Sydney FC 1-1 Brisbane Roar
by Ben Carey (22/12/23).
Above: Fiona Worts (sky blue shirt) and Tameka Yallop tussle for control of the ball today. Photo: Sydney FC.
A sunkissed Leichhardt Oval with a good crowd inside was the stage of Sydney FC’s second showdown of the season against Brisbane Roar today.
Brisbane claimed the win in the first match back in October after a wonder strike from Chelsea Blissett and then some excellent defending. Sydney came into the match hoping to get revenge for that early season loss. Conversely, Brisbane came trying to win both home and away matches against Sydney for the first time ever.
The first 10 minutes belonged to the hosts. They had the possession and the chances. However, Brisbane defended well and absorbed the pressure. In the 12th minute, against the run of play, they struck first. Sharn Freier made an excellent interception in the middle of the pitch, working hard to get the ball out to Ash Brodigan, who took a touch just outside the 18-yard box and then launched the ball into the Sydney goal, beating Jada Whyman at the near post.
For the rest of the half, Brisbane dominated possession, but Sydney had the better chances. Just before the halftime break, they were able to momentarily wrestle back control of the match. Some incredible work from Kirsty Fenton drew several Roar defenders out and she whipped in a quick and low ball into the box, which beat Jordan Silkowitz and set up Matildas star, Cortnee Vine, for an easy tap in to square up the match.
The sun had gone down and the floodlights had taken over by the time the second half began. The second period of the match was just as competitive and hotly contested as the first.
Around the hour mark there were two very impressive attempts on goal in rapid succession. First, after some great build-up play, Mia Corbin was able to play in Tameka Yallop, who was shut down just in time by Charlotte Mclean. Straight away up the other end, Vine set up Fiona Worts, but that too was shut down by Brisbane defenders, notably Jenna McCormick. This exciting, end-to-end passage of play summed up the whole of the second half.
Around the 80-minute mark, the Roar had their best chance of the half when Freier made another great run into the final third and took aim at the goals. Newly signed Roar striker, Bonnie Davies, was well-positioned for the follow-up and caused Whyman to spill the ball.
Sydney frantically tried to clear it, resulting in the ball rolling into the net. However, for a second week in a row, Brisbane saw a potential winning goal disallowed, this time due to Davies’ contact with Whyman being ruled a foul. The last 10 minutes of the match were hard fought, but neither side could break the deadlock.
Although they didn’t win, Brisbane Roar looked in excellent form against last season’s Champions. The visitors dominated possession for the whole match, which is a very impressive feat. Their positioning was well organised, and their movement was quicker. Brisbane’s passing was faster and more accurate; a lot of quick, short, and intentional passes, which resulted in more possession and fewer turnovers.
The way Roar played today was a lot like Wellington Phoenix have been doing so far this season. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Brisbane head coach, Alex Smith, called up Wellington Phoenix coach, Paul Temple, during the week and asked for some pointers.
Freier and Brodigan were fantastic up front for Brisbane, combining to create the early goal, along with a number of other opportunities. Once again, Freier used her pace and great footwork to outfox her opponents and set up her teammates in dangerous positions. Brodigan’s long distance strike was phenomenal, a contender for goal of the week for sure.
Hollie Palmer had a great game playing in the midfield, creating a number of chances, and taking several shots on goal herself, one of which missed by about two feet. The whole backline put in a good shift, but most impressive was Teagan Thompson, who was given the difficult task of keeping Vine quiet. That duel in particular was very fun to watch. Vine got the best of her in the first half, but Thompson had her number in the second.
By contrast, although Sydney FC didn’t have a whole lot of possession, they were definitely more effective with the ball when they had it. Both sides created a lot of good chances, but Sydney probably just had the edge. The team put in a good shift, but I have no doubt they will be disappointed to walk away from the match without the win, given the chances they had.
Despite that, Vine and Fenton had a sensational game. Both were quick, dynamic, and utterly relentless. Sydney may have lost Tobin, but they have Vine back, and for that, they can be very thankful.
Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Tumeth, Chauvet, McLean, Fenton, Caspers, Hollman, Kruger, Vine, Worts, Ibini. Substitutes: Franco, J. Thompson, Keane, Dos Santos, Ray.
Scorers: Vine 42’.
BRISBANE ROAR (4-3-3): Silkowitz, Scarpelli, McCormick, T. Thompson, Freier, Palmer, Norrie, Kirkup, Yallop, Corbin, Brodigan. Substitutes: Richards, De La Harpe, McQueen, Stephenson, Davies.
Scorers: Brodigan 12’.
Referee: Isabella Mossin.
Attendance: 3,241.
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