Sydney FC faced off against Perth Glory in sweltering temperatures on Saturday afternoon with neither side able to break the deadlock, resulting in a dull 0-0 draw.
With the 34 degree afternoon sun sucking much of the tempo from the match, the Glory had the best of the opening chances with returning Socceroo Josh Risdon firing the first shot from outside the box.
Brazilian attacker Sidnei broke free down the right-hand side soon after, surging into the Sky Blues’ box, requiring a timely intervention from Seb Ryall. Meanwhile, Slovenian recruit Filip Holosko came closest for the visiting side when his tame header fell into the grateful arms of Ante Covic.
After the break, a rejuvenated Chris Harold had a duo of strikes that nearly saw his side take the lead. First, the pacy striker beat Sydney’s Matt Jurman before a lacklustre finish trickled into Vederan Janjetovic’s arms. His second attempt was hit with far more vigour but even then, could only find the side netting.
Substitute Matt Simon had the game’s best chance after Alex Gersbach’s clipped ball to the back post was headed inches wide of the goal. The scorching heat meant much of the latter proceedings were merely a formality as both sides seemed content with a point.
Formations
Mickael Tavares held his midfield spot despite Sydney’s first loss of the season last week, which meant Brandon O’Neill, the former Glory youth product, would start from the bench. Milos Ninkovic and Holosko continued in their inverted winger roles with full-backs Rhyan Grant and Alex Gersbach relied on to provide width in their narrow 4-2-3-1. Seb Ryall moved infield to accocomodate for the absence of vice-captain Jacques Faty.
Sydney FC XI (4-2-3-1): Janjetovic (GK); Grant, Ryall, Jurman, Gersbach; Dimitrijevic, Tavares; Ninkovic, Holosko, Brosque; Smeltz.
For the home side, Kenny Lowe opted to promote Michael Thwaite from their usual back three to make up a man in midfield. This meant that the Glory played with a three-man midfield consisting of Thwaite, Diogo Ferreira and the mercurial Nebojsa Marinkovic. To finish their 4-3-3, former Hull City striker Richard Garcia played up front with Sidnei and Diego Castro on either flank.
Perth Glory XI (4-3-3): Covic (GK); Risdon, Williams, Grant, Warren; Thwaite, Marinkovic, Ferreira; Sidnei, Garcia, Castro.
Gersbach the creator
In a game devoid of real attacking opportunities, it was teenager Gersbach who stepped up as the game’s most creative threat. Fresh from a strong individual performance against the Victory, the AIS product continued his good form with plenty of crosses from the left-hand side, coming closest to the most penetrative passing that Sydney has seen this season.
Gersbach’s quick feet meant he found space to dink a ball towards the penalty spot in the first half but Holosko could not fully profit. The youngster found space through a similar fashion in the second stanza. His cross this time found the head of Simon, who really should have done better to give the visitors a stunning lead.
Out of the side for the opening exchanges of the season, many Sydney FC fans will be hoping one of their most exciting young prospects gets a full season under his belt to prove his worth at left full-back.
Perth turns up the heat
Unfortunately, we are not talking about the Glory here. The match went ahead in 34-degree heat despite both coaches’ protests and the viewers could certainly tell with the quality of the match suffering. A game of slow build-up was sparked to life in brief moments, more often by a mistake than an ingenious piece of play.
More than the tiresome effect it had on the individuals, the heat sapped the game of any key tactical battles between two very experienced A-League managers. In his post-match press conference, Graham Arnold was livid at the decision not to push the game back a crucial couple of hours.
“They were buggered. If you go and ask those 22 players if they enjoyed today’s game, I think you’ll find 22 players will say, ‘I would have rather have been at the beach’. You may as well throw all tactics out the door,” Arnold said.
Thwaite in midfield?
With the return of Ferreira from injury, could Kenny Lowe move to make Thwaite a mainstay in midfield?
With Ferreira and Marinkovic arguably the club’s best players, Lowe may need a midfield linchpin to provide defensive cover. This could see Thwaite move into the role filled by the now-departed Rostyn Griffiths last season.
In midfield, Thwaite managed to complete 77% of his passes – a tidy return for the big man. An aerial presence, he won 67% of those duels and intervened defensively to effect a single clearance and interception. In a match of greater tempo, the defender will have a much harder task on his hands but for now, he seems to be the balancing factor in an expressive Glory midfield.
Conclusion – Perth Glory
The Glory will take the point against a side fancied to be somewhere around the top end come the end of the season but do need to start picking up the points at a faster rate. Improved performances by Garcia and the substitute Harold will provide some cause for optimism but they must find a way of winning games.
Conclusion – Sydney FC
Sydney continue in their stubborn ways from a footballing point of view. Without creating a load of chances, the visiting side looked stable defensively and are incredibly difficult to break down. They do, however, need a spark going forward.
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