Final thoughts
A fair result? Probably. And when the dust settles, neither team will be especially unhappy with the way things panned out. Nor will Melbourne Victory for that matter.
For the Wanderers, they’ve held the league’s runaway leaders in their own backyard and got some measure of respect back for that 4-0 drubbing earlier in the season. Can it be a catalyst for a charge up the table into the finals? Only if they start finding the back of the net some time in the very near future.
For the Sky Blues, they maintain their unbeaten run (both in the league and in the derby) and will get a quality new defender in time for next week. It might be a little bit concerning for Graham Arnold that they’ve not been quite at their best for successive weekends now, but by the same token they’ve still managed to pick up four points from six - and as the cliche goes, to be champions, you have to pick up points even when you play badly.
Thanks for joining me tonight, I’ll catch you next time.
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Full time: Sydney FC 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
That’s all she wrote! Honours even. The Wanderers could have edged it in the second half but they’ll be happy enough with a point.
92 mins: Clisby closes out Ibini for a throw. We must be close to the whistle now, surely. Ibini whips a ball in but Janjetovic is there, solid as ever, much to the Cove’s chagrin.
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90 mins: Attendance of 40,143. Not too shabby, just a shame there haven’t been any goals... (that’s me deliberately tempting fate by the way)
89 mins: Janjetovic dives at the feet of Carney to shut out a Simon pass. The keeper just earned himself a few more snakes.
88 mins: Simon picks up a booking for a late challenge. It’s not a proper derby until Matt Simon has seen yellow. Arnold only gave him five minutes but he’s still found a way to get in the book. It’s quite a knack.
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86 mins: Wanderers create some danger in the Sydney box but there’s far too much blue and not enough red in there for it to turn into anything more. They end up with a corner, but nothing comes of it. Hamill comes on for Cornthwaite.
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85 mins: Parp! Ibini tees up a half volley that sails harmlessly over. Bobo comes off for Simon. At least he should make the last five minutes interesting.
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83 mins: Sydney now with a free-kick on the left side of the box, about 25 yards out. Carney whips one in but it’s poor and cleared. Not convincingly though and there’s a few nerves as Wanderers throw bodies on the line to keep the hosts at bay.
81 mins: No sooner have I said that than the Wanderers create three quick half-chances that leave Sydney reeling. Brilliant bit of keeping from Vukovic to smother the danger. Both keepers have been fantastic tonight.
80 mins: Who’s got the skill to pinch a winner then? Someone? No one? Wanderers have arguably shaded it this half, but I’ve still got that nagging feeling that Sydney FC might pop up with a late winner from somewhere. They’re having that kind of season.
78 mins: Great cut-out tackle from Dimas from a low-cross into the box. I think it was Bobo waiting to pounce if he’d missed. Brosque comes off for Carney.
76 mins: Aspro cuts out a charge down the right from Ibini after a slightly skewed pass makes him check his run. It’s been that kind of night for the Sky Blues, the final ball just hasn’t been there.
74 mins: Good work from Vukovic to come rushing out of his area and clear a dangerous ball over the top before it can reach Nichols. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - there’s been nothing between the teams tonight, which is a compliment to Wanderers rather than Sydney FC.
70 mins: Looks like Ibini is warming up for Sydney. Will he be the difference? He’s definitely got the talent to win a game. Interesting images of rubber snakes being thrown onto the net behind Janjetovic. He’s getting the full Taylor Swift treatment. The keeper has seen the funny side though. Ibini on, Holosko off.
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69 mins: They’re getting closer though! Neville with a screamer under pressure from 20 yards, but Vukovic is equal to it - tipping it over for a corner.
68 mins: Clisby with a (let’s be generous) “shot” that flies high and wide over the bar. It’s not hard to see why the Wanderers have struggled to find the back of the net.
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66 mins: Bobo takes a first-time shot but he can’t get it past Janjetovic. The goalkeeper has kept the boo boys quiet tonight. Well... quieter.
64 mins: First sub of the evening - Jumpei on for Scott. Can the Wanderers force the issue?
62 mins: Ironic cheers ahoy as Janjetovic slices one out of play. The Cove have been waiting for that all night.
61 mins: Bobo with an attempted scissor kick. It would have looked spectacular if it had come off. But it doesn’t. Instead he just sits there on the turf as the ball trundles out off his ankle.
59 mins: Against expectation, the Wanderers seem to be getting better this half. In fact they’ve been the better team. Sydney still seem to be waiting for that forced mistake to present itself further up the pitch.
55 mins: Oooo! Sotirio blasts one over the bar from about 20 yards. It never really threatened Vukovic but it was still a warning shot for Sydney.
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53 mins: Is anyone else starting to get the feeling that neither side would be particularly upset if this one finished all square? There’s not much in the way of urgency from either team so far, unless you count the standard “high pressing” game of Sydney FC.
50 mins: Well that’s Arnold’s pre-match prediction gone. Nichols with a glancing header that forces a sharp stop from Vukovic - his first proper save of the game. That’s as dangerous as the Wanderers have looked. They’ve started the half well.
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48 mins: There’s been a similar feel to the start of the second half as there was to the whole of the first - a tussle in the middle as both teams try to force an error from the other side. The Wanderers have probed and probed and probed but they still can’t find an opening and the attack falls apart as they try to play a killer ball and fail.
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Second half
46 mins: Away we go. Can the Wanderers keep up the pressure against the famously fast-finishing Sydney? We’ll see soon enough. Janjetovic playing just in front of the Cove now. Should be interesting....
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Looks like I’m on my own with saying that wasn’t a penalty against Zullo in the first half. But like all good belligerent pundits, I’m sticking to my guns. Did it hit his hand? Yes. Could he have done anything about it? No. It had already hit him before he knew what was happening. IMO. It looks worse in slow-mo because he’s trying to shield his face as he gets out of the way. Then again, as a former defender, I’m bound to say that.
Half-time: Sydney FC 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers
And there we have it. A couple of good saves have kept Wanderers in it, but then Sydney FC have had a couple of scares themselves. Nothing in it at the minute. Catch you in 15 mins.
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44 mins: Well it’s not exactly been fireworks on the pitch (or flares for that matter) but the fans are still in fine voice as we approach the break. Can Martinez create something with a jinking run? No. No he can’t. Sydney win the ball back then get a free-kick close to the halfway line. That could be all she wrote.
42 mins: Grant walking a fine line after another tackle goes through the back of Sotirio. Popovic would probably be more pleased than Arnold with how things have gone so far. No clear opportunities but they’ve held their own against the league leaders. Just.
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40 mins: Half-time on the horizon and all-square would be about right. It’s been more of an arm-wrestle than a full-on UFC bloodfest. Wanderers still look a little nervous when they’re pressed so high up the pitch by Sydney. They’re not alone in that regard though.
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36 mins: There’s not been much between the teams, but Sydney FC look the more dangerous when they do break. That’s been the only difference really though, and some of that is down to confidence. Grant goes in the book for a clumsy foul on Sotirio.
34 mins: Well we’ve not seen much in the way of shots but there’s still been enough action to keep fans glued. Both sides seem not exactly nervous, but certainly a little tense, like they’re waiting for mistakes from each other. In fairness, there have been a couple. Maybe that’s part of the plan, let the occasion create the openings. Wanderers win a corner after some probing but it’s cleared confidently.
31 mins: For all their huff and puff, Wanderers haven’t really found a way through the Sky Blues defence. A mistake from Aspro almost allows Sydney to break clean through but the Wanderers just about recover in time.
29 mins: The Wanderers play a quick free-kick to keep the pressure up, their outlook has completely changed in the last five minutes. Can they maintain it though? Sydney FC will always create chances so you need to take yours when you get the chance. Even as I’m typing this, Sydney sweep up the other end and win a corner. It comes to nothing, but just a warning to the Wanderers that they need to make the most of their spell of dominance.
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26 mins: They might not have got the penalty they wanted, but that little bit of controversy seems to have sparked the Wanderers. A few minutes ago, Sydney FC were turning the screw, since then it’s been all Wanderers. The leaders look a little ruffled.
24 mins: Bit of a let-off for Sydney FC. The pundits are saying it was a penalty but I don’t think Zullo had much of a chance to get out the way. He was turning away from the ball and had his arms tucked into his chest. Definite corner though. They get another corner a few minutes later but fail to beat the first man and the danger passes.
22 mins: After a bit of push and shove, the Wanderers finally take a short free-kick. It’s then drilled into the box, hits Zullo’s hand and flies out. Penalty? Corner? The ref says goal kick. Baffling decision.
19 mins: Wasted opportunity for Sydney. Brosque the man at fault with a poor cross after a speedy counter-attack. Ominous stuff though. The Wanderers need to start asking questions of Sydney or they’ll end up getting swamped soon. As it is, they’ve got a free-kick on the edge of the Sydney area for a handball. A chance?
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17 mins: The boos might increase a couple of decibels after that little spell of brilliance from Janjetovic. At the risk of jinxing him, he’s handled the pressure well. The Wanderers get a spell of possession and, wisely, decide to pass it around the back, taking some of the pace out of the game.
15 mins: Great save from Janjetovic (if a little overly acrobatic) from a dipping header off a corner. Pressure mounting on Wanderers, but they’ve withstood it well so far.
14 mins: The first signs of Sydney starting to up their game. A couple of corners come to nothing, but then Holosko steals in for a low cross and knocks it goalwards only for Janjetovic to save it - not that he knew much about it.
12 mins: Holosko with his first sight of goal, but his drilled shot is just diverted off target by the stretched leg of Aspro. Great run, even better tackle.
10 mins: A promising bit of pressure, sparked by some nice movement from Martinez, comes to nothing for the Wanderers. Nothing in it as both teams battle for control of the midfield. Sydney passing it around the back, they don’t seem in any rush to force the issue but then why would they? Confidence is high and they have so many goalscoring options they can afford to wait for one to spring up. Grant almost breaks through but just can’t get on the end of the pass.
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7 mins: Both teams playing with gusto but the aggression has been kept on a leash. So far. Neither side in the ascendancy, and no sniffs of goal yet either.
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5 mins: Every touch Janetovic gets is met with a round of booing. No surprises there, it’s just a question of how long the Cove keep it up. It’s been a little scrappy so far, although that’s more to do with the harrying and chasing of both sides rather than any obvious errors.
3 mins: Sotirio wins a foul from Calver on the left flank, a little bit of experience on show there as he clearly played for an FK without making it look obvious. Dangerous free-kick into the box from Dimas but it flies straight into the keeper’s hands.
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Kick-off
1min: Peeeeeeeeep! And after much booing of Janjetovic, we’re off. The Wanderers get us under way. An early cross into the box is overhit and Sydney clear with ease. The Sky Blues have their foot on the ball now, playing it around calmly.
If there are reasons for optimism for the Wanderers, then Arnold’s comments underline one of them – overconfidence. The Sky Blues were distinctly underwhelming against the Mariners last time out, and the talk among some fans this week was not if they’d win, but by how many.
Their defensive depth will be tested too. Arnold has opted to throw Aaron Calver into the heart of defence. It’s not exactly ideal to chuck a 20 21-year-old - just back from long-term fitness problems - into the starting line-up in front of 40,000 fans but thems the breaks. It might just give the Wanderers a chance to find a crack in that brick wall.
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Squad news:
Sydney FC: Danny Vukovic (gk), Michael Zullo, Aaron Calver, Alex Wilkinson, Rhyan Grant, Milos Dimitrijevic, Brandon O’Neill, Filip Holosko, Milos Ninkovic, Alex Brosque, Bobo. Subs: Andrew Redmayne, Bernie Ibini, David Carney, Matt Simon, Patrick Flottmann.
Western Sydney Wanderers: Vedran Janjetovic (gk), Jack Clisby, Mitch Nichols, Dimas (c), Nicolás Martinez, Scott Neville, Jaushua Sotirio, Kearyn Baccus, Robert Cornthwaite, Jonathan Aspropotamitis, Lachlan Scott. Subs: Jerrad Tyson (gk), Brendan Hamill, Bruno Pinatares, Jumpei Kusukami, Abraham Majok
Obviously the big news is Calver starting at centre-half. The right decision from Arnold? Out of the few options he had, I think it’s probably the right call. A bit of a shake-up up-front from the Wanderers too. They need to try something to solve their goalscoring woes.
The other talking point this week is two former Sydney FC favourites ditching the sky blue for a spell in red and black - namely Vedren Janjetovic and Terry Antonis. I think it’s fair to say there’s more sympathy for Antonis than Janjetovic from the Sky Blues faithful – largely because of the shot-stopper’s parting shot at his former club. I suspect he’s earned himself a chorus of boos from the Cove for that outburst.
It’ll be interesting to see how Antonis fares when he finally gets another A-League game. He desperately needs the minutes and, at 23, still has a big future ahead of him if he can find his form. He’s not in the squad tonight though.
While we’re waiting, let’s have a look at the previous game between these two – namely Sydney FC’s 4-0 win at ANZ Stadium. As Mitch Nichols pointed out this week, Sydney may have won but keeper Danny Vukovic had to pull off several fine saves to keep Wanderers at bay. It makes Arnold’s midweek dig look even more fate-tempting.
Deep stuff.
I like a bit of pre-game banter as much as the next guy but I’m not sure what Arnold was trying to achieve with that one. To get under Popovic’s skin? Maybe, but was it necessary considering the disproportionate momentum going into this game? In all likelihood he’s just given the Wanderers some extra motivation. It’s the footballing equivalent of a showboating boxer sticking out his chin and goading his opponent to try and hit him, which kind of makes Sydney FC the Floyd Mayweather to the Wanderers’ Conor McGregor. Not sure who comes off worst in that metaphor.
I hope he (Arnold) is right. Because if he (Vukovic) doesn’t make a save it means he’s pulling the ball out of the net. - Tony Popovic
Of course, no Sydney derby build-up would be complete without an obligatory wind-up attempt from serial fire-stoker Graham Arnold. After previously inviting Wanderers fans to his Sydney mansion, the man with a love for architecture metaphors went for brick walls this time (although it might just have been a reference to the fact that the Sydney CBD has resembled a kiln at various times this week). It’ll be interesting to see if he squeezes in a reference to Frank Gehry before the next derby.
Our defence starts from the front, we’ve got a brick wall, we’ve conceded seven goals in 14 games and again our defence starts from the front, we’ve had many games where Danny Vukovic hasn’t had to make a save and the same will happen on Saturday night. - Graham Arnold
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Preamble
Evening everyone, thanks for joining me tonight. The temperature is high, the Allianz is rammed, and there’s so much tension in the air you can almost smell it – although that might just be the scent of KFC wafting in from the SCG next door. In short, we’re all set for a corker tonight and, while crispy chicken-loving Big Bash fans might disagree, there’s no doubt this is the hottest ticket in town (pyrotechnics after every boundary don’t count) with 40,000-plus fans expected to flow through the turnstiles in tonight’s sellout. As weathermen have been saying all week, it’s shaping up to be a scorcher in Sydney.
On paper, this match really shouldn’t warrant all that much attention. Sydney FC have been both an irresistible force and an immovable object this season, having scored exactly twice as many goals as the Wanderers during an undefeated campaign, while conceding a paltry seven, a figure that looks so anomalous on the A-League website I’m starting to think Russian hackers must be involved.
And if Graham Arnold is walking on sunshine, then the Wanderers theme this season has been the score to a Sergio Leone film, as they’ve been quick to draw out there in the wild west. The RBB has seen plenty of good, bad and ugly so far too, with the Wanderers racking up eight draws from 14 matches to leave them limping along just outside the top six.
As I said, on paper, this has “Sky Blues victory” written all over it. But then derby games are the reason form books are made from wafer-thin paper, so that pundits and commentators can insist on them being ripped up before kick-off. Can passion, braying fans, and maybe a strategically lit flare, help the Wanderers spring an upset and inflict a first defeat of the season on Sydney FC? Let the battle for bragging rights begin.
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Richard will be here shortly. In the meantime, take a moment to look at David Squires’ latest cartoon, featuring toilet humour, John Kosmina and Sussan Ley.
