ACL Playoff - Sydney FC vs Kaya FC - 8/03/22

We should just play the Asia Cup and trounce teams five nil every game.

It’d be a bit like being in Oceania again.

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The most important part is this win ensures we go through the ACL cycle of a first game promising loss and then a number of disappointments and continual fading hope that we spring a miracle and get through to the next stage.

Were now just in a group with the K-League champions (Jeonbuk) and J-League runners-up (Yokohama and a Muscat matchup). Also have Hoang Anh Gia Lai, the V-League 1 Champions.

So what your saying is, there is a chance?

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Bring Arnie back as a guest coach

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Last time we did well, we were shite in the A-League. And guess what? We’re shite in the A-League.

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  • Sold a good young LB overseas mid-season and were stuck filling in with out-of-position players.
  • Injuries derailed some key forwards, while others had stayed a year too long, leading to problems finishing chances.
  • At our best we were at/near the top, but couldn’t get a consistent run.
  • Probably need a holding mid (Brillante), a quality CB (Wilkinson) and a good forward (Bobô) the following season.

Very 2015-16.

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Segecic has proper control and footwork similar to Tilio, unusual for an Australian. We’ve got to keep playing him and keep him here. Yazbek showing how quality he is, night and day difference between him and Retre in that ball-winning spot.

If there is ever a season to start gelling the younger players, it’s now.

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I might take you up on that offer.

It wasn’t too bad when you were at the ground (except for that idiot yelling out), just getting there and back was sketchy as fark. At least with the small crowd I got a parking spot on the street behind where The Cove usually is.

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Retre shouldn’t be anywhere near a football pitch

Anyway we can only play what’s in front of us and we hit 5 and hopefully Le Fondre can get some confidence out of this.

Whoever turned up tonight is a brave man in those conditions.

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Match report up here:

I liked the bit where we actually fucking won.

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I too like winning. I also think its important for us to compete in the ACL. I genuinely think its the next frontier for our nation’s collective football journey. FWIW, I hope one day we get to a point where relative ACL success is a criteria for top level coaching appointments. At the moment we’ve got Corica and Kisnorbo representing in the group stages and they both have a long way to go to prove they have the chops to compete at this level.

Anyway…

Good stuff. Good effort lads. The boys turned up and put in a shift and took their chances and all that.
We’re going to get tossed if we play like that in the A-league, let alone the ACL group stages. We’ve tried this with vastly superior playing talent. If it didn’t work with Bobo, Brosque, Ninkovic, Mierzejewski, Brillante and Oneill in 2018 its not going to happen with Bobo, Buhagiar, Barbarouses, Burgess, Amini and Retre in 2022. Not unless we change something.

Slightly harder competition to progress through now, also. Not every 2nd placed group finisher goes through.

PS. It was good to see Yazek back. Keep that guy.

And it’s definitely not going to work with Smeltz, Hoole, Stambolziev, Naumoff and Simon. Oh wait…

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You reckon those guys where the difference? :face_with_monocle:

Simon (those days edition) would have been a great asset for us this year.