Summary
The Sydney derby rarely disappoints and this magical fixture turned on the style again at ANZ Stadium. Sydney FC extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points with their biggest ever derby victory in a rout of Western Sydney Wanderers.
The champions purred for 90-minutes, scoring five, and they could easily have bagged more. Adrian Mierzejewski was majestic, dictating terms from midfield, scoring two, including the opener and a blistering free-kick.
Graham Arnold gave his Socceroos chances a shot in the arm. His side is becoming as dominant as any we have witnessed in the A-League, and did so tonight without the injured Milos Ninkovic.
For all that was good about Sydney, there was an equal amount that was bad about the Wanderers. Josep Gombau’s team selection was bizarre, almost inviting the catastrophe that unfolded. His odd-looking side performed reasonably with the ball but looked abject without it, barely offering any resistance to Sydney’s attacks. The inquest will be brutal.
Thank you for joining me for what I reckon has been the match of this A-League season so far. Maybe all that Star Wars guff rubbed off after all.
Updated
Western Sydney Wanderers 0-5 Sydney FC
What a night for the sky blue half of Sydney. Total and utter annihilation.
90+2 min: Bobo should make it six this time but he labours when clean through and a despairing Wanderers leg is able to block the shot.
90 min: Four minutes of added torture for the Wanderers to endure.
@SydneyFC sending a warning out to the other @ALeague teams tonight. Absolute demolition job. #SydneyDerby pic.twitter.com/5gXmXNYYe6
— Daniel McBreen (@djmcbreen) December 9, 2017
89 min: Simon almost makes it six with a contested header from Zullo’s cross. That would have been worth it for the David Squires cartoon panel alone.
87 min: Wanderers again go close to a consolation. A corner from the right bobbles across the face but Bonevacia can’t get enough purchase on his toe-poke to beat the alert Redmayne.
Retre replaces Brillante for Sydney.
84 min: Santalab thinks ‘sod this’ and larrups one from miles out that slams into the left-hand upright. From the ricochet Sydney break and the counter ends unceremoniously with Cornthwaite sliding through Kalik. That was a poor challenge and on first view pretty lucky to only see yellow.
83 min: Wanderers should have a consolation. Clisby does well down the left, squares the ball into the box and it eventually falls to Jumpei’s left-foot 10-metres out in a central position but he side-foots wide of the diving Redmayne’s right-hand post.
80 min: Risdon booked for some retribution for the shellacking he’s suffering. How do the Wanderers recover from this? The bizarre starting line-up, the shambolic defending, the hammering at home from their bitter rivals...
Mass exodus here at the #SydneyDerby
— Ana Covic (@anacovic80) December 9, 2017
GOAL! Western Sydney 0-5 Sydney FC (O'Neill, 77)
Another Sydney goal, another beauty, and another example of Western Sydney’s awful defending.
Sydney break down the right, the ball’s spread wide to the left without any pressure, O’Neill takes possession and there’s still no runners chasing him, eventually he shapes to shoot on his right foot from the edge of the box and he curls a peach into the top bins.
This is a rout, and the Sky Blue fans are doing the Poznan.
Updated
Uncle Graham spoiling everyone with almost 20 minutes of Matt Simon. What a treat.
— Nice Orange 🌈 (@AardigOranje) December 9, 2017
73 min: Clisby shoots from Mihajlovic range but without the artillery. Redmayne saves comfortably, continuing one of the more remarkable career renaissances in A-League history.
Sub for Sydney FC, Simon gets to cause his nuisance, Brosque gets an early isotonic sports drink.
Finally VAR in the A-League done something useful #SydneyDerby
— Tomi Juric (@tomijuric9) December 9, 2017
70 min: Simon Hill tells us on the telly it’s ticked over five hours since the Wanderers last scored. A season of promise is descending into catastrophe.
67 min: Janjetovic is doing his best to limit the damage but Sydney should have another. Adrian finds space down the right, his pullback is marginally behind Bobo on the penalty spot, but ideal for Zullo to earn the goal he thought he had earlier. His shot is tipped around the post brilliantly by the Wanderers stopper.
65 min: In the Socceroos manager debate, this match is that one that every Arnold advocate will refer to as an example of how he can be both pragmatic and attacking. I’m increasingly one of those advocates, as it happens.
62 min: Deary me, this could be anything. Sydney almost score twice again but Janjetovic makes two terrific saves, first from Brosque then from Bobo after Adrian had again carved them open through the middle.
It seems perverse to say it, but the Wanderers haven’t done badly tonight, and continue to apply Gombau’s method with some reward, up until the Sydney FC box, anyway. Santalab has a header that he should make something of but he hits it into the ground and it bounces tamely at Redmayne.
Defensively they are a shambles however, nobody making a challenge, runners ignored, the centre of the park not guarded with any surety.
"Red card, that's all that's missing." But here comes Santalab. #sydneyderby
— Mike Ticher (@mikewsc1) December 9, 2017
59 min: Double change for the Wanderers, Jumpei and Santalab replace Scott and Hamill.
VAR - Overruling Sydney goal
When does the mercy rule kick in? Wanderers attack, Sydney force the turnover, Adrian feeds the through-ball, this time it’s just about cleared, but only as far as Zullo who leathers a missile with his right foot into the corner of the net, off the post. This is dreamlike from Sydney, and the stuff of nightmares for the Wanderers.
Hold on. VAR’s getting involved. The goal’s chalked off! The video ref has spotted a canny Adrian handball as the turnover was being completed. It was there, whether it was there enough to justify intervention, I’m not so sure. Anyhow, it remains four, not five nil.
GOAL! Western Sydney 0-4 Sydney FC (Scott og, 53)
Should be four! Gorgeous interplay between Bobo and Brosque with the latter eventually 1-on-1 with Janjetovic but the keeper makes the save.
From the corner IT IS FOUR! Adrian’s cross flicked in unwittingly by Scott. Horror night for Western Sydney.
#ALeague #StarWarsRound pic.twitter.com/O7L1QKYbih
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) December 9, 2017
51 min: Sydney have woken up after half-time, fashioning a headed half-chance for Adrian to bag his hat-trick. The Wanderers deal with, break, but once again lack a decisive force in enemy territory.
48 min: As with the first half the Wanderers begin the second with some tidy passing and movement largely involving one or both of the impressive Baccus brothers. Sydney are forced to foul Keanu on the edge of their area but Bonevacia’s right boot cannot repeat the trick of Adrian’s left from a similar spot.
46 min: Second half underway, no changes from either side. Can the Wanderers fight their way back into this?
HarryOfOz is right, down there in the comments section. “Quality first half performance by the Sky Blues, highlighted by the pass to Brosque by Bobo and the free-kick by Adrian.”
Half-time: Western Sydney Wanderers 0-3 Sydney FC
Perhaps the most entertaining half of the season so far. Terrific football from both sides, punctuated by some excellent goals from one of them.
GOAL! Western Sydney 0-3 Sydney FC (Adrian, 45)
Bosh! Adrian picks himself up from that Clisby foul and curls a left-footed beauty over the wall and beyond the despairing dive of Janjetovic. The keeper got a palm to it but the free-kick had enough power to get it over the line. Superb set-piece from the game’s dominant force.
44 min: Should be 3-0! Adrian continues to pull the strings, this time feeding in Carney who’s cross-shot ends up looping to Bobo six-yards out with an open goal, but his volley is awkward to control and he smashes it over the bar.
Shortly afterwards Clisby is the first name in the book for a mistimed challenge on the brilliant Adrian.
GOAL! Western Sydney 0-2 Sydney FC (Brosque, 41)
Lovely lovely goal from Sydney FC. Brillante to Bobo to Brosque, carving the Wanderers open like a Christmas turkey. Straight through the middle, slicing through a pretty ordinary defensive unit. That said, the home defence should not take away from the visiting attack, that was terrific to watch.
38 min: Brosque with another opportunity! This time he heads wide after timing his run expertly to meet Adrian’s free-kick.
This is a very entertaining game played at a decent tempo between two committed sides.
36 min: Another chance for Sydney and again the Wanderers’ defence is asleep. Wilkshire this time is given the freedom of ANZ Stadium down the right, his cross is close enough to Brosque to fashion a shot but it fails to hit the target.
Aside from the defensive lapses, the Wanderers are fighting gamely, doing their best to keep the game moving at all costs, always looking to play forward and with pace. The midfield triangle in particular looks extremely promising, they just need to get more from their wide areas and Scott up top.
33 min: Sydney’s turn to go close now! A long crossfield pass from right to left is knocked back across goal by Zullo but Carney can’t get on the end of it as the Wanderers smuggle the ball clear. Again, the original opportunity arrives via a turnover deep in Western Sydney territory.
30 min: So close for the Wanderers! A pacy attack ends with Cejudo cutting in from the left and walloping a dipping curling strike from the edge of the box that looked destined for the top corner until Redmayne flies like Superman and tips it onto the bar. Thrilling few moments of individual brilliance.
Updated
27 min: Foul throw klaxon! One of my pet hates, and after praising the referee, he’s into my bad books. Just get on with the game, it’s not under-10s, the transgression is marginal and the advantage minimal. The Wanderers go down the other end as a consequence and the rampaging Baccus - who’s taken on plenty of responsibility for running with the ball - almost wriggles into a dangerous area.
25 min: Another chance for Sydney as Adrian’s pinpoint free-kick finds Wilkinson just behind the Wanderers’ defensive line but the centre-half can’t divert the ball on target. Again, statuesque defending from the home side.
As a side note, the crowd are beginning to feel a few decisions are going against them. The ref has let the game flow well so far, in my opinion, but Sydney FC do seem to be getting the rub of the green.
22 min: As promising as the Wanderers look with the ball, they look ropey without it. Whenever Sydney attack they look threatening and Buijs is allowed far too much time to get a shot away that Janjetovic claims. As with Adrian’s goal, Western Sydney’s defenders spending more time looking at each other than attacking the ball.
20 min: There are good signs for the Gombau project tonight. The ball is being moved smartly from side-to-side, the midfield three of the two Baccus’s and Bonevacia are linking well, but there just isn’t the intuitive speed of thought to turn pretty passing chains into incisive attacking football.
16 min: Big job now for this unfamiliar Wanderers outfit to claw the game back against the champions. Bonevacia thinks he’s up to the task, taking control of the ball in Sydney’s half and trying his luck from range. His shot is deflected for a corner that’s recycled well by the home side but a deep cross eventually ends safely in Redmayne’s arms.
#sydneyderby 🙌😁 pic.twitter.com/w3bsr1h2pw
— Matthew Jurman (@mjurman5) December 9, 2017
GOAL! Western Sydney 0-1 Sydney FC (Adrian, 14)
Carney does well down the left, wriggling his way into the penalty area. His drilled cross is parried out by Janjetovic but only as far as Adrian who smacks home a low left-footed shot to open the scoring.
14 min: Sydney starting to assert themselves in the arm-wrestle now, blocking off the Wanderers’ passing lanes and pushing their defensive line much higher up the field. Arnold can be heard barking “up, up, up, up!” when the ball reaches Hamill on the right wing near halfway. It precipitates a turnover that Carney can’t capitalise upon.
12 min: There’s a huge advertising board in ANZ Stadium saying “IT’S ON”. It’s a promotion for Sydney tourism but you could be forgiven for seeing it as a cry for help from stadium operators faced with such a moderate crowd for this fixture.
9 min: The pattern of the game continues to involve the Wanderers jabbing from range, working the right touchline in particular, but lacking penetration. When they concede the turnover Sydney attack rapidly and look dangerous doing so.
6 min: Adrian with the first shot requiring a save and it was textbook Sydney. A high-press ended with Brosque robbing Aspropotamitis and quickly feeding Adrian who strolled through some unguarded territory before rasping a rising drive straight at Janjetovic.
Despite the two chances falling to the visitors, the hosts have started brightly, looking like they have a point to prove.
4 min: Sydney tae two minutes to touch the ball but when they do they almost score. Adrian orchestrates a quick break and once the ball is returned to him from the right his shot is blocked when he probably should have done better. The Wanderers struggle to clear their lines for a few moments but eventually get the job done. Adrian is very good, in case you were unaware.
2 min: The Wanderers have started neatly, dominating possession in their own half with plenty of triangles in midfield keeping the ball moving. The fabulous Baccus boys forming a midfield pivot will be something to keep an eye on.
Peeeeeeeeppppp!
The Sydney derby is underway!
Jonathan Barrerio is the man in the middle. Hard to imagine he’ll have an incident-free night considering the way this chaotic season is unfolding.
Out they all stride to a cacophony of fireworks and plenty of noise from the stands. It’s a sparsely populated ANZ Stadium though, far fewer in attendance than the 62,000 that crammed in here for round one last season.
Just a few minutes away from kick-off. Both sides are lined up in the tunnel waiting to go. Sydney FC in their strip of sky blue shirts, navy shorts and sky blue socks, Western Sydney Wanderers in their red and black hooped shirts, black shorts and socks.
Some stats for you, courtesy of Opta.
- This will be the third Sydney Derby at ANZ Stadium, with the spoils split at one win apiece. Each team has kept one clean sheet in that span.
- Western Sydney Wanderers are undefeated in the last three Sydney Derbies (W1, D2) in the Hyundai A-League, keeping two clean sheets in the process.
- Sydney FC are Sydney FC are winless in their last two matches at ANZ Stadium in the Hyundai A-League (D1, L1), after having won each of their three prior games at the venue.
- The Wanderers have gone seven games without a win (D5, L2) in the Hyundai A-League. The last and only time they went longer without a victory was a 14-game drought across 2014 and 2015 (D4, L10).
- Josep Gombau’s side have conceded just one goal in the opening half hour of games this Hyundai A-League season, fewer than any other team. They are also the only team yet to concede in the opening 15 minutes of a game.
- Sky Blues’ pair Joshua Brillante and Brandon O’Neill have each attempted 31 tackles this Hyundai A-League season, more than any other players.
- Wanderers midfielder Kearyn Baccus has made 80+ passes in a game on three occasions this Hyundai A-League season. No other player has done so more than twice.
- Only one side (Adelaide United) has a lower shot conversion rate than Western Sydney Wanderers this Hyundai A-League season (9.7%); Sydney have converted 13% of their efforts.
It's showtime... #WSW #SydneyDerby pic.twitter.com/b4Fjccn5dM
— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) December 9, 2017
It’s a derby double-header in Sydney today and early bragging rights go to Sydney FC who prevailed 3-1 in the W-League.
WWL FT | Strong in the end, @lisadevanna11's second half strike sees us comfortably win the @WLeague #SydneyDerby!! #SydneyIsSkyBlue pic.twitter.com/tmN8VYndic
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) December 9, 2017
WSW Team News
Josep Gombau appears to have stuck his squad’s names in a tombola and picked them out at random along with an associated playing position. There are five changes to his last starting XI, apparently based largely on training form.
There are unlikely starts for 20-year old Lachlan Scott and 19-year old Keanu Baccus, Socceroo fullback Josh Risdon lines up on the right of a front three, and the bench is stacked with expected starters.
This is a statement line-up. Time will tell if it’s tactical genius or suicidal tinkering.
Meanwhile here's how we'll be lining up in the @ALeague #SydneyDerby #WSW pic.twitter.com/j4pl5zf93A
— WS Wanderers FC (@wswanderersfc) December 9, 2017
Sydney FC Team News
Sydney’s XI reveals Milos Ninkovic has not been passed fit to feature. The Johnny Warren medallist misses his third game in a row with a calf injury but shouldn’t be out for much longer.
The rest of the Sky Blue line-up is as expected.
HAL LINEUP | Here's how your Sky Blues shape up for tonight's massive #SydneyDerby at @ANZStadium!! Thoughts on the squad? #SydneyIsSkyBlue pic.twitter.com/aMo8FPtwRZ
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) December 9, 2017
... if pictures are more your thing, the peerless David Squires has had his say on the matter too.
Already a major story, the NSW stadium building debacle is only likely to gather pace. Matt Cleary is all over the story and what it means for tonight’s protagonists.
Sneak peek inside the dressing room ahead of tonight's @ALeague #SydneyDerby! Who of these boys will dominate proceedings tonight? #SydneyIsSkyBlue pic.twitter.com/uHaqIp43L1
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) December 9, 2017
More on the Star Wars thingumajig...
AAP’s Vince Rugari has been soaking up the PR glory of Star Wars round on the Gold Coast. It’s fair to say the on-ground activation could have benefited from some of George Lucas’s special effects.
this is it. this is what we’ve got. this is Australian soccer #BRIvWEL pic.twitter.com/B5v4uwOGWh
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) December 9, 2017
they just walked to the corner and then disappeared down the tunnel #BRIvWEL pic.twitter.com/Lg9vatGYHm
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) December 9, 2017
Preamble
Good evening and welcome to live minute-by-minute coverage of Western Sydney Wanderers vs Sydney FC from ANZ Stadium.
This is the third fixture in round ten of the A-League and it pits the ladder-leading Sky Blues against the second-bottom Wanderers. Sydney are looking to extend their three-game winning streak while their crosstown rivals are desperate to secure just their second win of a campaign that has yet to spark into life.
Both sides will be hoping the force is with them (and sundry other such movie franchise cliches) on this Star Wars themed round. Fear not, that’s likely to be my last reference to the limp cross-promotion exercise for the night. I’m sure there’s merit to the whole enterprise, and I’m sure me not getting it makes me a grizzled curmudgeon, but bah humbug, we’re here for the football not the cosplay.
The visitors from the east of the Harbour City will start as favourites, a status befitting the holders of all three available pieces of domestic silverware and a five-point cushion at the top of the table. Graham Arnold has kept things ticking over after last season’s dominance, avoiding the temptation to fix anything that wasn’t broken, replacing like for like where necessary, and gilding the lily with the prodigiously talented Adrian Mierzejewski. It’s difficult to see any rivals derailing another pole to podium procession.
That’s not to say back-to-back success is in the bag just yet. This week’s Asian Champions League group stage draw wasn’t kind to Sydney and history shows A-League clubs find it challenging to focus on continental and domestic affairs at the same time. Also, Arnold has to be the front-runner for the vacant Socceroos job, and if it is offered to him in the new year it could throw a major spanner in Sydney’s works as they gear up for the business end of the campaign.
The Wanderers have endured a frustrating few months. Preseason optimism was understandably high following some impressive-looking recruitment but the departure of Tony Popovic on the eve of the opening round threw all that preparation into disarray. Josep Gombau has now come in but with his own specific gameplan, one that can be expected to take a while to bed in. Add in another season of hosting matches away from Parramatta and it’s easy to see this campaign drifting unsatisfyingly for the red and black.
On the bright side, derby day is one of those opportunities to define a season, and the Wanderers have cause for cheer, having only lost once to their city rivals in five attempts and leaving Allianz Stadium with a creditable 2-2 draw back in October.
Kick-off is just under an hour away, plenty of time to get up to speed with all the news, maybe chat some Fifa/FFA farrago, and deal with any correspondence you want to throw my way. Details are at the top of the page.
For now, Luke, I am your father.
Did I do it right?
Jonathan will be here shortly, but in the meantime, have a read of his analysis of the Fifa/AFC/FFA intervention story.
