Summary
So, one down, 134 regulation season games still to come! A-League 2018/19 returns with a tense, tactical encounter as two FFA Cup opponents eyed each other off ahead of their 30 October clash, back at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Adelaide United looked disciplined for their part, with the evidence of Marco Kurz’s off-season drilling there for all to see. Up front the Reds looked a little disjointed, but you can put that down to a few key absences, with Baba Diawara, George Blackwood, Ryan Kitto and Nikolai Mileusnic all sidelined.
Sydney FC raised a few question marks perhaps with their slightly subdued performance, with new men Siem de Jong and Adam Le Fondre taking some time to click, not connecting with Milos Ninkovic or Alex Brosque on too many occasions. Van der Linden looked a touch shaky at the back, while question marks returned over Andrew Redmayne’s positioning for the goal.
Both these sides showing they’ve more than enough quality to be in the mix come finals time, but will need significant improvement if they’re to scare the Melbourne City’s or Victory’s of the competition over 27 rounds.
Still, two quality goals, and a fascinating centre-of-the-park battle between some of the best midfielders in the competition. Plenty more to come from both these sides. Roll on 2018/19.
A tasty dress rehearsal for the FFA Cup in 10 or so days time, on a night in which defences were definitely on top.
Your thoughts on that? A goal for Adam Le Fondre on debut, but who of the other big name debutants caught your eye? It’s very early in a 27-game season, but a touch underwhelming from the defending premiers?
Full-time: Adelaide United 1-1 Sydney FC
90 + 5 min: Ninkovic with a jinking run, but just as he tries to pull the trigger Elsey makes a crucial block.
That’s enough, says referee Gillett – and our teams share the points!
Updated
90 + 3 min: Reds pushing slightly harder, but they’ve conceded possession cheaply to Le Fondre near the edge of the box.
Lokoli Ngoy tries a stabbed effort, but it drifts harmlessly wide.
90 + 1 min: Kurz urges his chargers on. You sense he sees this one as two points dropped, whereas Corica might just be slightly happier for the one point gained.
Marrone with a whipped cross but he’s overhit that, and the momentum dissipates.
Jakobsen then tries a quick freekick from about 50m out, looking to catch Redmayne off his line! No dice.
89 min: Elsey nearly slices the clearance, and then the crowd squeals with delight as Adelaide look to counter swiftly.
There are five added minutes to come. Jacobsen concedes a freekick, but it’s another disappointing set piece delivery from Van der Linden. Maaaate. Let one of the flair players take them, please!
87 min: Big chance as Van der Linden misjudges the bounce, and Halloran has an opportunity to shoot! The lumbering Dutchman recovers and prevents a clean effort, and Redmayne is equal to the effort!
Lokoli Ngoy now twists well to fire a shot – it takes a slight deflection and earns a corner!
It’s coming to life at the death, this one!
85 min: They’ve moved the placement of their effects mic presumably, Fox Sports, because they’re capturing some especially choice snippets from the respective benches tonight.
Needless to say some of the coaching staff / players looking on aren’t always agreeing with the referee’s interpretation of things.
83 min: Sydney FC again with it at the back. Wilkinson with a driven ball through the centre and almost picks out Le Fondre! Good sweeping from Izzo, who comes and punches clear, but it’s deemed a foul from the striker.
Lokoli Ngoy comes on for Brosque as the first FC substitute.
80 min: And it prompts a first substitution, finally! Ken Ilso enters the fray, replacing the goalscorer Galloway. Strain shifts to left fullback presumably, allowing the Dane to mark his A-League debut from the right forward position.
Goal! Adelaide United 1-1 Sydney FC (Le Fondre)
77 min: Ooh, yes. There he is! He arrived with a reputation as a goal box poacher, and out of nothing, Sydney’s English striker has drawn them level!
Zullo rolls a fine pass down the channel, Ninkovic makes an intelligent run and fires a well-crafted ball across the face, and it’s a tap in for the former Premier League striker.
They hadn’t crafted an real dangerous effort on goal in 77 minutes, but out of nothing, the back-to-back premiers are level!
Updated
75 min: Adelaide content to tuck in behind the ball in defence, and invite Sydney FC to break them down. Plenty of possession along the back four at the moment for the visitors, but nothing too incisive. Zullo and Van der Linden bouncing balls back between each other like they’re collecting pass completion stats.
Updated
73 min: And at this stage of the match it’s probably the perfect moment to remind you of the stat (courtesy the A-League website) that 73% of Sydney FC’s goals last season involved either Bobo or Adrian Mierzejewski. Neither of whom are still at the club.
70 min: Jakobsen again imperious at the back for the Reds. I circled that name earlier while perusing the off-season transfers, you do wonder how they managed to peel him away from Melbourne City, the Dane, but how crucial could he prove to Adelaide’s campaign?
67 min: No substitutes thus far from either side – it’s a very youthful looking bench for Steve Corica (see teamlists, earlier) which means he may look to rely on his starting XI for a little longer yet.
Updated
64 min: A corner earned by Brosque who rolls Galloway, but the fullback recovers well.
Van der Linden following the Sydney FC tradition of Dutch centre backs who unnecessarily rate themselves as set piece takers.
Unsurprisingly, Adelaide almost break quickly in transition.
61 min: De Jong looks to bend a ball in for Le Fondre, Jordan Elsey stoops well to clear, but at the expense of a corner.
It’s a dangerous ball in and a minor scare as de Jong swivels to shoot, but he’s adjudged to be offside, correctly.
59 min: Jakobsen does well to prevent Le Fondre from wriggling free. And now another flashpoint as the be-mulleted Grant clatters Boland.
That’s three of the back four in the book for the visitors as the right back is cautioned. A bit of frustration out there, they haven’t picked up too many cards over the past few seasons, Sydney.
Updated
57 min: They’re still working very hard, the Reds. How long do you think they can sustain this tonight? Sydney struggling to get their impact players into the action. They’re noticeably missing the blistering pace of Buhagiar, but we haven’t seen enough of their other front-third danger men.
55 min: Lovely lofted ball over the top from Marrone finds Goodwin, but he can’t quite bring it down, the winger-cum-striker.
A real half-chance there for the Reds, but Redmayne is out well to shut down the danger.
53 min: Boland now with a cutback that is intercepted by Van der Linden. The home crowd roars, presumably for handball, but VAR doesn’t fancy it (or else remains still unplugged).
50 min: A bit of niggle sees a few players coming together. Boland goes through Brillante which draws a heated response from the Sydney FC midfielder, who after a lengthy chat with referee Gillett receives a yellow card.
There’s a bit of push and shove, but no real malice from either set of players.
47 min: So. What does Steve Corica have in his bag of tricks?
We know that Marco Kurz has worked very hard to make Adelaide a defensively disciplined outfit. Who will be the man to unlock this Reds defence?
Second half!
45 min: Phwoar. I’ve hardly had time to make the world’s worst office milo, but we’re back underway.
A quick look around; no changes for either side at the break.
Welly-well, well. That’s lit the tinder for the second half.
Your thoughts on that first stanza?
I meant to offer my three possible scenarios for tonight during pre-game. One of which was an utter snore draw (the others being a jammy Le Fondre penalty for Sydney 1-0, and the outside prediction being a Halloran hat-trick to blow the season open..) – but I’m delighted to see that 0-0 hasn’t come to pass, despite looking very much on the cards for 45 + minutes.
Half-time: Adelaide United 1-0 Sydney FC
45 + 3 min: Almost the last kick of the half; and Jarryd Gillett blows his whistle!
And after a 45 minute arm-wrestle a moment of magic, from perhaps the most unlikely source on the pitch. Lovely stuff from the fullback Galloway, but the Sydney custodian Redmayne perhaps a little too far off his line?
Updated
Goal! Adelaide United 1-0 Sydney FC (Galloway)
45 + 2 min: De Jong with another effort on goal, but that one not as good. He had Grant racing outside him, but elected to go himself. Izzo very comfortable in bringing that under control.
Halloran then looks to pull the trigger at the other end but his effort is blocked. Goodwin lays off to the fullback who takes one touch then curls a terrific effort over the despairing outstretched arm of Andrew Redmayne. What a belter on his Adelaide debut!!
Updated
44 min: They’re definitely pressing hard, the Reds, even in the shadow of half-time they look to prevent Brillante from turning and playing forward.
De Jong almost catches Izzo out with a very cheeky lofted effort! “Who are you” indeed. Classy stuff from the former Premier League star and Dutch international.
42 min: And that was quickly levelled up – Zullo in the book for a tackle on Strain!
Tasty little battle that one, they’re both lightning quick players and you’d have to say they were both “first week back at the office after five months off” kind of tackles.
39 min: Ryan Strain goes in the book for a clumsy tackle attempt on Zullo, a first yellow card for Adelaide.
O’Neill then attempts a curling effort, jinking inside, but it rises just over the crossbar. Decent effort from the Sydney defensive midfielder!
36 min: Another Reds corner, and again it’s Goodwin and Isaias working short. Another wicked ball in from the Spaniard, whose lofted effort just evades a teammate and is well-claimed by Redmayne in the Sydney goal.
33 min: Jakobsen with a run from the back but he’s felled, illegally. Adelaide look to press on but Lia’s throughball for Marone is tucked behind for a corner. Goodwin prepares the delivery.. but it’s taken short instead to Isaias. He drives a wicked ball in, the skipper, and they earn a second corner, but it’s well defended.
Good sustained pressure for the Reds.
31 min: First signs of Ninkovic, Le Fondre and de Jong combining. The Serbian doing well down the left to create a half-burst, but as he charged into the box he attempted a cut back to find the Dutchman when perhaps a shot was the better option. It comes to nought.
Sydney starting to win a series of freekicks as their flair players come into the contest.
28 min: For fans of analysing presses, Sydney FC are working in a 4-4-2 defensively, with Brosque joining Le Fondre up front; Ninkovic drops to a wide left position, with de Jong tucking in on the right.
25 min: The home fans give it the ol’ “who are ya” to Siem de Jong who miscontrols a fast ball into the box. You’d hate that one, as a coach – I’ve never really understood razzing a pedigree player so early in a contest. Especially if they’ve watched the highlights from Sydney FC’s last FFA Cup outing.
First yellow card, as van der Linden goes in the book for a challenge from behind as Strain looked to burst forward. It’s opening up a little now after a cagey first 20 minutes or so.
Updated
23 min: Brosque goes to ground under a challenge from Jakobsen; the effects mic pick up the remonstrations of an irate Adelaide coach Marco Kurz on the touchline.
Zullo whips in curling freekick and there’s a nervous moment as it’s not cleared, but the ball doesn’t sit for de Jong. A first corner of the game for Sydney FC, but Adelaide defend it. A nervy few moments.
20 min: A roar from the home fans as Strain bursts into the box, but the Sydney defence recovers well and Zullo intercepts his attempted pass to Boland. The active support burst into full throat to try and lift their side.
Adelaide with the first chance of the game – Isaias dispossesses Ninkovic and looks to release Goodwin; Grant attempts to get back but can’t cut out the pass.
Goodwin fires an effort – but it’s a strong hand from Redmayne to deny him! First real chance of the game!
Updated
18 min: Isaias fires in a free-kick but it’s well cleared by the Sydney defence. Goodwin then looks to fire in a dangerous cross, but he can’t pick out a teammate.
A positive patch here for the hosts. But some concern as new signing Jakobsen gets up gingerly. Could be an ankle or metatarsal issue? A tangling of studs from Brosque may not have helped.
15 min: The former Nix fullback again does well under close attention from Grant. Isaias becoming increasingly prominent in the centre of the park for the hosts, but we haven’t had too many sightings of Milos Ninkovic yet.
12 min: Lia and de Jong go shoulder-to-shoulder in midfield. Very much a “feeling out” exercise as these two sides get into their flows early on. They will of course be meeting again in 11 days or so for the FFA Cup final.
Galloway with a nutmeg to beat his opponent. Saucy.
Updated
9 min: It’s a makeshift front three for the Reds, in Diawara’s absence; but with George Blackwood reportedly also a late scratching, so Strain is pushed further forward with Halloran moving centrally for Goodwin to attack from the left.
7 min: Adelaide working hard without the ball, as in fact are Sydney FC. Plenty of willing runners with Boland / Lia and Brillante / O’Neill in the middle of the park looking to press and harry their opposite numbers.
5 min: Sydney FC have led the league defensively over the past two seasons, and that’s in large part due to the presence of Alex Wilkinson. Mind you, Adelaide haven’t leaked too many across their pre-season, so it could be a battle of attrition tonight.
FC skipper/permanent curmudgeon Alex Brosque goes to ground under a challenge from Jordan Elsey. A bit of niggle there, but nothing too untoward.
3 min: Windy conditions in Adelaide tonight, but a pristine pitch underfoot. It’s a relatively gentle opening few minutes as both sides look to knock it around.
A risky square ball from Brillante misses his teammate and Ryan Strain lashes an early effort, but it sails harmlessly wide.
Kick off!
1 min: And we’re back! It’s back! The A-League is back!
And it’s a fetching deep hue of blue for Sydney FC in their away strip. You can’t see it, but please take my word for it – it’s very sharp looking.
And for fans of the VAR, we’ll now have a permanent off-centre home as the A-League follows the World Cup with an NRL-bunker style wall of screens. Probably wise after somebody unplugged the system during last season’s grand final, presumably to boil a kettle (or crush Newcastle’s fairytale finish; depending on your level of conspiracy theorism).
Chris Griffith Jones is the man upstairs tonight, Jarryd Gillett the man in the middle.
We’re seconds away from kick-off, and as always this is a train that picks up all passengers. If you’d like to join our coverage tonight feel free to fire an email or tweet @rrjparkin to share your best musings, premonitions and insights with your fellow readers.
Who do you fancy tonight? Who’s done the best off-season transfer business? Where will it be won or lost at Adelaide Oval? Let us know!
Updated
It’s a nervy first A-League game in charge, as permanent manager, for Steve Corica in the Sydney FC hotseat.
He did of course step in in an interim capacity six seasons ago, but those two games ended in defeats. The noises inside Sydney FC is that despite his relative lack of experience as a No 1, the club stalwart has tremendous respect inside the dressing room due to his pedigree as a player, with the 45-year-old still occasionally showing his new chargers a trick or two on the training paddock. There’s been a backroom staff overhaul, with former boss Graham Arnold moving many of his staff on with him to Socceroos level.
For Marco Kurz, it’s a second A-League season in charge. The German now knows what to expect, and they’ve gone about their recruitment in quiet and steady fashion; former favourite Craig Goodwin has returned to the club, while fellow fringe Socceroo Ben Halloran could be another sneaky for a massive season.
A few key things to note there – for Sydney, most notably the absence of Trent Buhagiar who after an impressive pre-season was cruelled with an ACL injury. Danny De Silva – the first player signed under the A-League’s new inter-squad loans system misses out with a minor hamstring issue. Rhyan Grant is as good as a new signing after his own lengthy injury layoff, and it’s league debuts for Jop Van der Linden, Siem de Jong and Adam Le Fondre.
For Adelaide, it’s a late injury to the man who was expected to lead the line, Baba Diawara, who let’s face it, has had a wicked run on the treatment table. Scott Galloway and Michael Jakobsen jet in from Phoenix and Melbourne City respectively, Ben Halloran returns from Germany, while Mirko Boland is in store for his A-League debut. Fellow new man Ken Ilso settles for a place on the bench.
And here’s your latest team news:
Sydney FC
Redmayne (GK); Zullo, Van der Linden, Wilkinson, Grant; O’Neill, Brillante, De Jong, Ninkovic, Brosque; Le Fondre
Bench: Cisak (GK), Calver, Retre, Lokoli Ngoy, Devlin
LINEUP | Here's how your Sky Blues shape up for tonight's massive 2018/19 season opener away v Adelaide!
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) October 19, 2018
What do you make of the squad?#SydneyIsSkyBlue #ComeWithUs #ADLvSYD pic.twitter.com/w8JNwjKQV2
Adelaide United
Izzo (GK); Galloway, Jakobsen, Elsey, Marrone; Isaias (c), Lia, Boland; Goodwin, Halloran, Strain
Bench: Richards (GK), Regan, Ilso, Konstandopoulos, Armiento
HERE WE GO! It's finally game time, and here is our starting line up! #AUFC #ADLvSYD pic.twitter.com/toEbJUcF4q
— Adelaide United (@AdelaideUnited) October 19, 2018
Updated
While we while away the minutes until kick-off, if you haven’t done your last-minute swatting, never fear – Jonathan Howcroft has you covered, with his terrific ten-team previews:
And:
Preamble
Two hundred and forty thousand, three hundred and forty five minutes.
How do you measure, an A-League off season?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights (all 166), in cups of coffee (c. 250-300?). In (column) inches (about Usain Bolt), in miles (travelled by Adam Le Fondre to sign for Sydney FC), in laughter and strife (Matt Simon).
14,420,700 seconds.. yes, there really is nothing like the A-League off-season.
But! With an added World Cup for distraction, it’s been a sufficiently long enough time for the horrors of the past (#VARgate) to be consigned to history, and excitement and expectation (Matt Simon! As captain!) to build about season 2018/19.
Keisuke Honda! Siem De Jong! Ross McCormack’s back! And they don’t have troublesome high fences in apartments round Gosford.
There are a thousand reasons to get excited about the 14th incarnation of the A-League, but tonight’s it’s about Adelaide United and Sydney FC, in a foreshadowing of this season’s FFA Cup final.
Can Marco’s maniacs ruin Bimbi’s league debut as full-time boss? Or will the well-oiled Sydney machine, fashioned under Graham Arnold continue it’s boa-constrictor style grip on the A-League premiership?
There’s only one place to find out* – and it’s right here on your Guardian A-League liveblog.
*There isn’t
