Sky Blues trump Roar in goal fest

Sydney FC beat Brisbane Roar in a 5-4 thriller at Moore Park on Sunday afternoon, in conditions comparable to a localised South-East Asian monsoon.

Sometimes there is analysis. Sometimes there are tactics, and sometimes there are statistics, and sometimes there is Craig Foster talking ad nauseum about passing in triangles.

And then sometimes, you have to sit back, forget chalkboards and positional semantics, and just accept a game as plain weird. The game often flirted with quality but settled eventually on circus instead, as Mark Janko scored a hattrick, and Brisbane threatened an upset with a late three goal comeback.

Brisbane took first advantage of the game’s breakneck speed; Henrique scoring after only five minutes when he finished cooly across Janjetovic after being slipped through on the edge of the box by Solorzano. Sydney reacted immediately, and two minutes later Matthew Jurman forced an equaliser with a curling effort from 18 metres – “He usually uses that foot for getting on the bus to Bondi!” squawked Andy Harper in commentary.

The early frenzy cooled, and Brisbane began to find a rhythm – had Solorzano’s finishing been better, they might have found a lead, too; the striker spooning what should have been a relatively simple shot high over the crossbar.

Then, midway through the first half, the weather changed, the heavens opened, and the apocalypse threatened. Sydney began to dominate, though their crossing was poor; having more joy through Ibini on the ground.

It was Ibini who, in the 37th minute, played Alex Brosque in towards the Brisbane goal, and the Australian international fell under minimal (but nonetheless penalty-worthy) contact to leave Marc Janko with the opportunity to extend his scoring run to seven consecutive games from the spot. He did, and Sydney deservedly went into the break a goal ahead.

Sydney looked to pick up in the second half where they left off in the first, though Brisbane were eager to reassert themselves as well. In a compelling period of play beginning in the 50th minute, Bernie Ibini streaked purposefully through the Brisbane midfield and fed Naumoff, whose shot was saved and broke to Henrique. The Brazilian played in Petratos, and his dinked cross over the onrushing Janjetovic was cleared to Ibini again, who skipped towards the right to pass to Naumoff again. This time, the winger smacked a firm cross to Janko in the centre, and the Austrian finished with ease to give Sydney a 3-1 lead.

The stadium received another short, borderline violent drenching while, ironically, and to the detriment of the first half, chances began to dry up for both sides. Play often literally became bogged down in midfield, though Andrija Kaluđerović and Mickael Tavares in particular continued to attempt to inspire an attacking mentality in their teammates.

Sydney were awarded a second penalty when Janko went down after a shove in the back, and he completed his hattrick with a confidence emblematic of the A-League’s leading goalscorer.

From there, it got silly. Andrija Kaluđerović scored a penalty in the 79th minute, the third of the game, and Steven Lustica followed up five minutes later to take Brisbane within a goal of their opponents at 4-3.

Alex Brosque seemingly sealed it in the 89th minute with Sydney’s fifth goal of the game; and Graham Arnold wheeled around, looked up into the rain, and allowed himself to relax the muscles in his titanium face – if only for a minute, as Dimitri Petratos finished the deluge with Brisbane’s fourth. Injury time followed, but neither side could muster up another goal – not that anyone could complain.

Graham Arnold will be pleased with the result – Sydney, now, move one point behind Wellington – but understandably ropeable about the performance: in their past five matches, Sydney have conceded 12 goals despite picking up 13 points.

Looking towards the next round, Sydney host Melbourne City on Friday night as the visiting team looks to cement their place in the top six while the Sky Blues target another minor premiership.

Brisbane Roar head home to Suncorp Stadium for a match against Wellington Phoenix on Sunday night, when they will attempt to stop a team from New Zealand taking out the top Australian football competition, and sending national confidence back to the Verbeek era.



Sydney FC starting XI: 20. Vedran JANJETOVIC (gk) 2. Seb RYALL, 5. Matt JURMAN, 6. Nikola PETKOVIC, 8.Milos DIMITRIJEVIC, 11. Bernie IBINI, 13. Christopher NAUMOFF, 14. Alex BROSQUE, 16. Alex GERSBACH, 21. Mark JANKO, 27. Mickael TAVARES

Sydney FC subsitutes: 1. Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 9. Shane SMELTZ, 17. Terry ANTONIS, 34. Robert STAMBOLZIEV, 23. Rhyan GRANT


Brisbane Roar starting XI: 2. Jerome POLENZ, 4. Adam SAROTA, 5. Corey BROWN,10. HENRIQUE,12. Jean Carlos SOLORZANO, 15. James DONACHIE,17.Matt McKAY (c), 19. Jack HINGERT, 21. Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22. Thomas BROICH, 23. Dimitri PETRATOS, 33. Luke DeVERE, 34. Shannon BRADY

Brisbane Roar substitutes: 3. Shane STEFANUTTO, 8. Steven LUSTICA, 9. Andrija KALUDEROVIC, 28. Brandon BORRELLO, 36. Fraser CHALMERS (gk)