Harry Kane the highlight in Sydney FC's glamour friendly against Tottenham Hotspur...

Harry Kane the highlight in Sydney FC's glamour friendly against Tottenham Hotspur [VIDEO]

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It was Harry Kane who stole the limelight when Tottenham Hostpur lined up against Sydney FC last Saturday night in front of 71,000 delighted fans.

It seems inconceivable that before last November, Kane would scarcely be recognised on the street, let alone be celebrated by thousands in Australia on the other side of the world.

Yet, the 21-year-old striker’s unbelievable season for London club Tottenham Hotspur was the major drawcard for the highly-anticipated evening at ANZ Stadium. And why shouldn’t it have been? Kane, a Spurs fan since he was a boy, has scored an incredible 31 goals in all competitions for his club this season. It is this kind of goalscoring form that has propelled him to his international debut for England, and the PFA Player of the Year.

Of course, it was Kane who scored the solitary goal of the night, benefiting from an Erik Lamela reverse pass to slam the ball into the bottom left corner and past Sydney FC goalkeeper Ivan Necevski.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uV1z_I7g00

The roar that echoed through ANZ Stadium confirmed that this was what everyone had come to see, but it was not the only highlight of the night.

Sydney FC, its primary goal surely to avoid a trouncing, did its best to take it to the visiting English Premier League side. Although Spurs dominated possession and clear-cut chances, the Sky Blues also had their own goal scoring opportunities.

The best chance of the first half fell to the home side when a poor back pass from DeAndre Yedlin evaded goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and was pounced on by Alex Brosque. However, Sydney FC fans were left deflated as his shot on goal was thwarted by Jan Vertonghen’s goal line clearance.

There was a feeling that Mauricio Pochettino’s side was never in full flight, but occasional flashes of brilliance were enough to satisfy most. Lamela’s audacious rabona attempt was one of the may reminders that this this side was simply a class above its A-League opposition.

Nevertheless, in the grand scheme of things, this match was never truly about the quality of football. This friendly was mostly a commercial venture for Tottenham, bookending a post-season tour that also included a stop in Malaysia. Instead, the value of this exhibition match was found in its ability to engage the average Australian sporting fan, and further entice them to the growing game that is football.

The sheer size of the 71,000 crowd signalled that despite the crowded Australian sporting market, there is little that can compete with the power of the world game. With English Premier League champions Chelsea set to take on Sydney FC on Tuesday night, a crowd of over 83,000 is expected to break ANZ Stadium’s current attendance record. Only the Sydney Olympics in 2000 has attracted a larger audience.

The success of these glamour friendlies also begs the question of how to attract these fans to our own domestic competition. From the sea of Tottenham jerseys that could be found in the crowd, Saturday night hinted that the A-League still has plenty of work to do in engaging those who are solely devoted to foreign leagues such as the English Premier League. Melbourne Victory’s friendly against Liverpool in 2013, with its spine tingling rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, is further evidence that there are swathes of people forgoing the A-League in favour of more accomplished leagues elsewhere. Capturing the attention of these fans could be the next step in growing the A-League’s market.

The match finished just as everyone had predicted, with Tottenham cruising to a 1-0 victory over the Sky Blues. It was an occasion played in good spirit, with both managers giving younger players a run. It was also a chance for Sydney FC to farewell loyal goalkeeper Ivan Necevski, who is wrapping up his time at the club after eight years.

After dealing with the likes of Kane and Chrisian Eriksen, Sydney FC will hardly be able to catch its breath as Graham Arnold must now contemplate how to contain Chelsea’s ominous front three of Loic Remy, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa tomorrow night. But in true Mourinho like spirit, Arnold has joked that Sydney FC will just have to park the “double decker bus” against the Premier League champions.

And so, the off-season football feast rolls on.

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