Following one of the most anticipated Sydney Derbies to date, an array of media outlets had their say.
The most significant aspect from the match was Shane Smeltz goal in the 90th minute. Fox Sports Australia emphasised Smeltz’s contribution from off the bench, aiding to Sydney FC’s third straight victory for the Sky Blues and stealing all three points from the Western Sydney Wanderers. The goal had appeared to also shock Smeltz himself, with the goal his second of the season.
Tom Smithies of the Daily Telegraph conveyed Graham Arnold’s defensive structure heading into the match. “You need a defensive plan against the Wanderers and we controlled their danger men well,” said a satisfied Sydney coach Graham Arnold.
“It’s the way you have to play against Western Sydney. At 1-1 they threw open the game plan and that gave us the chance to get back into the game.”
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The intensity of the atmosphere at Wanderland was also highlighted by Smithies. Indeed, the match had grown in intensity with the scores levelled at 1-1. With Ali Abbas preparing to enter the fray of the match, Smithies conveyed a ‘unedifying chorus of boos on Ali Abbas as the Sky Blues substitute entered the fray, 14 months after rupturing his knee on the same ground’.
ABC Grandstand also highlighted the return of Ali Abbas, a week following his goal after returning from long term injury. The chorus of boos erupting with Abbas entering the match served his own desire to return impressively, used by the Iraqi international as motivation to rehabilitate and return to football.
Tony Popovic’s Wanderers should also be concerned by their start towards games as labelled by Goal.com. All four defeats by the Western Sydney Wanderers have occurred when they had conceded the first goal. However, possession was dominated by the Wanderers throughout the game. In the first 20 minutes, 70% of possession was maintained by the Wanderers. Although Dario Vidosic was able to score folllowing a great turn and curl his shot inside the far post on the 58th minute, energising the Wanderers into the second half.
Finally, FourFourTwo labelled the possession dominance of the Wanderers into failing to create efficient goal scoring chances. While the Wanderers will have to wait until the 20th of February to return to Allianz Stadium in the attempt to prevent the Sky Blues clean sweep of derbies throughout 2015-16, FourFourTwo emphasised they still contain the quality of which to challenge in the final series.
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