Sky Blues secure invaluable point against valiant United 58
Sydney United 58 and Sydney FC have shared the points in a thrilling game that could’ve gone either way on Sunday afternoon at the Sydney United Sports Centre.
It was a tale of two halves, with the Sky Blues firing out of the blocks in the first half shortly before the hosts looked to run away with three points in the final 45 minutes.
After a strong start from the visitors, United 58 had a handful of chances denied by both Gus Hoefsloot and the posts, leaving them with a frustrating empty tally of goals.
Sydney controlled the early proceedings of the clash, with Jaiden Kucharski having the first chance of the game, a deflected effort that whistled past the target for a corner.
The first big chance of the game fell to the visitors as Aaron Gurd rose above the pack from a corner but sent his powerful head just wide of the back stick.
Despite the early chance, the United 58 defence remained composed and continued to defuse any opportunities that came their way.
United began to find their footing in attack at the 15th-minute mark but nearly conceded on the back of a misplaced corner.
Firing away on the counterattack was Kasawaya, who got his shot past an oncoming Kalac but a key deflection from the keeper put the shot away from the target as his follow-up effort riffled off the post.
After that scare in defence, United 58 continued to push forward in pursuit of an opener but continued to have their chances stuffed out by the desperate Sydney defence.
In a near carbon copy of the earlier chance, Kasawaya came close to bagging the first of the afternoon when he broke away on the counterattack.
After once again nudging it past Kalac he was this time stopped by a wall of United 58 defenders but managed to get a pass off to Kucharski, with his effort being calmly hit away by Bailey Rule.
As both sides continued to go blow for blow in attack, emotions threatened to boil over on a couple of occasions as the referee was forced to dig into his pocket in an attempt to pour water on the tense situation.
Hoefsloot had his number called on a handful of occasions as the first half neared a conclusion, but the young keeper looked up to the task of keeping his side’s clean sheet.
The Sky Blue shot-stopper spared his own blushes in the final moments of the opening half after his botched clearance gave Antelmi a clear path onto an open goal.
The defensive pressure of Joseph Calusic was enough to hold Antelmi up in the box, giving Hoefsloot the chance to recover and make one of the saves of the season from point-blank range.
In what was a frantic first half where both sides staked their claim for an opener, they couldn’t be separated, leaving the fans with a thrilling final 45 minutes.
United 58 flipped the script on their opponents to open the second, as they came out of the blocks firing in search of the first goal.
The Sky Blues matched the hosts’ intensity and came close to a goal of their own as Mitch Glasson missed the roof of the net with his effort from the edge of the area.
Surging on the momentum they had taken from United 58, Sydney began to look the likelier of the two sides to score. If not for a couple of world-class defensive efforts from the hosts, the Sky Blues could’ve easily found themselves in the lead.
The pick of the chances in the second half fell to Kucharski, who was spectacularly denied by Kalac from a close-range free kick.
United 58 fired back with their best effort of the game as Aiden Milicevic riffled his goal-bound chance off the crossbar after a perfect through ball from Stephen De Robillard.
Antelmi forced another stunning save out of Hoefsloot, with the Sydney keeper somehow pushing away the striker’s headed effort from close range.
The hosts kept asking questions of the opposing defence but this time it was Alessandro Lacalandra who skied his effort after a selfless ball from Antelmi put him in prime position for the chance.
After wasting a handful of golden chances, United 58 were agonisingly denied by the goal frame again as Carlos De Olveira’s curling effort from a set-piece bounced off the post.
As the minutes began to tick away for both sides, it was the defences that came out on top, denying each set of attackers any real chance of a late winner.
In the end, both sides had to settle for one point in a game that very easily could’ve gone either way.
The results sees Sydney remain at the bottom of the NPL NSW Men’s ladder, whilst United 58 maintain their spot in 5th place.
Match Stats
Sydney United 58 FC 0
Sydney FC 0
Sunday August 4th, 2024
Sydney United Sports Centre, Edensor Park
Referee: Michael Weiner
Assistant Referees: Cameron Wright & Brad Wright
Fourth Official: Mitchell Renton
Sydney United 58: 1. Oliver Kalac, 3. Bailey Rule, 4. Adrian Vlastelica, 5. Anthony Tomelic, 9. Patrick Antelmi (Stephan De Robillard 45’), 10. Carlos De Oliveira, 11. Matthew Hatch (6. Adam Zervas 80’), 13. Alessandro Lacalandra (32. Mason Wells 67’), 14. Luis Lobo, 15. Tariq Maia (2. Cristian Gonzalez 88’), 19. Adrian Milicevic (7. Jordan Ivancic 67’), 22.
Substitutes Not Used: 2. Cristian Gonzalez, 17. Sean Collins
Yellow Cards: De Oliveira 20’, Antelmi 48’
Red Cards: Nil
Sydney FC: 30. Gus Hoefsloot, 3. Tyler Williams, 4. Joseph Calusic, 5. Zachary De Jesus (17. Ayouk Mow 80’), 8. Aron Gurd, 10. Tiago Quintal, 11. Jaiden Kucharski, 16. Pearson Kasaway (13. Jacob Brazete 65’) 19. Mitchell Glasson (33. Mathias Macallister 65’), 22. Will Kennedy, 24. Wataru Kamijo (34. Blake Bolwell 58’)
Subs not used: 1. Max Vartuli. 9. Bailey Callaghan
Yellow Cards: Nickolas Alfaro 67’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Oliver Kalac (SU)
2 – Tiago Quintal (SFC)
1 – Bailey Rule (SU)
-By Dominic Criniti
