Sydney FC have reached the Asian Champions League group stage for the fifth consecutive year after beating Philippines side Kaya FC 5-0 in the qualifying play-off at a rain soaked Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Tuesday night.
A brace each for Bobo and Adam Le Fondre and a goal for Trent Buhagiar sealed the Sky Blues’ passage to the group stage of the tournament, where they will be pitted against a familiar foe in Kevin Muscat’s Yokohama F. Marinos. The former Melbourne Victory man and his side await Sydney in Group H, which includes South Korean champions Jeonbuk and Vietnamese side Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
Trent Buhagiar gets a handshake after opening the scoring. Credit: Getty
The most positive aspect of the win for Sydney was that all five goals came from their strikers. The Sky Blues entered this match on the back of a three-game losing streak and a string of matches in which they were guilty of missing several clear chances.
Against the less fancied Kaya, Sydney were far more clinical, and Tuesday night’s play-off thrashing could be the confidence booster their struggling forward line desperately needed.
Amid the cold, wet and wind, Sydney attacked Kaya from the opening whistle. Not even the soaked pitch could slow down the speed of their attack as Kosta Barbarouses forced a fine save from Kaya goalkeeper Zach Banzon with an early shot inside the box.
Minutes later, Buhagiar rattled the crossbar from metres out with a powerful shot off a Max Burgess cross. Banzon was the thorn in the side of the Sky Blues as his backline quickly became porous. He made another brilliant reflex save against Barbarouses before Sydney cried foul when a challenge on Connor O’Toole inside the box wasn’t met with a penalty.
After huffing and puffing for 30 minutes, Sydney found their breakthrough. Another Barbarouses shot from point-blank range was saved by Banzon but Buhagiar reacted quickest to the rebound to put Sydney in front.
Only lacklustre finishing prevented Sydney from doubling their tally before the break. Brazilian striker Bobo was put into space but lacked the pace to even make it to the box, spurning what should have been a one-on-one before a shot could present itself.
Bobo made amends immediately in the second half, pouncing on a loose ball to make it 2-0 a minute after the restart. Banzon did well deny Burgess’ well-placed shot but Bobo slotted the rebound into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later, Sydney had a chance for a third when Barbarouses was fouled inside the box. Bobo found the bottom corner from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 in the 49th minute.
Substitute Le Fondre came off the bench to grab Sydney’s fourth. The Englishman struck with a poacher’s finish at the far post in the 71st minute.
Le Fondre sealed Sydney’s win with a classy finish in the 81st minute, beating his man with a clever first touch before calmly slotting past Banzon.
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