The entertaining 1-1 draw seen at Allianz Stadium between Sydney FC and Melbourne City showcased two new-look forward lines.
Two of Melbourne City’s A-League debutants, Bruno Fornaroli and Wade Dekker, combined for the latter’s opening goal on 16 minutes, before Sydney marquee Filip Holosko, not to be outdone on what was also his debut, restored parity on the cusp of half-time.
It was a game typical of a new season with new players being slowly integrated which perhaps affected the game’s overall fluidity in attack at times.
This analysis will focus on the pointy ends of the pitch, with the impact of Fornaroli and Holosko making for an interesting tactical spectical.
Formations
Sydney FC XI (4-2-3-1)
Something of a surprise inclusion by Graham Arnold was in midfield, where youngster Brandon O’Neill was preferred to experienced Senegal international Mickael Tavares.
Melbourne City XI (4-3-3)
Hit by injury and international commitments, John van’t Schip banked on a crop of youngsters to do the job. Danish stalwart Thomas Sorensen was preferred to Tando Velaphi in goals for his A-League debut.
Fornaroli’s spot within JVS’ pressing game
Little fanfare followed the acquisition of Uruguayan forward Bruno Fornaroli, with supposed higher profile signings taking the spotlight away from the City man.
On first glance, the striker’s utilisation will not cease at merely scoring goals and creating opportunities. His defensive contribution will be closely monitored, with this particular facet of his game standing out considerably at times.
It was difficult to gauge this in previous games, as City have been comfortable winners in Fornaroli’s three prior appearances (8-0 vs Oakleigh Cannons, 5-1 vs Wellington Phoenix and 5-0 vs Heidelberg United). While the resistance was simply not up to City’s standard in the aforementioned matches, Graham Arnold’s side was far better equipped and provided a much more even contest.
In previous years, City coach John van’t Schip has been refining a style of play that, at times, possesses a highly effective forward press. The problem has come with consistently applying this pressure to opposition trying to play out of defence and through the middle of the park. At times last season, the pressure system has broken down, the workload tasked to the likes of Erik Paartalu and Aaron Mooy too great, and City have conceded territory and chances as a result.
It is said that forwards are the first line of defence, and while this is not universally true throughout world football, van’t Schip wants to ensure that not only his defenders and goalkeeper are kept accountable defensively.
A centre-forward’s zone can be an incredibly useful area to begin a forward press and with Fornaroli, City’s spine (added to the presence of Paartalu, Mooy and Kisnorbo) looks imperious.
When makeshift centre-forwards are used as has been done in the past with City, not only is the attacking edge potentially blunted, the pressure system can be adversely negated too.
Fornaroli is a natural forward and even at this early stage of his A-League career, he looks accustomed to an aggressive pressing game.
Having three forwards simply chasing defenders around is a waste of energy. There needs to be a methodical system attached and Fornaroli is the centrepiece of City’s first line of defence.
Wade Dekker’s debut goal came after he and Fornaroli combined to force a turnover on Sydney’s right-side, ending with the Uruguayan’s inch-perfect pass and Dekker’s calm finish to open the scoring.
Sydney’s forward structure showing signs of promise
Sydney veteran Alex Brosque developed an excellent understanding with last season’s A-League golden boot winner, Marc Janko. This season’s marquee, Filip Holosko, looks set to benefit from a similar working relationship.
Brosque’s strength is not any one particular facet of his play, it is his versatility. Equally as comfortable as fox-in-the-box, central playmaker or inside channel creator. This makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders to track.
This was evident for Holosko’s equaliser. It was a simple finish for the striker who was allowed to peel off his marker to tap home following Brosque’s excellent run in between City defenders Connor Chapman and Patrick Kisnorbo.
Former Perth Glory midfielder Brandon O’Neill also displayed Sydney’s threat in transition to begin the attack by finding Brosque on the inside right channel superbly.
This is not a cricism of the striker, but Holosko was quiet in general play, and looked slightly out of sync with his teammates at times. However, this is to be expected with a new centre-forward who is gaining familiarity with the Australian football landscape, and in any case, any criticism can be answered with one look at the scoresheet.
45' | GOAL | Sydney hit back through Filip Holosko! A deft touch from Brosque set up a perfect pass with the Slovakian tapping home #SYDvMCY
— Outside90 (@Outside90) October 10, 2015
It was Fornaroli who provided a more consistent threat when given the opportunity, given his natural tendency to get involved with attacks from deeper areas.
When asked about his striker’s influence, Arnold was quick to defend his decision to substitute Holosko on 63 minutes.
“You’ve got a guy that’s come from a totally different competition, he’s got to get used to what’s around him,” Arnold said.
“As an attacker especially, it’s about fluency. If you’re playing around people you’re not familiar with, it’s going to take time.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
