APIA hit Sydney FC for six
APIA Leichhardt FC have made it four wins from five with a sensational 6-2 victory over Sydney FC at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre on Friday night.
It was APIA who made the stronger start, with the away side capitalising on a promising opening 10 minutes with a goal off a set piece.
An inswinging corner from Seiya Kambayashi was placed perfectly towards the near post, finding the head of Presley Ortiz.
He directed the ball goalwards and while it was cleared by a Sydney defender, it was found to have crossed the goal-line, and APIA had found an earlier opener.
Following their opening goal, APIA began to find their grove, pinning the Sky Blues in their defensive half and playing beautiful, free flowing football.
In the 20th minute, they doubled their lead, with Ortiz making it an early brace at the Ilinden Sports Centre.
After driving down the left, Rory Jordan found Jack Stewart in a central pocket of space.
The winger shifted the ball onto his right foot, before lashing a strike towards goal, and seeing his deflected effort strike hit the crossbar.
Ortiz was first to the rebound, and side footed the ball calmly in the net to make it two for APIA Leichhardt.
But five minutes later, the Sky Blues halved the deficit, with Lachlan Middleton finishing off a period of Sydney dominance with a well-taken strike.
Receiving the ball five yards outside the box, Middleton measured up a shot, and found the bottom-left corner gracefully, following a good run and pass from Joseph Calusic.
Sydney started the second half strongly, going close with Lachlan Middleton dragging a shot just wide.
But it as APIA who found the back of the net first in the second stanza, with Franco Farinella adding a third for the away side.
A good dribble and pass from Cameron Fong found Rory Jordan, who hit the post with a curling strike cutting inside off the left.
The ball rebounded into the path of Farinella, who passed the ball into an empty net to re-double APIA’s lead.
17 minutes later, APIA made it four, with Jack Stewart finishing tidily after being played in behind by Seiya Kambayashi on transition.
The away side then added a fifth in the 82nd minute, with 16-year-old Max Court netting his first senior goal with a fantastic finish after beginning the move with a brilliant turn inside his own half.
In what was quickly becoming a chaotic end to the match, a beautiful team goal from Sydney – featuring a brilliant pass in behind from Samuel Lancaster and a pinpoint cross from Calusic – was finished off by Mathias Macallister, giving Sydney their second of the game.
But it was APIA who had the final say, with Alex Denmead netting a perfect header in stoppage time off a brilliant Fong cross to finish proceedings in style at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
APIA coach Franco Parisi was delighted with his sides performance.
“We always find Friday night games quite difficult to work through – it disrupts your week with one less night of training – so the effort, performance, discipline, composure, tempo and focus from the players was really impressive.”
Meanwhile, Sydney coach Jim van Weeren was quick to credit APIA on their victory.
“I think the first thing is to recognise that that’s why APIA are a top-four team,” he said.
“Not only in the goals, but just their general level of competitiveness and their ability to win duels all over the park – in possession and out of possession, they were definitely better at that.
“They create chances and they’re ruthless, they converted a lot of their chances and it’s a good lesson for us.
“If we want to be at that end of the table, which our boys are definitely capable of, that’s the benchmark, so for us it’s what we’re aspiring to get to and there’s a little bit of learning in that performance for us tonight.”
Match Stats
Sydney FC 2 (L. Middleton 25’, Macallister 82’)
APIA Leichhardt FC 6 (Ortiz 11’, 20’, Farinella 60’, Stewart 77’, Court 82’, Denmead 90+3’)
Friday 20 June, 2025
Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Referee: Ethan Zvargulis
Assistant Referees: Patrick Teleki and Luke Chapman
Fourth Official: Thomas Dale
Sydney FC: 12. Alexander Zaverdinos, 3. Kyle Shaw (C), 4. Joseph Calusic, 6. Tyler Williams, 9. Mathias Macallister, 10. Taye Hedley, 14. Jared Middleton, 27. Lachlan Middleton, 29. Joe Lacey, 39. Dylan Rose, 47. Corey Cronin
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Jacob Cremen-Cowan, 5. Ethan Dyer, 7. Nickolas Alfaro, 15. Samuel Lancaster, 21. Zachary De Jesus, 22. Zac Fowler
Yellow Cards: Lacey 87’
Red Cards: None
APIA Leichhardt FC: 80. Oliver Kalac, 2. Seiya Kambayashi, 5. Dredon Kelly, 7. Jack Stewart, 8. Joel Bertolissio, 9. Presley Ortiz, 11. Rory Jordan, 16. Sean Symons (C), 21. Michael Kouta, 24. Cameron Fong, 99. Franco Farinella
Substitutes Not Used: 1. Anthony Bouzanis, 4. Josh Symons, 14. Max Court, 18. Adrian Ucchino, 29. Maksim Kasalovic, 30. Alex Denmead
Yellow Cards: Stewart 55’, Farinella 66’, Kasalovic 80’
Red Cards: None
Player ratings:
3 – Presley Ortiz (APIA)
2 – Cameron Fong (APIA)
1 – Jack Stewart (APIA)
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
