ said McFlynn.
‘Last week we talked about was a blip on the radar, tonight Brisbane Roar are top of the league, and we should have got something out of the game.
‘So we still have the confidence and belief we can make the finals, no question about that.
‘Obviously Sydney FC fans are very vocal, they always have been, but we weren’t happy with ourselves.’
McFlynn said the players are viewing Wednesday’s trip to Townsville as a potential turning point and vowed they won’t go down without a fight.
‘Definitely we’ve got strong characters in the group, we never give up. we won’t let that happen,’ he said.
‘We’re still touching distance of the finals and the good thing about football is there’s always a game quick and close to get three points and luckily for us that’s on Wednesday night.’
Brisbane coach Ange Postecoglou said he didn’t want to stick the boot into Sydney and that no one but those in the inner sanctum could appreciate what is going wrong.
‘It’s hard to judge other teams and other clubs, we went through it last year, it’s just very hard to pinpoint where you’re going wrong,’ said the coach of the competition’s runaway leaders who are undefeated in their past 16 starts.
Gold Coast and Wellington are licking their wounds after a spiteful clash which saw United prevail 2-0.
The Phoenix will be without skipper Andrew Durante for one week (suspension) and goalkeeper mark Paston for several weeks (medial ligament).
United are likely to be missing Robson (knee) and Zenon Caravella (ankle) for Wednesday’s match against Newcastle.
Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick said Robbie Kruse wouldn’t look out of place at international level after the striker netted another two-goal haul in his side’s important 3-1 derby win over Melbourne Heart on Saturday night.
On Friday night Adelaide further cemented second spot on the ladder with a 2-0 defeat of North Queensland.
In Sunday’s other match in Perth, Patrick Zwaanswijk scored with just minutes remaining to give Central Coast Mariners a 1-1 reprieve against the lowly Glory, who looked as though they were certain to record a memorable upset.