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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft

A-League: Wellington Phoenix 1-2 Sydney FC - as it happened

Milos Ninkovic and Cameron Devlin
Milos Ninkovic of Sydney FC is challenged by Cameron Devlin of Wellington Phoenix. Photograph: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Summary

Sydney FC are up and running for 2021 courtesy of two astonishing goals from Nieuwenhof and Brattan. Wellington played their part and pushed hard for an equaliser late on, but only had a first-half strike from Muratovic to show for their endeavours.

Thank you for joining us this afternoon, we’ll be back to do it all again soon.

Full-time: Wellington Phoenix 1-2 Sydney FC

The premiers and champions hang on for their first three points of 2021.

90+4 mins: Wellington have the ball in the net! But will it count? No. Davila fires an effort from the edge of the box, picking up the pieces from a clearing header, but it strikes Hemed on its way to goal, and the Israeli is clearly offside. The ball deflected off the striker, wrongfooting Redmayne in the process. Lucky escape for the Sky Blues.

90+3 mins: Oh, was that the chance!? Sotirio does well to create some space in the right channel and his cross is testing across the face of goal. It bounces towards Davila with a clear sight of goal but Brattan flies from nowhere to slide and smother a goalbound effort.

90+2 mins: The Phoenix work the ball well down the left to free Ridenton and his cross is headed over by Hemed. The Israeli was under extreme pressure from Zullo in the air, and the defender wouldn’t have needed to do much more to concede a penalty.

90 mins: Sydney take the sting out of the game with a minute or so of possession, and it should have led to a chance but Ninkovic miscontrolled. Wellington responded at speed at created a half chance with Hemed shooting low from the edge of the box but Redmayne is alert to make the smart save.

89 mins: Rufer from range - straight at Redmayne.

88 mins: Wellington continue to see plenty of the ball, but it’s in innocuous areas and they have no guile to pick through the massed ranks of Sky Blues defenders.

Updated

86 mins: Wellington try to go on the outside down both flanks but fail on both occasions. The latter ends with Ridenton running the ball into touch under pressure from Baumjohann. Time running out for the Phoenix.

84 mins: The momentum is all with Wellington, but they haven’t fashioned any clear scoring opportunities of note in these closing stages.

82 mins: More changes. For Sydney FC it’s an A-League debut for Wood, who replaced Buhagiar, and Zullo comes on for King, who had an excellent game. And for the Phoenix, Ridenton replaces the industrious Devlin.

81 mins: Wellington continue to probe and Redmayne has to be at his best to punch away a Payne cross fro deep.

Mystery solved.

79 mins: The Nix are growing into this. Davila is increasingly influential and his deflected bobbles wide before Rufer hammers one over the bar. Sydney need to shake things up or they’ll end up in quicksand.

77 mins: Wellington remain encouraged because Sydney are overplaying in their own half and keep failing to clear their lines. The Sky Blues seem content to defend deep in their own half for the remainder of the game, which does not seem the smartest approach.

75 mins: Wellington do not look like a side with a clear plan at the moment. Consequently lots of players are trying things on their own that lack cohesion, including Sotirio running into blind alleys.

But one of those moments almost leads to a goal to Devlin who snaps a shot from the edge of the box following brave work from Ball in midfield, but the effort is way over the bar.

73 mins: Better from the Sky Blues with the Baumjohann orchestrating a decisive attack full of crisp one-touch passing. It ends with the German rasping a shot just wide of Marinovic’s goal after a deft layoff from Buhagiar.

The young star Nieuwenhof has been replaced by Zuvela after putting in a starring shift.

71 mins: A wasteful couple of minutes fro both sides with Wellington lacking fluidity in midfield and Sydney failing to capitalise in the final third. Baumjohann was at fault for a heavy through-ball, then Ivanovic should have done better after seeing his shot blocked following good work from Buhagiar.

69 mins: Excellent cross from the right from Ball and it requires a superb clearing header from Grant with Fenton steaming in behind him at the far post.

68 mins: Sydney break promisingly down the right wing and Ivanovic picks out an early cross but his low ball is a fraction behind the onrushing Buhagiar and the move breaks down.

67 mins: More name-taking from Alex King, this time Josh Laws from Wellington for a cynical foul on Baumjohann who was advancing a pace near halfway.

65 mins: Wellington are enjoying some territory and possession since that rash of substitutions with Hemed and Davila to the fore, linking well with Sotirio. The speedster is upended just outside the penalty area in a rash challenge from Brattan that ends with Sydney receiving their fifth booking of the match so far.

64 mins: And one for the Nix too with Fenton replacing McGarry.

63 mins: Back to the bench we go with Sydney FC making some substitutions this time. Ivanovic and Baumjohann come on, Barbarouses and Caceres come off.

61 mins: Another yellow card for Sydney, their fourth, this time for dissent against Buhagiar for kicking the ball away after conceding a free-kick.

60 mins: Changes for the Nix with star foreigners Hemed and Davila on for Muratovic and Lewis.

59 mins: Another cross from Sydney, this time from the right, that Buhagiar gets his head to, before again failing to look convincing as a penalty box striker.

Updated

GOAL! Wellington Phoenix 1-2 Sydney FC (Brattan 55)

Free-kick to Sydney around 30m from goal in the centre of the park. AND LUKE BRATTAN SMASHES IT WITH THE OUTSIDE OF HIS BOOT INTO THE TOP CORNER! That was a heck of a wallop from the midfielder. If Nieuwenhof’s opener was a belter, Brattan has somehow outdone it. That was as good as anything you will see from a set-piece anywhere in the world.

Updated

54 mins: Buhagiar is much more dangerous running into space with the ball at his feet, and he pushes Wellington back before interchanging nicely with King. Eventually the ball breaks for Brattan who laces a thunderbolt from 30m that is held well by Marinovic.

52 mins: King crosses from deep and it’s a beautiful delivery that reaches Buhagiar inside the box but the striker does not attack it with any intent and it skids clear. When Bobo is match fit that kind of whipped pass will be much more threatening.

49 mins: Nice ball movement from Wellington ending with Sotirio turning sharply and hammering a shot from the edge of the box straight at Redmayne. That’s a glimpse of what makes Sotirio have such a high ceiling - the pace and quick feet to engineer space - if only he can find an end product more often.

48 mins: Sydney attack again, this time down the right, and it earns them a corner. Brattan’s delivery is poor and Wellington head clear. Ball then tries to counter and appears to be hauled down, but the referee waves play on.

47 mins: Sydney start the half on the front foot and Nieuwenhof has another clean strike from outside the box beaten away by Marinovic. The kid has superb technique.

46 mins: Back underway in Wollongong...

Tara Rushton and Mark Bosnich are now discussing a goal Fox didn’t broadcast live and can’t yet find to replay. In the year of our lord 2021.

A-League areas.

Half-time: Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Sydney FC

That was a jolly half of football, neat, technical, full of nice passing and movement, not to mention one glorious goal from Nieuwenhof, and one ghost goal from Marinovic.

GOAL! Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Sydney FC (Muratovic 45+1)

Ha! Never change A-League, never change. The TV feed cut out a few seconds before Wellington equalise. No idea what happened, but Brenton Speed indicated it ended with Muratovic finding the back of the net on debut. What a shambles this competition and its broadcasting is.

Andrew Redmayne
This might be the most you ever see of Mirza Muratovic’s equaliser. Photograph: Dean Lewins/AAP

Updated

44 mins: Finally a yellow ticket for Wellington. Tim Payne is the recipient for hauling down Ninkovic in transition.

41 mins: Sydney respond with some crisp passing through the lines down the left hand side that ends with Barbarouses slapping a snapshot over the bar from the edge of the box. Again Nieuwenhof was heavily involved. He’s been superb this half the youngster on A-League debut.

40 mins: Devlin has pop now, from Nieuwenhof areas, but his solid hit is just wide of the right hand upright.

38 mins: A rare attack from the Nix ends with Ball stooping to glance a header over the bar from an awkward Payne cross. Wellington’s attacking set-up does not look optimal.

Updated

36 mins: Speaking of yellow cards, Sydney are handed their third of the day, this one to Caceres for mistiming a challenge in midfield against Rufer.

34 mins: Wellington take the sting out of the game with some possession in defence and midfield, but they lack a creative force in slow play and Sydney clear. Devlin, who has played on the edge all afternoon, then flies in with his studs raised at Grant on the right touchline and ends up hurting himself near the Nix dugout. Lucky to escape a booking.

32 mins: Sydney almost make it two. Brattan swings over a low, bobbling free-kick that causes havoc in the box. Marinovic pulls off a couple of instinctive reflex saves amid the scramble until the Nix eventually clear.

GOAL! Wellington Phoenix 0-1 Sydney FC (Nieuwenhof 29)

Sydney earn their first corner but Brattan’s delivery is easily headed clear - but only as far as Calem Nieuwenhof who unleashes a high quality thunderbastard that scorches off his right boot and into the top corner! Wow! Unstoppable from the 19-year-old.

Updated

26 mins: Devlin, last season’s leading tackler in the A-League, forces a superb turnover in midfield. He feeds Sotirio on the burst, and not for the first time tonight, the forward runs quickly and predictably into a dead end. He must be a nightmare for a coach.

25 mins: Second booking for Sydney, this one to Nieuwenhof for a late challenge on Sotirio.

23 mins: And Trent Buhagiar shows them exactly why Wellington are set up as they are! After a Phoenix attack Sydney counter at breakneck speed, Buhagiar flying past DeVere on halfway like a Lamborghini overtaking a Lada at Silverstone. Unfortunately for the Sky Blues Buhagiar lost his bearings somewhat as he sprinted towards the box and the attack dissipated. He has extraordinary pace, the former Mariner, but does he have the football intelligence to make the most of it?

21 mins: Sydney continue to monopolise possession but that does not suit their ability to free their speedy strikers in behind. Wellington are defending smartly, showing good organisation and communication between a deep-lying defence and compact midfield.

19 mins: Sydney enjoy a long spell of possession in midfield before attacking down the right through Grant then Warland down the left. Both defenders sent over crosses but both were dealt with without much concern by Wellington. This is not a Sydney FC forward line that looks likely to prosper from balls slung into the box unless they are clearly targeted and in transition.

16 mins: The resulting corner is headed wide by DeVere at the far post with Redmayne rooted to the spot. Close call for Sydney FC.

15 mins: It’s been an entertaining opening. Both teams are playing neat and nimble football and finding attractive combinations in their mission to get the ball into dangerous areas. The latest comes from the Nix but again it ends with Sotirio robbed far too easily by Warland as he enters the box.

13 mins: Ninkovic to the fore again, this time forcing DeVere into a turnover just outside his box. Sydney’s superstar lays it off to Buhagiar but his first touch is poor and the shooting opportunity disappears.

11 mins: Lewis invites Redmayne to make a straightforward save from range before Ninkovic shows more delightful footwork on the edge of Wellington’s box. The Serbian unselfishly chipped a cross after his trickery only to watch it drift in front of Buhagiar. He may have been better advised to shoot.

8 mins: Sotirio should score after being put in over the top by a raking Rufer pass, but he duffs his attempted lob over the stranded Redmayne. Sotirio has plenty of attributes but time and again over his career his end product has let him down.

7 mins: Sydney are pinging the ball around confidently, passing and moving with grace from one side to the other, looking for the opening. Young Calem Nieuwenhof adds some invention, straightening up from midfield and dribbling into the box, but he’s crowded out before he can get a shot away.

5 mins: Warland is in the referee’s notebook very early for taking out the spinning Ball on halfway long after the ball had disappeared.

3 mins: Sydney FC enjoy the first look at goal. A calm passing move from back to front gains an injection of urgency from Ninkovic who darts into the box and some neat interplay ends with Barbarouses clipping a near-post effort into the side netting.

2 mins: Wellington are the first team to get on the ball and they build nicely from defence into attack. The patient build-up is down the right but then the switch exploits space for Sotirio on the left but his cross from the byline is cut out and Sydney scramble clear.

Kick-off!

Here we go in the Wollongong rain...

Normal A-League areas just before kick-off with a siren sounding and a call for the venue to be evacuated. Naturally nobody is paying attention.

Out come the teams, Wellington in their lovely new all-yellow strip with black trim, and Sydney FC in their title-winning sky blue shirts, navy shorts, and sky blue socks.

A smattering of face masks around WIN Stadium this afternoon, but not as many as you might expect considering the Covid-19 flare up in NSW and Victoria.

For this time of year it’s cool in NSW and there’s plenty of rain around to make the surface slick. Considering this was one of those matches that could have been a summer scorcher there’s no impediment to a fast 90 minutes of action.

Sydney XI

Plenty of familiar faces in Sydney FC’s matchday squad with Steve Corica not deviating far from his familiar script. All eyes will be on Trent Buhagiar up front, while the promising Calem Nieuwenhof earns a start in midfield after impressing in the Asian Champions League.

Wellington XI

There are debuts for Clayton Lewis, Joshua Laws, and Mirza Muratovic, as well as a start for the returning James McGarry as Ufuk Talay adapts to life after the likes of Liberato Cacace and Steven Taylor, and the absence of Reno Piscopo to a calf injury. None of the newly acquired quartet are older than 23 in a further indication of the profile of the Nix under Talay’s leadership.

There’s a bit of time before kick-off, so feel to use this as an opportunity for some Q&A about the A-League, your team, or Australian football in general.

Send your emails here or tweet @JPHowcroft if that’s easier.

To get the ball rolling, here’s my season scene-setter from a few days ago. TLDR: we go again, with the same issues, the same weary hope, and the same sense of glum inevitability until a circuit breaker arrives.

And that circuit breaker may have since arrived with the news the unbundling of the professional game from Football Australia has finally been completed. Now it’s over the clubs to show us it was worth all the infighting.

Preamble

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the A-League clash between Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC. Kick-off at Wollongong Showground is around 5.05pm.

Technically we’re into matchday two of this nascent campaign but the recent Covid-19 outbreaks in NSW and Victoria mean this will be the first time either the Sky Blues or the Nix have taken the field. The pandemic was already influencing this particular fixture with Wellington relocating to Australia for the foreseeable future to avoid the need for international border crossings.

That means for only the second time in A-League history The Gong will play host to a contest with points on the line. This will be the first of as many as 14 matches at the venue this year as the Phoenix aim to make it their home away from home.

These early-season battles are usually difficult to predict with so much movement around the competition in the offseason. But both these teams go in with the same coach that impressed last time out, and Sydney FC are only missing Adam Le Fondre from their best XI of 2020. Wellington will no doubt rue the absence of a number of last season’s stars, but the production line coming out of New Zealand’s capital city suggests gaps will be filled soon enough.

This pair met at the same stage last year with the Sky Blues coming out on top despite the Nix enjoying the better of the 90 minutes. That preceded an entertaining 2-2 draw and another narrow Sydney win with Steve Corica’s side coming from a goal down to score three times in the final 14 minutes, the last two in the very closing stages, en route to a premiership-championship double. Action on a comparable level this evening would be welcome, especially with goals so hard to come by in the opening round.

Just remember, all caps when you spell the man name. RIP MF DOOM.
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