Sydney FC survive relegation with thriller over Olympic
Sydney FC with a gritty 2-1 win in the last round of the season against Sydney Olympic at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium have managed to avoid relegation and stay in the top flight as celebrations flowed in the young Sky Blues dressing room.
It was a tough day for Olympic who failed to win their final match of the year however, they did have something to celebrate which was the final appearance of their retiring captain the mercurial Roy O’Donovan.
The first real chance of the game belonged to Sydney FC in the 4th minute when Wataru Kamijo fed Jaiden Kucharski, but the curling shot from the A-League regular was just wide of the goal.
Sydney Olympic replied a few minutes later when a cross from the by-line by Darcy Burgess reached Roy O’Donovan but his header from close range was well saved by the visiting goalkeeper.
The home side came ever so close in the 14th minute when a majestic free-kick from Teng Kuol from outside the box came crashing off the crossbar and, from the rebound, Sam McIllhatton was unable to steer the ball in.
Sydney Olympic should really have taken the lead in the 23rd minute. Kuol went galloping down the left blank before finding Oliver Puflett who fired his shot straight onto the post. Coach Labinot Haliti on his feet couldn’t believe his bad luck with the ball crashing off the woodwork again.
However, close to the end of the first half, Sydney FC took the lead against the run of play when Kamijo was fouled in the box by Peter Politis and referee Reece Edwards had no hesitation in awarding the penalty. It was then left to Kucharski to step up to the mark and he dispatched the spot-kick with aplomb sending ‘keeper Christopher Parsons the wrong way.
The first chance of the second stanza of play favoured Sydney FC and it was their second goal in the 56th minute. Kucharski fortuitously received the ball from Thiago Quintal and he slotted it home from a sliding position for his second of the afternoon.
Straight after that goal Sydney Olympic made a quadruple substitution to reshuffle the playing deck of cards, in a rarely seen tactical move at this level of football but one that certainly spruced things up for the Blues.
With their new impetus, on the hour mark Sydney Olympic received a penalty when Ayouk Mow fouled O’Donovan in the area and received a yellow card for his trouble. The home side’s captain dusted himself off and scored from the spot to get on the scorecard in his last game for the club before retiring and bringing the Blues back into the game.
In the 74th minute Olympic thought that they had equalised when a long, looping free-kick from the right by Adam Parkhouse reached Liam Rippon who headed home, but given that there was a foul on the goalkeeper the goal didn’t stand.
Sydney FC came close in the 82nd minute but just failed to score their third. Namory Conde found Kucharski who from close range brought out a superb reflex save from Parsons but only as far as Mathias Macallister who volleyed over.
Late in the encounter Kucharski fired from just outside the box but his shot was only a fraction wide of the target and the Blues breathed a sigh of relief.
After the game in the Sydney FC dressing room the mood was buoyant and coach Jimmy Van Weeren was very happy with the result that meant that his side avoided the drop.
“Today might not have been our best performance but we were clinical with the chances that we created,” he said.
“The boys have enough potential and deserve to be in this league and we are just really proud and happy for the players.
“Our players are going to be far better for this season and for the experience that they have gained here and we are really looking forward to next year.
“JK [Kucharski] is a superbly talented player and you saw that again today, he has some real quality and his goal-scoring ability is first class and we are really proud of him.”
In the other dressing room the coach Labinot Haliti was disappointed but still paid credit to his side.
“In the first half I don’t think they [Sydney FC] saw the goal,” he stated. “There was one shot on goal and a penalty and they took the lead which is fine, but we had so many chances and that’s it.
“On results I am well aware that we fell a bit short but you need to look at the young players that are coming through this club and at how well they are playing. They will be with us next year and that’s very positive.”
The final word however must go to retiring maestro Roy O’Donovan who has given Sydney Olympic so much over the last few years.
“It’s a fantastic club and I am hoping that the good days are back soon back in the big time. From Labinot Haliti to Lawrie McKinna and all the staff, all the players and all the supporters, they make playing for this club an absolute pleasure.
“I had such a great time when I was here and it would have been nice to finish with a win today, but that’s football. Now I will be doing a bit of media stuff and I have my own academy up in Newcastle and with three young kids, I will be very busy.”
Match Stats
SYDNEY OLYMPIC: 1 (O’Donovan 61’ pen)
SYDNEY FC: 2 (Kucharski 44’ pen & 56’)
Sunday 25th August 2024
Jubilee Stadium, Kogarah
Referee: Reece Edwards
Assistant referees: Alessandro Llana, Arinath Gobinath
Fourth Official: Mia Velarde
SYDNEY OLYMPIC: 20. Christopher Parsons, 2. Peter Politis, 4. Michael Glassock, 5. Ziggy Gordon, 8. Sam McIllhatton (6. Jack Simmons 57’), 9. Oliver Puflett (11. Adam Parkhouse 57’), 10. Darcy Burgess (15. William Mutch 76’), 12. Zac Zoricich, 18. Teng Kuol (13. Liam Rippon 57’), 19. Gianni Di Pizio (29. George Antonis 57’), 99. Roy O’Donovan.
Substitutes not used: 1. Montgomery Partington.
Yellow Cards: Puflett 19’, Simmons 80’, Politis 82’
Red Cards: Nil
SYDNEY FC: 30. Gus Hoefsloot, 3. Tyler Williams, 4. Joseph Calusic, 5. Will Kennedy, 8. Lachlan Middleton, 10. Thiago Quintal (33. Mathais Macallister 78’), 11. Jaiden Kucharski, 16. Pearson Kasawaya, 17. Ayouk Mow (13. Jacob Brazete 64’), 22. Aaron Gurd (29. Namory Conde 66’), 24. Wataru Kamijo.
Substitutes not used: 14. Jared Middleton, 28. Nickolas Alfaro, 40. Alexander Zaverdinos.
Yellow Cards: Gurd 44’, Quintal 58’, Mow 60’, Kamijo 81’
Red Cards: Nil
Player Ratings
3 – Jaiden Kucharski (SFC)
2 – Roy O’Donovan (SO)
1 – Teng Kuol (SO)
By National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s reporter Joe Russo
