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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Richard Parkin

Sportwatch: Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory and more – as it happened

Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory
Josh Brillante heads the ball away during the round five A-League match between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory at WIN Jubilee Stadium. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Summary

So that’s all from Sunday Sportwatch, thanks for your company tonight.

It’s double bragging rights for Melbourne Victory, in both the A-League and W-League with narrow 2-1 and 3-2 wins respectively over Sydney FC. Natasha Dowie running riot in the earlier Big Blue with a hat-trick for her side.

Some close tussles in the basketball as well; another last-minute win in the WNBL, and an at times fiery encounter that saw three players not go the distance in the NBL as the Hawks downed the 36ers.

There’s Hockeyroos actions underway in a few hours time, as they take on the impressive Dutch in the final of the Champions Trophy.

But we begin and finish with cricket. And what an inspiring victory it was early today, as the Southern Stars released some demons with an imposing win over England, despite some early wobbles in the field.

Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, even Ellyse Perry with some vital wickets - what can you say about this team, just absolute class from I-XI, with ‘keeper Healy receiving the award for player of the tournament.

It’s always nice to beat England. Just ask the Wallabies. What it would be like, hypothetically, of course.

There is of course a late A-League game, and then an even later W-League game coming from Perth tonight, but if I don’t stop now, I never will because lets face it - the sport is unrelenting.

In the interim, Geoff Lemon is our eyes and ears from the third and final T20 between Australia and India. Don’t miss a beat of that one, here:

Sheesh, and Finch and co have brought up 50 in just over six overs. This could be a cracker.

Updated

Full-time: Sydney FC 1-2 Melbourne Victory

And thar she blows! It’s an opening loss to the back-to-back premiers - their first of the season, at their first game at their temporary home ground for the next three seasons, Kogarah, and it’s against the old enemy.

Kevin Muscat punches the air. Corica experiences his first Big Blue, and it tastes like defeat.

90 + 6 min: Ninkovic with a header .. but Lokolingoy doesn’t anticipate the touch, and can’t get on the end of it! Letoff for Victory!

90 + 4 min: What an impact from Calver, he’s really putting himself about! Now the loose ball almost falls to Grant, but they can’t fashion a clear shooting chance. Between him and Lokolingoy, there’s definitely plenty of tall timber up front for Sydney FC.

90 + 2 min: There’s five minutes added on. And it’s Niedermeier in the wars. Ouch - that’s a very heavy head clash, between him and Calver.

He might need the stretcher here. It’s in no way a milking injury, this. But it does take any momentum out of this clash.

Looks like Ansell could be coming on for the German.

90 min: And it’s a long ball in behind, and it’s Calver one-on-one with Niedermeier, but the experienced German wins the battle!

That would have been a remarkable introduction for the Sydney defender, marking his entrance with a goal!

89 min: Last roll of the dice from Corica, and it’s Aaron Calver on for Brillante. They’ve sacrificed a holder, but the player more known as a centre back/right back heads further up field. Lively. Don’t mind this.

A floating front-third target man? Why not.

87 min: The home crowd getting increasingly disgruntled, especially as Lokolingoy is handled heavily in the box, by the experienced German defender Niedermeier. No penalty given, not that, in fairness it was warranted.

85 min: Le Fondre and Zullo combining again; it’s back to the wall stuff from the visitors, but in fairness they’ve been equal to most of what Sydney have tried to throw at them over these past ten minutes or so.

83 min: Grant looks for Le Fondre, he plays back to O’Neill who feeds Brillante.. it’s a shot from long range.. and the ‘keeper scrambles but it drives wide!

81 min: Lokolingoy looks to immediately combine with his fellow sub, and they’ve fashioned a corner. And it’s Thomas who’s called into action to force it behind once again!

A second corner but it’s dealt with well by the Victory defence. Good pressure this, from Sydney.

79 min: So, a need for more urgency from the home side, and it is those two subs that come into the fray at the expense of Retre and the skipper Brosque.

Fresh legs, and a fair bit of flair and guile, in de Silva.

75 min: Sydney FC looking to run the changes - Danny de Silva and Charles Lokolingoy the most likely attacking options.

What schemes does Steve Corica have up his sleeve, to salvage this, his first Big Blue as a head coach?

And on crowd watch, a pretty decent turnout in Kogarah, on what is in fairness a stunning evening in Sydney.

Goal! Sydney FC 1-2 Melbourne Victory (Honda, pen.)

71 min: Cool as you like! No mistake from the Japanese. And it’s a penalty a piece, and Victory re-take the lead.

Updated

70 min: Welly, well! Broxham dinks a ball in for Honda, and ... he’s clattered in the box by van der Linden, and the referee says: penalty!

It’s an immediate effect from the sub, and the tactical change. And this time, there are few complaints over that one. The Dutch defender almost embarrassed at himself for jumping in, unnecessarily.

68 min: And it’s the end of the shift for the goalscorer, Toivonen, and he’s replaced by the Victory veteran, Leigh Broxham. There’s a bit of a reshuffle, and Honda moves centrally. Can he have more effect there?

66 min: Interesting stat; Sydney FC have fashioned 13 crosses so far, Victory 11. The only difference? One in four of Sydney FC’s have connected, none of Melbourne’s have.

They’re just so lethal with Zullo and Grant. Doesn’t hurt having a pedigree poacher in Adam Le Fondre centrally, either.

63 min: And unsurprisingly, there’s a bit of niggle creeping into this one. Victory skipper Carl Valeri getting himself involved, as Troisi goes in the book for a petulant reaction to the referee’s whistle.

60 min: Sydney FC on the attack again, Zullo with a fine ball in, but the Victory defence clears well. O’Neill picks the pocket of Honda, he was caught on his heels, uncharacteristically, the former AC Milan star. They’re enjoying a good spell of pressure, here, Sydney.

57 min: Some lovely build up from Sydney FC, they really did get so much joy down the flanks with both fullbacks, Grant and Zullo, looking to attack, and so dangerous when they do.

It’s a corner to Sydney. Dutch set piece “specialist” Jop van der Linden lopes over to take it. Who does he think he is; Jordy Buijs?

53 min: Honda with a good ball out to Antonis, who can’t quite pick out Toivonen. We’ve seen him come more into games late on, the Japanese marquee, with his pinpoint delivery and array of passing; could he be the X-factor late on tonight?

49 min: Huge save! Brilliant from Thomas once again. It’s an excellent ball in from O’Neill, and Grant pops up at the far post with the header, but the Victory custodian scrambles across his goal well to save, and save well!

Second half! And we’re back underway in Kogarah.

45 min: No changes from either side, and they re-lock horns once again.

It really is the gift that keeps giving; damned if you do, damned if you don’t with the VAR. Goes to show that perhaps policy on the fly isn’t the best way to deal with this controversial tech.

And if you need more outrage about VAR to tide you over until the second half kicks off, may I humbly proffer this, from a few weeks back:

Here’s what you, the people had to say about that decision, as well:

Updated

And, a yellow card handed to Victory coach Kevin Muscat, just before half time. He’s not the most notoriously calm on the sideline, but it’s fair to say they’re not to happy, the Melbourne coaching staff. Can they find another goal to go ahead in the second half?

Half-time: Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory

45 + 2 min: And that’s that. A fascinating first stanza, but once again an obvious talking point from that first 45.

Club social media accounts are never the most neutral of observers, but when it’s this strong you know there’s something pretty serious amiss.

Salty, this from Melbourne Victory.

44 min: So, they’ve dominated possession, Sydney FC, but it’s still Melbourne Victory that have carved out the more positive chances.

Paulo Retre once again looking to spark something for the home side. He’s definitely made the most of his run in the side in the absence of Siem De Jong.

40 min: And suffice to say, if you’re going off the responses on Twitter, you’d have to conclude that was a slightly “generous” penalty to the home side. Some are even making the correlation that this does occasionally happen to Sydney FC.

At the very least if you’re Kevin Muscat you’d be mulling over how a contentious VAR decision turned around a promising 1-0 lead in their opening game of the season against their cross-town rivals Melbourne City, just before half-time. De ja vu?

38 min: Heavy tackle from Zullo, who clatters Deng in the side of the head, body to body. Some concern for the new Socceroo; he stays down for some time, but regains his feet eventually. Freekick in their own half to Victory.

Goal! Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory (Le Fondre, pen)

35 min: Ach. A terrific save from Lawrence Thomas, a huge strong left hand to stop the penalty attempt from Le Fondre.. but the rebound falls kindly for the Englishman, who completes the job on the second attempt!

You have to feel for the ‘keeper - that’s twice in five weeks, no? You’ll remember he saved a pen from Berenguer during the opening round Melbourne derby, only to see Ritchie de Laet then stab home the rebound.

34 min: Fine work from O’Neill, who picks out Le Fondre, he’s brought down inside the box, and what does the referee say.. penalty!

VAR is having a look at it; it does look marginal contact, but after the early season furore surrounding the video ref you can’t imagine they’ll overturn this. We wait, with bated breath.

31 min: So refresh your browser and scroll back down; there’s the vision of that opening goal for Victory. As you can see, more than a fair slice of luck in it, but they have created the more positive opening chances, have Melbourne. It’s four shots on target to none, so far.

28 min: A curling effort from Antonis, and Redmayne tips it behind!

He doesn’t mind a goal against his old club, does Terry. They’ve set up perfectly for the counter-attack now, Victory. They will look to hit the pace of Barbarouses, as they did then, to spark the transition.

Goal! Sydney FC 0-1 Melbourne Victory (Toivonen)

24 min: Ay, ay, ay. That’s quietened the home crowd. It was a well-whipped cross in, and the big Swede’s looked to get something on it.

It’s a blow for the home side though, as the slightest of deflections off Sydney’s Dutch defender Jop van der Linden is enough to wrong-foot the ‘keeper, Redmayne.

An unfortunate opening goal; will this send the hosts into their shells?

Updated

22 min: Some positive work from Retre who bursts into the box. He looks for his captain, Brosque, but the veteran goes to ground and nobody’s buying it. In fairness, he wasn’t 100% selling it, and the move breaks down for Sydney.

Meanwhile, a lot of positive vibes on a gorgeous day in Sydney’s south today, for this our second game from Kogarah today.

Boutique stadiums, good for fans? Who knew:

There’s a quality travelling contingent in today, kudos to Victory fans - over 2,000 of them have made the trip today to this, the recently announced venue for the majority of Sydney FC’s home games for the next three seasons.

18 min: And I would love to give you an updated photo, in case anyone is confused - this is no longer the W-League Big Blue (starring Natasha Dowie), but in fact the A-League Big Blue (starring Adam Le Fondre and Keisuke Honda; hopefully). Perhaps the internet is down in Kogarah - no live pics yet from our snappers at the ground.

15 min: They’re looking a lot more potent in the final third already, Victory. Who knew that Toivonen’s return might have that effect. It will be interesting to see what having a dedicated, strong No9 out on the pitch will mean for Victory’s wide men like Barbarouses who love to attack from wider.

12 min: Freekick to Victory and Keisuke Honda stands over it with intent. It’s a relatively straightforward claim from the Sydney ‘keeper from the Melbourne marquee / Cambodian head coach.

9 min: Now it’s Milos Ninkovic with a sighter - a vicious effort from the former Johnny Warren medalist. They can’t back off and give the Serbian too much time to pick a shot, or he will punish Victory.

5 min: An early injury scare for Victory’s German defender Georg Niedermeier - we’ll watch this space. It would be a massive blow if he had to leave this early on. He’s the experienced marshall in this Victory defence; very much taking over the mantle from his former Stuttgart teammate Matthieu Delpierre.

3 min: Shot! An early effort on goal, and it’s a bullet from Barbarouses, and Redmayne does well to turn behind for the first corner of the contest. That was really fizzing, but the Sydney custodian moved sharply to deal with it.

Kick off!

Okay, let’s head back to the A-League, where we’ve just kicked off in Kogarah, no doubt another gripping installment awaits, as Sydney FC take on Melbourne Victory in tonight’s feature match.

NBL full-time: Illawarra Hawks 120-109 Adelaide 36ers

No dice for Adelaide in the NBL either, where the Hawks have backed up their impressive first half showing to close this one out quite comfortably.

A double-double for Andy Ogilvy with 19 pts and 13 rebounds, here he is running the full boards.

WNBL full-time: Melbourne Boomers 84-82 Adelaide Lightning

And it’s another corker of a game from the WNBL this round, as the Boomers won it in the last minute against Adelaide.

They led at every turn, the home side, but Lightning refused to let them get away, US import Nia Coffey with a game-high 25 points, just one ahead of Boomers skipper Jenna O’Hea.

Meanwhile, we turn our attention to the A-League, where the Big Blue - Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory - is not too far away.

Here’s how the teams will line up:

And the visitors:

The big news there being the inclusion of Sweden’s World Cup star, Ola Toivonen, for his first A-League start of the campaign.

And the party is just starting over in Antigua where Meg Lanning and pals are set to start the celebrations after their fourth World T20 crown.

It’s a more sombre environment over in Camp England, here’s what their coach and captain had to say:

W-League full-time: Sydney FC 2-3 Melbourne Victory

90 + 2 min: They’re huffing and puffing, Sydney FC, but they just can’t find a way through. Dumont with a huge save from McCaskill, while a cross from De Vanna flashes dangerously across the face of goal, just needing someone to tuck it home!

They hold firm, the visitors, only their third (?) win over Sydney? Huge morale booster, and what a Big Blue. Here’s hoping Honda and co. can match that game for intensity and excitement.

Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory
Lisa de Vanna and Angela Beard in action during the Big Blue. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Goal! Sydney FC 2-3 Melbourne Victory (Kennedy)

82 min: Yes, they can! Not a massive fan of centre backs who fancy themselves from set pieces, but when that CB is Alanna Kennedy, then why not! A sumptuous curling effort from the Matilda, and she’s pinged that over the wall and top left corner! Terrific strike.

And what a finish we have to this one now.

Jeff Hopkins, the Victory coach, has now subbed the sub, as he looks to firm up his defence. Can they hold on, Melbourne?

Updated

Red card! Sydney FC 1-3 Melbourne Victory

81 min: Game on, now - Victory’s Angela Beard has been given her marching order for a second yellow card offence, after catching Savannah McCaskill from behind. Good work from the US forward to draw the foul. But can Sydney FC make anything from the resulting freekick?

NBL Half-time: Illawarra Hawks 65-53 Adelaide 36ers

One of the more high-scoring halves we’ve seen this season, as the Jordair Jett-led Hawks have begun to stamp their authority on this game.

The points have come from everywhere in fairness, with nine of their ten on-court players getting it done. Adelaide skipper Damien Johnson almost ploughing a lone furrow with 14pts. He’ll need a bit more from his teammates if they’re to prevent the 7th placed team making up valuable ground on the ladder.

And a bit of “afters” on that play. Tasty.

W-League: Goal! Sydney FC 1-3 Melbourne Victory (Dowie)

51 min: Wowee! I don’t think this is result many expected, but Tash Dowie is running riot.

Great build up work by Emily Gielnik to draw the defence’s attention, but a terrific turn and shot from Dowie brings up her hat-trick. A mountain to climb for the home side now, even with a Matildas-studded front line.

And approaching half time in both the NBL and WNBL matches, it’s the home sides narrowly leading.

The Hawks trailed by seven at the end of the first quarter but they’ve currently edge ahead 48-44 with about five minutes to play in the half, Jordair Jett leading the way for the home side with 11pts.

And in Melbourne, it’s the Boomers just shading it 44-39 at half time, with O’Hea and Talbot leading the way with 13pts and 12pts respectively.

Updated

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for a trophy shot out of Antigua from the women’s World T20 final, but this is not a bad little moment.

Meg Lanning hitting the final runs, after teammate Ashleigh Gardner did so well with both ball and bat. A lovely moment shared between the two.

Lanning and Gardner celebrate
Lanning and Gardner celebrate - it’s coming home, it’s coming home; cricket’s coming home. Photograph: Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

W-League: Goal! Sydney FC 1-2 Melbourne Victory (Dowie, pen.)

45 +1 min: Owie. That’s a coach killer - as against the run of play, the Victory have been handed an absolute freebie! Princess Ibini guilty of a push inside the box on former Sky Blue Teigen Allen; you’d have to say, that seemed a touch soft.

No mistake from the skipper, despite the best efforts of import ‘keeper Aubrey Bledsoe, who gets a glove to her penalty attempt, but can’t keep it out.

Big second half to come here, you’d imagine. With the strike power that’s currently on the pitch, you’d have to say there’s more goals to come.

W-League: Goal! Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory (Logarzo)

39 min: Well they’ve been dominating since the early goal, and they’ve eventually got their reward, the home side. Good build up involving Lisa de Vanna and Caitlin Foord looks to pick out Chloe Logarzo centrally, but de Vanna’s cross is slightly overhit - but Danielle Colaprico does brilliantly well to keep the ball alive, cut it back and find her fellow midfielder, Logarzo, to tuck home past former Sky Blue Casey Dumont in the Victory goal.

Game on!

And for our golfing fans, it sounds like the Aussie duo of Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman have their work cut out to catch runaway leaders, Belgium, at the World Cup of golf in Melbourne. Here’s Australian Associated Press’s report:

Belgium continue to hold Australia and other World Cup of Golf challengers at bay in the final round at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club.

Taking a five-shot advantage into the final round, Belgian duo Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry have maintained that lead after their opening nine holes.

Playing foursomes (alternate shot) on Sunday, they faltered with a bogey on the par-3 second hole but made amends on the par-5 fourth with an eagle before picking up birdies on the seventh and ninth.

Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith looked sharp early with four birdies through 11 holes in a consistent showing but have their work cut out to catch the runaway leaders.

They are tied for second with South Korea and Mexico, who have 2018 Australian Open title winner Abraham Ancer in their two-man team.

And we’ve got basketball action, NBL from the ‘Gong where the Illawarra Hawks host the Adelaide 36ers, and also the WNBL from Melbourne where it’s the Boomers v Lightning.

That one starts in just a few moments, while we’re in the first quarter in Wollongong, where it’s currently 12-7 to the home side.

W-League: Goal! Sydney FC 0-1 Melbourne Victory (Dowie)

Plenty happening just at the moment, but it’s not the start Sydney FC were looking for in the Big Blue, where the visitors, Victory, have started brightly. In the big games you look to the big players, and the Englishwoman Dowie has not disappointed off a Christine Nairn assist after just five minutes.

We’re about 20 minutes into this one, will you bring you key moments as and when they occur.

Hi hi - to you and yours, from wherever you’re following today’s coverage.

Some lovely news for Australian cricket fans out of Antigua where Meg Lanning’s Southern Stars have finished the women’s World T20 tournament with aplomb, claiming their fourth title in imposing fashion, beating England by eight wickets.

Here’s Raf Nicholson’s match report from the West Indies:

And for the blow-by-blow account, here’s Niall McVeigh’s liveblog:

Updated

Preamble

It’s a fixture that never fails to deliver, the Big Blue, the “original rivalry” between the A-League’s two most successful clubs, Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory.

The Sky Blues have enjoyed the rub over their southern colleagues in recent seasons, but the darker hue of blue did famously grab the win during the finals when it really mattered last season, with a former Sydney player scoring the winner, and one of the Victory coaches infamously entering the field of play to choke an opposition player. Halcyon days.

Before then however there’s plenty of Sunday sport to choose from - we’ve got W-League with another Big Blue, WNBL and NBL action, and all the fallout from the women’s World T20 Cup in Antigua, where England and Australia are currently contesting the final.

We’ll bring you everything that we can, here, on Sunday Sportwatch.

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