A-League Tackle: Sydney Derby leaves questions for both sides
The weekend’s Sydney Derby was a standout of the A-League season but both sides would be kicking themselves while there are concerns for two Melbourne clubs. Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde break it down in The Tackle.
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The weekend’s Sydney Derby was a standout of the A-League season but both sides would be kicking themselves while there are concerns for two Melbourne clubs.
Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde break it down in The Tackle.
Derby despair
As great a spectacle as Saturday night’s Sydney derby was at Allianz Stadium, neither the Sky Blues nor the Wanderers would be happy with the outcome of the contest.
For the neutral, the 3-3 thriller was amazing, as was the atmosphere generated by the A-League’s biggest attendance of the season, 32,741.
However, both sides should be kicking themselves.
The Wanderers dominated for most of the game and led 3-1, only to allow Sydney to score twice in the dying stages.
That’s not good enough for a team that regards itself as a powerhouse of the competition.
Conceding the last-gasp equaliser from a set-piece would have been particularly irritating for Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic.
In the Wanderers’ defence, it was hard to fathom why there was almost 10 minutes of stoppage time played.
Western Sydney seemed also hard done by to not be awarded a second-half penalty for what looked like a handball offence from Sky Blues captain Rhyan Grant.
It was off a shot from the impressive Zac Sapsford, who scored twice and probably should have had a hat-trick.
Had Sapsford stayed on for the entire match, there’s every chance he would have scored a third goal, which would have sealed the match for the Wanderers.
It was therefore a shame to see cramp get the better of him, which seemingly led to Stajcic substituting him in the 77th minute.
The Sky Blues had the stronger bench, and it showed with the introduction of Brazilian star Douglas Costa in the 57th minute.
Costa tormented the Wanderers, who struggled to get the ball off him.
It was no surprise that Costa was involved in both of his side’s late goals. Without him on the park, Sydney would not have escaped with a point.
And that’s despite how good Sky Blues midfielder Anthony Caceres was. It’s hard to remember the last time the Socceroo had a bad game.
However, Costa, Caceres and Joe Lolley, who was kept quiet by Wanderers left-back Jack Clisby on Saturday night – can’t do it all for the Sky Blues.
Sydney’s defensive deficiencies were again exposed, and we can only wonder if Sky Blues coach Ufuk Talay isn’t regretting not rolling the dice by playing newly signed centre-back Alex Grant rather than leaving him out of the squad entirely.
Goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares again failed to inspire, with his sloppy handling costing Sydney a goal.
How much longer can Talay keep former Socceroos gloveman Andrew Redmayne on the bench?
Talay needs to make some tough selection calls if the Sky Blues are to have any chance of reeling in the top two of Auckland FC and Adelaide United.
City must stand up
It’s all well and good for Melbourne City to beat up on the A-League’s weaker teams, but Aurelio Vidmar’s men continue to struggle against the competition’s stronger sides, which casts serious doubts about the club’s title credentials.
After a seven-match unbeaten run, City has lost three games on the trot, and haven’t scored in any of them.
On closer inspection of the seven-game undefeated streak, City only once beat a team that currently sits in the top six – Western United.
And of City’s seven overall victories this season, apart from two wins over United, the rest have come against Brisbane (twice), Perth, Wellington and Newcastle – the clubs that occupy the bottom four spots on the ladder.
Yes. City has had injuries but there’s enough talent in the squad for Vidmar’s team to not be needing to rely on wins against the A-League’s battling sides to have a shot at making the top six.
City is better that than, and showed it with a dominant first-half display against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium on Friday night
The only problem was that it was dominance that couldn’t be translated to the scoreboard, with City’s failure to be clinical proving to be costly when Adelaide scored the game’s only goal in the second-half.
And while it was an impressive header from Archie Goodwin that earned the Reds the three points, City’s poor defending at a set piece was there for all to see.
The good news for City is that the likes of Mathew Leckie, Marco Tilio and Max Caputo – who have all struggled with injuries this season – will all be better for the run.
There is still time in City’s side in the club’s bid to contend for the championship, and this Saturday’s game against struggling Perth looms as the ideal chance to find some goalscoring form and halt the losing run at three games.
However, it’s the following weekend’s game – the derby against Melbourne Victory – when City must prove it’s the real deal in terms of being a title contender.
Collapse a concern
Melbourne Victory’s shocking stoppage-time collapse on Saturday in Newcastle should have alarming bells ringing as Arthur Diles’ men head towards the business end of the season.
The way the Victory capitulated after going a goal down to the Jets was abysmal.
There was still heaps of time for the Melbourne club to at the very least find an equaliser after Newcastle captain’s Kosta Grozos’ successful penalty due to a longer stoppage-time period than normal following a medical emergency in the crowd that halted play.
However, the Victory seemed to panic when there was no need to.
The Jets made them pay, giving Diles plenty to think about ahead of his side’s home clash against Wellington Phoenix on Friday night.
Botic scores again
Western United striker Noah Botic is giving Socceroos coach Tony Popovic plenty to think about ahead of next month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China.
Botic continued his hot run of form with his eighth goal of the season in United’s 2-2 draw with Macarthur FC on Sunday at Campbelltown Stadium.
“I’m not thinking about that … (but) if they call me up it’ll be a huge honour,” Botic told Paramount Plus.
United, who are third on the ladder, twice led the Bulls but had to settle for a point.
Team of the week: (4-2-2-2)
Noah James (Newcastle Jets); Dylan Pierias (Adelaide United), Bart Vriends (Adelaide United), Mark Natta (Newcastle Jets), Ben Garuccio (Western United); Kosta Grozos (Newcastle Jets), Jake Hollman (Macarthur FC); Anthony Caceres (Sydney FC), Clayton Taylor (Newcastle Jets); Zac Sapsford (Western Sydney Wanderers), Archie Goodwin (Adelaide United). Coach: Rob Stanton (Newcastle Jets)
Player of the week: Zac Sapsford (Western Sydney Wanderers)
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