Final thoughts
Anyone else still a bit shocked by that one? Adelaide didn’t even have a shot on target until the second half, yet now they sit astride the A-League ladder (for 24 hours at least) and are within a whisker of avoiding the elimination finals. Did they deserve it? It’s hard to deny them, not least because of Eugene Galekovic’s exceptional performance between the sticks, and the fact they still had plenty of possession despite being dominated for much of the game.
It’s hard to criticise Sydney too much. Yes they were profligate, but on another night against another keeper, they would have sewn this one up by half-time. A few cynical Sydney fans might have spotted a few worrying similarities in this game to when the club went through that barren spell earlier in the season, but it was the deluge rather than the drought that hampered them this time. If they keep plugging away like that in the finals, the floodgates will open eventually.
That’s enough from me anyway, catch you next time.
Full-time: Sydney FC 0-1 Adelaide United
That’s it, smash ‘n’ grab stuff from Adelaide. Sydney still scratching their heads over how they lost that one.
90+5mins: Blackwood’s header is deflected just wide! Last-gasp corner - but it comes to nothing.
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90+4mins: Another good cross from Ibini finds Jurman - but his low header is saved by Galekovic. Story of the night.
91+3mins: Ooo! Watson almost finishes it off but his effort is blocked by a defender hurling himself in front of the shot.
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91+2 mins: Adelaide in no rush to get things moving, taking their time over throw-ins and happy to hoof the ball up the pitch. Now Cirio goes in the book for manhandling Petkovic. More time eaten up, which I suspect was the intention.
90 mins: Five minutes of stoppage time. Sydney still have a chance.
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89 mins: It’s kicking off now. Malik in the book for a reckless slide on Faty. Tensions flaring.
87 mins: Galekovic with the save again! Blackwood tries to slot it past the keeper but the shotstopper gets a crucial foot on it. No doubt who deserves man of the match. He’s been impregnable tonight.
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83 mins: And now the goalscorer/match winner is subbed off. On for 10 minutes, hurts his leg, then hobbles off for Watson.
GOAL! Sydney FC 0-1 Adelaide United
81 mins: Mabil curls one in for Adelaide! Great finish, Janjetovic flies to his right but can’t reach it. Suckerpunch for Sydney, but they’ve only got themselves to blame. Perfect hit and run result for the Reds - if it stays like this.
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81 mins: Graham Arnold takes shelter. Is it me, or does he look like the Penguin from Batman in that shot?
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78 mins: Getting a bit scrappy now. Marrone in the book after a clumsy challenge. Sydney still searching for a goal but it’s hard to see how they’re going to get one now after all those wasted chances.
76 mins: Blackwood on for Janko. Can he succeed where the Austrian goal machine has failed?
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74 mins: Galekovic goes down in a heap in a collision with Faty. That’s the only way Sydney are going to disrupt his game tonight.
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Whenever a game threatens to go flat, you can always count on Ned Zelic for some weird words of wisdom.
70 mins: Palanca’s low corner doesn’t beat the first man. It eventually comes back to him, but his shot at the near post goes harmlessly wide.
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69 mins: Adelaide with a spell of pressure. First a free-kick into the box, then a corner that Janjetovic spoons over his own bar. Another corner to come....
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67 mins: I sense this game is starting to fizzle out in the rain. It needs a goal soon.
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66mins: Naumoff off for Stambolziev. Not surprised after that shot. Goodwin comes off for Palanca too.
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65 mins: Pfft. Lame effort from Naumoff from about 20 yards. He clearly had visions of it flying into the top corner, instead it limped it’s way into Galekovic’s hands. He’s not going to be beaten by that sort of effort tonight.
63mins: Grant comes on for a hobbling Tavares. Straight swap.
62 mins: Concerns for Sydney as Tavares goes down clutching his thigh. Ibini aside, he’s been their best player.
61 mins: Still a much better half from Adelaide despite that succession of chances for Sydney. The Reds look more urgent than in the first 45.
59 mins: Kamau off for Mabil as Adelaide try to shake things up.
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56 mins: Man of the match for this one is a straight battle between Ibini and Galekovic. Depends entirely on which team wins.
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55 mins: Another awesome save from Galekovic, possibly his best yet. Ibini (yet again) with the cross, Brosque with the volley, Galekovic with the stunning save from close range.
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53 mins: How did it stay out!? Another great run and cross from Ibini after good work from Faty. The cross finds Naumoff who takes it down in one touch and blasts it goalwards - only for Galekovic to block it. The follow-up effort goes wide too.
50 mins: Oooooo! Sydney score.... or do they? McGowan in the book for a crude shoulder charge on Naumoff. The free-kick in from Dimitrijevic finds Janko who slots home - but he’s fractionally offside and the linesman picks it out. No one’s told Ibini though, who’s still being mobbed by fans as Galekovic tries to take the free-kick quickly.
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48 mins: Good start to the half for Adelaide. A corner into the box is picked out by Janjetovic. He’s done more in the last three minutes than he did in the entire first half.
47 mins: Huzzahs! Adelaide’s first shot on target, and it’s an easy one for Janjetovic. A back pass seconds later is much more troublesome for the Sydney keeper - who has to chest it down and boot it to safety.
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Second half: Sydney FC 0-0 Adelaide United
46 mins: And we’re off again. Interesting stat from Simon Hill on Fox Sports - apparently Adelaide’s failure to have any shots on target in the first half is the first time that’s ever happened in the A-League. There you go, impress your friends with that tid bit. Or just get called a nerd.
Half-time: Sydney FC 0-0 Adelaide United
45+1mins: And that’s it for the half. Adelaide with plenty of possession, but Sydney with all the chances. No goals yet though. Catch you in 15 minutes.
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44 mins: Galekovic then punches clear two successive corners for good measure. I suspect it’s going to take something a tad special to get past him tonight.
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43 mins: So close! Brosque’s shot takes a wicked deflection and Galekovic has to stoop low to scoop the ball to safety before it trickles in at his near post. Great keeping.
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40 mins: Plenty of pressure from Sydney as the half comes to a close. Another corner and, surprise surprise, Galekovic deals with it comfortably.
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37 mins: Ooo! Controversy as Boogaard brings down Brosque as he bears down on goal. Was he clean through? Frankly, no - but that doesn’t stop the booing as Boogaard escapes with a yellow.
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35 mins: No shots on goal from Adelaide so far. Plenty of possession in the last five minutes but no end product. Sydney will be reasonably happy though, they’ve looked much more dangerous but just need a goal.
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33 mins: Bit better from Adelaide. Marrone makes a burst down the right, gets blocked off, then sensibly passes back to Isias which sparks a passing carousel from the visitors. Sydney struggling to get a touch at the minute.
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29 mins: Ibini’s having a superb game. He somehow gets a dangerous pass into the box despite the attentions of two Reds players. Someone should spray water at him for Sydney’s next match, he clearly thrives in these conditions.
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28 mins: Naumoff skies a half-volley from the edge of the area. Better chance than it looked at first. Should have done better.
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26 mins: Bit of respite for the Reds as they try to play it around in midfield. It ends when Cirio makes a hapless launch forward that goes to no one. Oh dear. Sydney have had the better of the half so far.
24 mins: Ibini getting a lot of joy down Sydney’s right flank - and he’s making the most of it too. That’s the third precision cross he’s put in that’s almost led to a goal.
22 mins: Eep! Adelaide hang on as Sydney spring about three chances from one attack. A minute later and Janko is just inches from connecting from another Ibini cross.
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21 mins: A few stray passes are letting both sides down. I’ll be generous and say the weather is probably having an effect. Another corner to Sydney, another good punch from the keeper.
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19 mins: Just when it looks like Sydney are taking a grip, Adelaide start probing forward again. Nothing in this at the moment. A free-kick to Adelaide from 35 yards out is floated in by Goodwin, but it sails out for a corner.
17 mins: Oooo! Brosque slides in on the wet turf to meet an Ibini cross but it goes straight at Galekovic. The keeper didn’t know much about it though.
14 mins: Short, sharp passes seem to be the order of the day. Everyone taking at least two touches to make sure they’ve got the ball under control. Not a huge surprise considering the conditions.
12 mins: Bit of a lull. The Cove are in good voice despite the weather. Must be thinking of all that chocolate tomorrow. I know I am.
9 mins: Adelaide starting to put their foot on it now after that early surge from Sydney. Goodwin with the chance this time, but his shot from just inside the area is blocked and the attack fizzles out. Decent start from both teams.
7 mins: Adelaide go straight up the other end and win a corner but everyone’s at the front post and it sails harmlessly over the area. Bit of miscommunication I suspect.
5 mins: Ibini with the chance this time. Too many bodies in front of him as he fires a deflected effort wide from about 10 yards. Good start from Sydney. Galekovic punches away the resulting corner.
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3 min: Oooo! Tough chance as Janko heads just wide from an Ibini cross. He did well to get it somewhere close to the target under heavy pressure.
2 mins: Galekovic punches clear a dangerous cross. Sydney on top in the (very) early stages.
Kick-off
1 min: Peeeeep! And we’re off at a wet ‘n’ wild Allianz Stadium. Sydney FC starting off with a few simple passes to test a very slick surface.
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Bit late but here’s Adelaide’s line-up for posterity.
Still hammering it down in Sydney. Tip of hat to the fans who’ve turned out. The players are just starting to come out now.
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And now for the bad news.
If you’re a religious sort, the omens aren’t good for Sydney. The last time they played Adelaide at home during a major Christian holiday, they got hammered 3-0. Someone call a young priest, and an old priest.
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Good news for Sky Blues fans. Sydney are starting with Janko despite concerns about his “mystery” shoulder injury.
Preamble
Hello everyone, and welcome to an early Easter treat in the form of tonight’s big game.
“Winter is coming” as excitable Game of Thrones fans keep telling me before the new series, but it seems to have arrived early in Sydney.
Adelaide have landed at a wet and miserable Allianz Stadium to take on the somewhat inappropriately named Sky Blues under clouds as gloomy as the Stark family history.
The weather’s about the only thing that’s depressing about tonight’s clash, though.
The race to get “ahead” (that’s my last tenuous reference to Ned Stark, promise) at the top of the A-League means there’s not one but two top-of-the-table deciders this weekend – starting here. With regular-season games running out and two points separating the top five clubs, working out who’s likely to finish top is as debatable as where the apostrophe should go in Premiers Plate (none at all I say, look at the Champions League).
One thing that is clear is defeat in this match would not only seriously dent either club’s title ambitions, it would also hand a serious rival a huge boost in the race for a top-two spot and a place in the semi-finals.
Team wise, the loss of playmaker Marcelo Carrusca to injury is a blow for Adelaide, but Sydney face a potentially bigger problem with question marks hanging over star striker Marc Janko. With Shane Smeltz suspended, Sydney have a firepower issue if they lose their marquee man before, or during, the game.
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Hello and welcome to tonight’s blog for Sydney FC’s crunch clash against Adelaide United. A spot at the top of the table awaits the winner, an elimination final is the likely booby prize for the loser. Richard will be here shortly to take you through tonight’s match, until then, here’s what Rob Brooks makes of the weekend’s action.
There will hardly be a moment’s peace to scoff your own bodyweight in chocolate and hot cross buns this weekend, as four of the top five teams in the A-League face-off. Separated by just a solitary competition point, it’s all to play for in the top-of-the-table clashes between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory, and Sydney FC and Adelaide United.
Can Victory put it all together on the big stage to make a statement of intent across the ditch? Will Adelaide keep up their fine record against a Shane Smeltz-less Sydney? Is it possible for Ernie Merrick’s face to crack a smile if Wellington pull clear at the top? So many questions will be answered this Easter long weekend, and with only three full rounds of the regular season remaining after this, the stakes have never been so high.
