Above: Sydney FC in a huddle at Leichhardt Oval. Image: Sydney FC.
by Genevieve Henry (1/4/25).
Sydney FC are having a historically rough season. How could a team that won the Championship last season be at the bottom of the table?
To massively oversimplify – they just can’t score. Defensively, they’re not shipping tons of goals, but the middle of the park is also a problem area. Not only can the Sky Blues not find the back of the net, they’re struggling to create chances.
Sydney have scored an abysmal five goals this season, compared to finals contention teams’ range of 11-27. After round nine last season, they had scored 11. Even then, they were seen as struggling with finding the back of the net. This is on another level of struggle.
The most obvious issue is the lack of a striker. Shea Connors is a great player, but she is not the kind of forward a team can be built around. Previously, she has excelled as a winger, and she’s just not hitting her straps in the position she is being played in.
The lack of a striker was evident last season as well, but the Sky Blues were still being spoiled by a high-scoring winger in Cortnee Vine. Princess Ibini hasn’t hit form in a while either. It’s imperative that Sydney look for a striker during the transfer window, or they may just stay at the bottom of the table. The attack is rudderless.
The acquisition of Kyah Simon was supposed to preemptively fix that. Simon is one of the finest players in the country when she hits form. Unfortunately for both her and Sydney, that doesn’t seem to be often lately, as she can’t seem to shake the injuries.
Simon is the kind of player who can transform an attack and most certainly turn a season around. Sydney will be desperate to get her on the pitch. Juric shared that her injury still “doesn’t look so good” and that “it keeps getting pushed back”.
Other attacking signings such as Hana Lowry and Millie Farrow looked very exciting, but unfortunately for Lowry, she devastatingly tore her ACL right after her maiden Matildas call-up. Juric said of Lowry, “The big loss was Hana. She was a key player for us and everything was sort of set around her in preseason and the first couple of weeks.
“To lose her in that way was quite sad for her and bad for us.” Farrow has looked promising and full of energy but has not transferred that into goals. Young gun Indiana Dos Santos can be great, but she is still developing and cannot be the focal point of the attack, as would be expected of any 17-year-old.
Defensively, Sydney don’t seem to be struggling too much. The loss of Charlotte Mclean is noticeable, but captain Natalie Tobin has returned from her ACL injury looking strong.
Tobin is building a good partnership with American Jordan Thompson, picking up where McClean left off. Tori Tumeth on the right is excelling, as is Faye Bryson when played on the left. When Abbey Lemon is on the left, teams tend to attack that side harshly due to her relative inexperience, but she has shown much promise.
Moving forward into the midfield, a major issue is the lack of consistency. The midfield was supposed to be built around Lowry, but since her injury, the most constant player is 17-year old Maddie Caspers. Caspers has been good, but with the right combination of players around her, she could be great.
Speaking to the media, she said, “Last season was a great season for me. I did come in when we were high, but this challenge is gonna make me grow as a player.” She has played alongside variations of Margaux Chauvet, Shay Hollman, Lucy Johnson, and Mackenzie Hawkesby.
Last season, Hawkesby came in and turned things around for Sydney but has not yet hit her groove this season. Once Hollman returns from a small injury, she, Caspers, and Hawkesby could establish a great pattern and connection. If some consistency can be established in the midfield, it could go a long way in spurring Sydney on.
Caspers is confident that they can turn their season around. “We’ve got to keep pushing, working, and training, and I think the results will come.”
Sydney has always been known for being a nurturing environment that allows young players to become stars while still finding success, a rare balance in football. On a positive note for the Sky Blues, Caspers says this culture has not shifted with their current struggle. “It hasn’t been the best start to the season, but the vibes and the culture of the girls is still good.”
All over the field, it’s as though Sydney had forgotten the basics. More often than not, their games seem like kickball. Players who have previously excelled technically look lost and incompetent at times.
Even in their one win of the season, against Western Sydney Wanderers, Sydney looked rough. The passes were off and most players seemed to be kicking the ball big and to no one, just out of panic. By no means does this denote that their players are not up to the task.
The Sky Blues have some of the best players in the league, from young and promising stars to experienced veterans. They are good players going through a slump. This squad has the capability to turn their season around, and they have been improving.
“Sometimes it doesn’t turn around straight away, but you can’t give up.” Juric said, “I’m not fussed with where we are. There are 42 points left…We’re not in a desperate situation at the moment. I’ll be honest with you, it doesn’t look great, but I definitely have belief in this team and so do the players. I can see it, I can feel it.”
Juric is one of, if not the, best coaches in the league. He has won countless titles and trophies. But, what’s happening at his club is mystifying.
Is it the departure of Vine? Is it the injuries to Kirsty Fenton and Hana Lowry? Is it the loss of Jada Whyman between the sticks? Is it Juric’s fault? Sports fans famously love to look for someone to blame. But, it’s impossible to pin it all on one individual. It’s surely a combination of all of these, as well as a million other tiny, behind-the-scenes factors.
“Over the last four years, we’ve lost everyone. We’ve got four or five going every year to Europe, which is a credit to the club, but eventually that hurts you and this year has shown a little bit of that.”
Top-of-the-table Melbourne City have not lost a single game this season and look a frightening for Sydney on Sunday. Juric stressed that his Sky Blues will be approaching this game like any other, doing everything within their power to turn their luck around.
One thing that will bring confidence to Sydney is that they arguably played their best football of the season against City in a 1-1 draw in November. The game will be held at Leichhardt Oval, a fortress in recent times for Sydney. While the pitch itself has not been quality this season, the fans and environment will hopefully spur last season’s champions against the premiers.
Sydney needs a reset. Whether it comes in the form of new signings, a shift in tactics, or a change in coaching, the Sky Blues desperately need something to change. Finishing outside of finals contention seems out of the question for a team with Sydney’s history and calibre. If they can get a result against Melbourne City, success will seem possible once again.
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