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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Emma Kemp

Melbourne City beat Sydney FC in A-League grand final – as it happened

Melbourne City
Melbourne City celebrate one of three goals during their dominant 2021 A-League grand final victory over Sydney FC at AAMI Park. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

I thought the Joe Marston Medal may have gone to Tilio, but Atkinson takes the honours. He was, to be fair, also excellent.

Here is the start of a match report which will have more shortly:

And I’m going to be off now to some other business (State of Origin), but I’ll be back with an analysis piece first thing in the morning and my erstwhile colleague Jonathan Howcroft will wrap up the season in a piece on Tuesday morning.

What a tremendous game. Hope you all enjoyed. Catch you soon.

Jamieson tellingly also described the win as “a statement for years to come”. And it could be, based on this match and this season. This City side could yet be the start of an A-League dynasty to follow that of Sydney’s. The Sky Blues have been at the top for five years now, and a three-peat would have been scarcely believable, but they did not deserve to win tonight.

I have to take you back to that wonderful Tilio moment of magic because it is just something to behold. You’re welcome.

City captain Jamieson’s first words:

“First and foremost, full credit to them,”he says. “They’ve been the benchmark for the last three years. They kept coming. But it’s amazing. I’ve lost a few, but I just felt we were good enough to do it. This is the big one I wanted.”

And here is Galloway’s final goal in stoppage-time:

Fulltime! Melbourne City are champions!

Jubilation abounds as Kisnorbo’s side finally do what they have attempted year in, year out since their inception.

Goal! Melbourne City 3-1 Sydney FC

90+3 mins Galloway releases a left-footed pile-driver. It slips inside the right post for the final nail in Sydney’s coffin.

90+2 mins We’re into four minutes of added time and City are so, so close to a maiden title and a premiership-championship double.

89 mins Retre shows Nabbout what he thinks of him with a shirt tug that yanks the City forward backwards. Tilio bursts through the middle. He doesn’t even look left before side-footing that way for Nabbout, who races inside and forces an intervention from Warland. City have yet another corner which does not return the goods.

86 mins Van der Saag takes a shot, which, as it happens, is Sydney’s first since Barbarouses scored in the 21st minute. O’Neill is felled by his teammate Atkinson but City play on in search for a third goal. This is getting ridiculous. Corica subs off Caceres for Patrick Wood.

83 mins Would you have a look at that. Melbourne City fans doing the Poznan. Wonder what Wanderers fans would have to say about this. And Heward-Belle makes a double save to once again keep Sydney in this match against all odds. Tilio has a crack first and the goalkeeper beats it away. The ball is recycled and Berenguer has it now. The Frenchman is closer and in front of goal but Heward-Belle is light on his feet and dips low for a reflex save.

79 mins Time is ticking now. Will City try for another goal or run down the clock? The intensity has dropped during the second half, and City are well in control, but they are only one out-of-the-blue counter-attack away from a Sydney equaliser. Galloway takes an audacious shot from distance. It is City’s 10th consecutive shot, which should tell you how this contest is progressing.

76 mins Colakovski, who is on a yellow card, is making his exit for Nabbout, who is surely not at full fitness but will undoubtedly do what he usually does and throw himself straight in. Ninkovic too is on for the other side. Wonder how their entries will change the fabric of this game.

Stefan Colakovski
Stefan Colakovski starred for Melbourne City before he was substituted. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

73 mins Ninkovic is loitering suspiciously close to the field as Tilio, wow, I can’t do his next move justice. He is at full speed in a footrace with the ball twhich has been whipped across field at speed and is in the air and hurtling towards the touchline. At full speed, he somehow gets his leg in front of the ball to stop it dead still in its tracks a couple of inches inside the line as his body flies out of play from the forward momentum. There’s applause. That was other-worldly.

69 mins Wilkinson is keeping his team in this. The former Socceroos centre-half has been the foundation of the Sky Blues’ superb defence over the past few seasons. He thwarts another run from Tilio, who is enjoying a breakout game in a very large shop window for the national team. Sydney have the ball and Baumjohann is hovering on the edge of City’s area, hesitating, unsure of where to go. He runs with it himself only to clatter straight into a waiting Jamieson.

66 mins Sydney enjoy at few moments in possession before City are on the prowl once again, passing with purpose but also in no rush. They have another corner - their ninth to Sydney’s one - as the fans become a little more boisterous.

63 mins City’s patience almost pays off with a very near third goal. A corner is recycled and Colakovski is so close to the goal he can touch it. He shoots but Heward-Belle is just as quick to react and denies what would have been the point of no return.

60 mins City move the ball the full width of the field. Let to right and then a floating ball from right to left finds Tilio right near the corner flag. Possession percentage is 60-40.

56 mins Tilio earns a yellow card as he and Barbarouses lunge for the ball. Sydney are staying composed despite their predicament nad have strung some passes together and some attacks. But Tilio is using width so expertly and Jamieson is tucking in from the left flank.

53 mins Jamieson tracks back as Van der Saag takes on City’s defence with a mazy dribble. The captain throws his body in front of the ball to stop the youngster in his tracks. Retre takes a throw-in and pings it forward in the hope there’s some service waiting in the box. If there is, they are swalled up by light blue shirts.

50 mins Baunjohann takes a free-kick. The dead-ball specialist goes straight for jugular but Glover has made a big call and rushed off his line, leaping high to parry the ball out of the bundle of bodies.

Second half! Melbourne City 2-1 Sydney FC

48 mins Nuno flashes a speculative shot across the face of goal from some distance. It’s easily wide but still has Heward-Belle diving to his right. City are out for more blood. Their shot count is eight to Sydney’s two.

Here is a highlights reel from that frenzied first half. Firstly, the INCIDENT. Make up your own mind:

Brattan’s red card:

Barbarouses’s opener:

Atkinson’s equaliser:

Halftime! Melbourne City 2-1 Sydney

This. Is. Mayhem. Three goals and a red card within 45 minutes. Questions will be asked about that penalty. It looked sort of soft, and could have gone either way. The VAR likely didn’t overturn it because it probably wasn’t a howler of a call. Had Beath not given the penalty the VAR probably wouldn’t have overturned that either. It’s a decision, and it will stand, and Sydney have some serious halftime soul-searching to do because they need a miracle. Dare I say it, they need Ninkovic.

Jamieson gives a not-very-interesting interview on his way off the pitch about how the team had belief in him to take the penalty. Can’t blame him - halftime interviews were never a good idea.

Goal! Melbourne City 2-1 Sydney FC (Jamieson, 45+1 pen)

45+1 mins Caceres and Luna are in a tangle on the right edge of the box. As they hurtle in, Caceres’s leg is caught between his opponent’s and Luna goes down. Cue the penalty appeal from every City player. Beath gives it with no hesitation. The VAR checks and it and gives the all clear. It looked more awkward than malice-driven, but there were go. Jamieson lines up to take it and, from the spot, send Heward-Belle the wrong way. Corica is visibly unhappy with the decision. That’s a PG way of putting it. Huge.

Scott Jamieson and Nathaniel Atkinson
Goalscorers Scott Jamieson and Nathaniel Atkinson celebrate. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Updated

44 mins The key here for Sydney will be to get to the break level at 1-1. Another City goal won’t do them any favours. City move the ball around the back and Griffiths flicks it to Berenguer, who starts an attack that finishes with a King header to clear.

42 mins By the by, Corica has removed Bobo and replaced him with van der Saag, which is a major move and means two key figures are now gone. Baunjohann receives medical attention after a challenge but it soon back on.

40 mins This is one those moments that could change a match. And I don’t just mean by putting Sydney at a clear disadvantage. The onus is now on City to maintain their aggressive play and ensure they don’t relax too much and make good on their numerical edge.

Red card! (Brattan, 35)

37 mins Brattan is shown his second yellow for a late sliding challenge on Tilio that, quite frankly, would have been a straight red had he made contact. Referee Chris Beath is onto it straight away and City are protesting wildly. Beath reaches into his pocket and Brattan is fruitlessly remonstrating. As he leaves the field he is practically in tears. This is from a generally composes player, who perhaps let the moment get to him. The Sky Blues are down to 10 men. Oh my.

Luke Brattan
Luke Brattan gets his marching orders. Photograph: Scott Barbour/AAP

Updated

34 mins Sydney attempt to build an attack, retreat and then recycle. But City are pressing, pressuring and winning the ball back. Here it’s Jamieson, who challenges Barbarouses and leaves the latter on his knees.

31 mins O’Neill directs midfield proceedings with some one-touch passing and then shifts the ball back to defence. It’s played out for another attacking phase and Jamieson is inside ready to make a move. It’s out for a corner and Nuno takes it. Heward-Belle punches clear and City take another corner from the left, where again they go short.

28 mins King made a good show of himself in the semi-final but he’s not being helped out all that much. Three of Sydney’s back five are absent so it’s little surprise. This game is turning into a cracker.

Goal! Melbourne City 1-1 Sydney FC (Atkinson, 23)

23 mins How about this. City are not going to take that lying down. They remember what last year’s grand final was like, and they have not let Sydney get on top of them once this season. And here, on the counter-attack, Colakovski blazes forward. He may as well walk, he’s been given that much space. Atkinson is there and he’s past King in an instant to level the score.

Nathaniel Atkinson
Nathaniel Atkinson equalises for Melbourne City. Photograph: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Updated

Goal! Melbourne City 0-1 Sydney FC (Barbarouses, 21)

21 mins Barbarouses open Sydney’s account from virtually nothing! Baumjohann, in typical Baumjohann fashion, slices a simply lovely through ball through the guts of midfield to Barbarouses. The latter takes one touch with his right foot, a second with his left, and strikes with his right, a flying, piercing bullet that bulges the left-hand corner of the net. It is his third grand final goal, and one which could not be more important for Sydney.

Kosta Barbarouses
Kosta Barbarouses fires Sydney FC ahead. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Updated

20 mins Nuno on Le Fondre gives Sydney a free-kick. Brattan swings the ball in but Barbarouses is surrounded at the back post. Brattan has another go from a corner and the ball is headed clear.

O’Neill duels with Bobo and City grab possession and carry it all the way to the top of City’s area. Tilio is right in there again and tries a cheeky backheel towards Colakovski. Wilkinson is there. Sydney are settling a little but they are by no means in control.

Also, an update from around the grounds:

13 mins City get away their first shot and it’s none other than Tilio, the 19-year-old who’s been making hay while Maclaren’s been away. He races into the box and throws his boot but the balls is deflected out for a corner.

10 mins Phew that was close. Nuno sends a backpass to Tom Glover that is, to be polite, not very well thought out, because Bobo is lurking in poacher’s territory and chases it down with such intent he very well nearly pokes it home for a goal inside 10 minutes. Glover collects. Crisis averted.

Updated

8 mins Brattan is up and about for Sydney against his former club. The midfielder has been in superb form especially in the latter stages of the season, and he’s making his presence known via forward runs and gritty challenges. This pitch is a carpet. You heard it here first. The ball is moving slickly along the surface and this will suit City’s fast-paced attack.

5 mins This is the 13th finals match overall for City. They are always up and around the top few, but just seem to slip in the big moments. Berenguer is dribbling forward and passes to Atkinson who gives him the ball back and he’s teasing defenders before a clearance is made. Sydney are under the pump. They have Alex Wilkinson, though, and generally do pretty well when he’s in the back line.

Peep!

2 mins City have a corner after 22 seconds. The hosts are straight into it full throttle. The ball floats towards the back post but Sydney avert the danger. City take a second corner short.

The players are out on the pitch and the anthem has been sung. About to get under way. Good to hear some proper chanting. Sounds like Sydney FC fans, too.

This decider marks the end of a long and prosperous era for the A-League’s broadcast partner Fox Sports. Yes, the relationship has gone downhill in recent years but the network has, in all, done a lot for this game. As if to demonstrate my point, Archie Thompson is on the screen right now posing with some fans, toilet seat (a real one) around his neck.

I am tipping City. Controversial, I know, given those key absences. No doubt it will hurt, but we’ve seen what their younger players can do, vis-a-vis last weekend, and it just feels like City’s time. That said, Sydney won’t make it easy, and I can see this going to penalties.

Updated

AAMI Park is a sellout

It’s official. There were still tickets available this morning but the ground is at 50% capacity, which is the cap on the 29,500-capacity venue. Pitch looks in good nick, too.

The line-ups are in

City’s XI is unchanged from the semi-final and Andrew Nabbout and Craig Noone are on the bench. That pair were missing last weekend through injury and Kisnorbo will be thankful for the attacking spark once fatigue starts to set in, especially if this goes to extra-time.

Corica, too, has kept his faith in his semi-final starting line-up and big news that Milos Ninkovic has made it onto the bench, the Johnny Warren Medal co-winner having been in doubt with calf strain.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the A-League grand final. ’Twas a strange and stressful Covid-affected build-up week, with talk of moving the game away from Melbourne City’s home ground of AAMI Park due to crowd restrictions, and potentially shifting it to Sydney where (now ironically) administrators hoped more spectators would be allowed to attend. In the end, Sydney FC high-tailed it to Melbourne before the border closed and here we are at AAMI Park after all.

With the logistics seemingly taken care of, the focus can finally shift to the climax of a genuinely wild season. And there might not be much in this. Sydney ended the regular season in second and two points behind City, and it is not an anomaly. Sydney tend not to frequent anywhere lower than second on the table. In fact, they haven’t finished outside the top two in the past five seasons, three of which were premierships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20). It is the norm, not the exception.

The dominance spanning the Graham Arnold/Steve Corica years also includes three championships (2016-17, 2018-19, 2019-20) achieved, in some part, due to a stable roster with big-game experience. Now Corica, in his third year as head coach, has a chance to become the first to oversee three successive championships. Do so and Sydney will become the second side in Australia’s 44-year national-league history to win three consecutive titles after Hakoah Sydney City’s 1980-82 three-peat.

In last year’s decider between these same teams, Rhyan Grant’s chest earned the Sky Blues an extra-time 1-0 victory in a match during which City had a first-half goal disallowed. And thus! City are “out for revenge” and looking to “turn the tables” as they “eye their first title”. Kidding, they are not that cliched. What they are under manager Patrick Kisnorbo are a very good, well-balanced football team, which should not be surprising given the backing of City Football Group’s Abu Dhabi billions but is actually a relatively new phenomenon. As Jonathan Howcroft wrote last month, they have finally stopped flattering to deceive. The question, then, is whether the next 90-120 minutes will mark the advent of a power shift.

The interesting element of this match is the absence of six Australian internationals, three apiece from City (Jamie Maclaren, Connor Metcalfe and Curtis Good) and Sydney (Grant, Andrew Redmayne and Ryan McGowan) who have been in a Kuwait hub for the Socceroos World Cup qualifiers. All but McGowan, who is in Scotland with his family, will be watching the grand final on TV in hotel quarantine. Sounds fun for them. But it means a pretty big opportunity for some young players. Among them will likely be forwards Marco Tilio and Stefan Colakovski, who were superb in last week’s semi-final win over Macarthur FC, midfielder Aiden O’Neill and fullback Nathaniel Atkinson Likewise for Sydney, Redmayne’s stand-in in goal, Tom Heward-Belle, and defender Joel King are up for the challenge as they were in their semi-final defeat of Adelaide United.

I’m coming to you from lockdown in Sydney. As ever, email or tweet me any questions, comments, concerns, jokes if you’ve got a good one. What’s it like on the ground at AAMI? Better still, what’s your living room set-up? Do you have snacks? Are you watching with your cat? Kick-off is at 5.05pm AEST.

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