I don’t think our first goal has been talked up enough. The runs off the ball, one touch passing and the movement after passing were all brilliant. It should be a serious contender for goal of the year.
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Oh yeah had no issue with that. Forwards need that bit of swagger and confidence. Do think once he bulks up he could do a job up front as well as on the wing.
We played pretty much the same as the last four games, but we got an early goal and Adelaide can’t score against anyone, so for once it wasn’t a frustrating and nervous night.
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I hadn’t realised how involved Reza was in the whole thing. He passed it off to Caceres initially, then decided to let Grant’s chip run for ALF, and then received the ball in the box to nutmeg the keeper. Filthy goal.
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I’ve put the match report up on the front page:
You can view the match highlights here:
https://www.a-league.com.au/video/full-time-highlights-sydney-fc-v-adelaide-united-2
3 things we learned
- Reza and Le Fondre are starting to click. These two were linking up really well to stretch defences and provide each other with support last night. As one of them drifted wider, they started to pull the defence out of position. This helped to create space between the centre backs which the other was able to take advantage of. Both players were also very effective on the counter and, as they continue to look for each other more and more, I’m sure our counters will be even more effective.
- O’Neill is a complete central midfielder. We’ve known for years now that O’Neill is one of the best midfielders in the competition. Last night showed why. His defensive work and ability to break up play was great and it felt like he was everywhere all at once whenever Adelaide looked to break. What may have gone less appreciated was his work in attack. We have struggled to connect our midfield and defence to attack this season, but O’Neill made some lung-busting runs, particularly late in the game, where he was able to bring the ball with him and lay it off. This was one of his best games that I can remember in a while.
- The young players coming through should make us optimistic. Corica seems to have made it a goal to use our academy (having Stanton as an assistant probably helps from that perspective). We have seen what Ivanovic can offer this season and this game gave Devlin a chance to shine. For those who aren’t aware of him as a player, Devlin typically plays across the attacking midfield line (often at 10 for the NPL team) or in the centre of the park. Devlin originally played for the WSW academy before joining our set up in 2017, where he has thrived in the NPL and NYL teams. His good passing range and footwork were noticeable at that level and his finish yesterday shows he can contribute with goals as well.
Post-match Statistics
- Sydney FC kept their 5th clean sheet in the last 8 games and their 8th clean sheet this season across all competitions.
- With Reza Ghoochannejad and Cameron Devlin both scoring their first goals, Sydney FC have now had 13 players score in the league this season, and 15 across all competitions. Cameron Devlin was also the 95th competitive goalscorer for Sydney FC.
- This was Andrew Redmayne ’s 50th A-League game for Sydney FC. He has also played 10 FFA Cup and 6 ACL games for the club.
- Sydney FC now have a record of 5 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss against Adelaide coach Marco Kurz .
Note: Appearances and goals only include league games
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Haven’t seen it mentioned yet, but Leichhardt Oval on a balmy evening was bloody ace; in the sun in the afternoon it wasn’t much fun.
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We brought a mate along to his first game in years. He bloody loved it. Perfect venue for the late kick offs.
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good to see le fondre stay central most of the game and reza be the man to drop deep or push wide to create things. he is a total second striker player who can do that. good to see they have/stevie has realised it.
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Devlin is truly one of our own:
“That was actually real special for me to be honest,” Devlin said. "When I was 12, me and my cousin and some of my mates used to go in The Cove. I was so young, I was in there and they’d score a goal and you’d be getting saturated and everyone was jumping everywhere. It was wild.
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he’s on of us!
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Too soon for a devlin thread?
I think if you bring a fence down, you should get a thread.
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Top lad. Any houso stench from that year in Blacktown is long gone. 
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Deadest brought a tear to my eye.
Surely we can do better than that classist crap. There’s plenty of public housing in and around the city anyway.
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1 x Big Mac - Free (thanks SFC)
1 x Large Fries - $1 (Maccas app)
1 x Frozen Coke - $1
$2 all up…Sweet deal!!!
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Hybrid very much takes pot shots at the large unwashed of the west on a regular basis… almost to the point of obsession… just ignore it - it is at East Sydney levels from the SFC obsessed WSW supporters
Yep, that drifting wide shit was really annoying in recent weeks.