A-League: VAR controversy as Sydney FC beat Adelaide United
The A-League has started with a bang with defending champions beating Adelaide United in a thrilling match over which the VAR loomed large.
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The reigning champions’ A-League title defence is up and running courtesy of a 3-2 curtain-raising win over Adelaide United replete with a red card, goals and VAR controversy galore.
A Sydney FC side boasting new talent but missing regular starters Andrew Redmayne, Rhyan Grant and Michael Zullo nicked a late victory at Coopers Stadium on Friday night thanks to Ryan McGowan’s 87th-minute header in his hometown.
The new recruit’s stylish Sky Blues debut was the only separator from a 10-man Reds side in a dramatic affair during which Adam Le Fondre scored twice – once with the VAR’s help – before a tremendous Nikola Mileusnic free-kick got one back for the hosts and teenage sensation Al Hassan Toure levelled the ledger in another VAR incident.
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NEW IFAB RULES IN ACTION
The new handball interpretation might take a while for fans to get used to, judging by the social media response to Sydney’s early penalty. Le Fondre, after attempting to volley a Joel King pass into the net, motioned to referee Alex King that the ball had glanced off Michael Jakobsen’s arm. Play continued for almost a minute before video assistant referee Kris Griffiths-Jones communicated the potential infringement and King stopped the game to check, adjudging that Jakobsen had indeed made himself bigger and awarding Sydney a spot-kick. Adelaide fans – and the club’s official Twitter account – were clearly less than impressed. Not that Le Fondre seemed to mind when he struck home the Sky Blues’ opener.
BIG GUNS SET TO FIRE
If Le Fondre’s second goal was anything to go by, Sydney’s new-look attack will be scoring sausage rolls aplenty. Off-seasonMelbourne Victory recruit Kosta Barbarouses beat Jordan Elsey and passed to Milos Ninkovic, who skipped through defendersand rolled the ball out wide to Alex Baumjohann. The former Wanderers playmaker slipped the ball back inside for Le Fondreto tap home, making the latter the third-quickest player to tally 20 A-League goals. It was a well-worked team goal to gowith other fluid passages of play.
TAKE A BOW MILEUSNIC
A stuttering start for the Reds and a watery defence meant much toiling for little reward. To have remained 2-0 down at thebreak would have been dire straits. Enter Mileusnic, whose peach of a free-kick gave his side a sorely needed lifeline. Back-upgoalkeeper Tom Heward-Belle, who’d earlier made an impressive reflex save, was at full stretch but couldn’t stop the club’s300th goal at Coopers Stadium.
REDS HAVE UNEARTHED A GEM
Al Hassan Toure is a star in the making. Fresh from his four-goal FFA Cup exploits, the 19-year-old made the most of his A-Leaguedebut, creating chances for Adelaide before scoring their 2-2 equaliser just after halftime. Ben Halloran pinged a ball overthe top and Toure zeroed in for a composed finish beyond his years. He was made to wait to celebrate, though, as King disallowedthe goal for offside, only for the VAR to find Paulo Retre’s back foot had kept him marginally on. Minutes later he nearlymade it a brace. Keep an eye on this one.
REDS SEE RED … THEN BLUES FIND SKY
No sooner had Adelaide drawn level they were down to 10 men when Strain was deemed to have dragged Le Fondre when he was throughon goal. The Englishman milked the contact expertly, but Strain’s protests were futile. Sydney capitalised almost immediately – or so they thought –, via a swift counter-attack. Eighteen-year-old Joel King, on his second A-League start at left-backfor the injured Zullo (quad), threaded a lovely ball to Barbarouses and the Kiwi’s finish was assured. That was, until newlyintroduced Hawkeye technology currently causing uproar in the English Premier League showed Barbarouses to be offside by theminutest of margins. There were only millimetres in it, but then that’s the point of the polarising computerised model, forwhich the A-League paid $150,000 to create a 3D image of an offside call for the VAR. Barbarouses’ maiden Sky Blues goal willhave to wait.
SYDNEY FC 3 (Adam Le Fondre 22m pen, 28m, Ryan McGowan 87m) ADELAIDE UNITED 2 (Nikola Mileusnic44m, Al Hassan Toure 53m) at Coopers Stadium. Crowd: 9,903.
Originally published as A-League: VAR controversy as Sydney FC beat Adelaide United