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Melbourne slips another one past sleeping Sydney

David Hall

by David Hall

08 Mar 10:30am

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Filed under: A League, Football, Melbourne, Sydney Fc

19 comments

Sydney FC fans have woken up this morning feeling like they’ve had their wallets stolen – but they’ve got no one to blame but themselves.

Victory for Melbourne. Picture/File.

Melbourne Victory’s major semi-final extra-time winner yesterday afternoon was typical; clever Kevin Muscat exploiting the situation, too-quick Archie Thompson putting the ball in the back of the net.

But what were Sydney doing? Ball-watching? Waiting for the ref? Checking their haircuts? In an open and entertaining game, Melbourne always seemed most likely to grab the all-important away goals that would earn them a home grand final.

Was Terry McFlynn’s handball legitimate? Doesn’t matter now – Melbourne Victory have another grand final, and a real chance at taking their second-consecutive, and third A-League title.

And it would be well deserved. Melbourne have consistently been the most entertaining and most successful team in the competition. And their fans vastly outstrip any of their rivals.

During the regular season, Melbourne Victory’s crowds totalled 295,473 – almost double Sydney’s crowds and more than three times that of Gold Coast United.

Yesterday at SFS, for a major semi-final against their biggest rivals in a knock-out game with good weather Sydney FC could still only pull in 23,000. That’s pretty high but nowhere near the predicted 30k (and nowhere near Wellington’s 35k sell-out at Westpac). What does Sydney FC have to do to entice fans out?

Word is the pumped-up ticket prices didn’t help the situation, putting off some regular punters – but for the biggest game of the season, it’s still a disappointment.

Sydney fans might feel they were robbed, but they have to admit the A-League grand final should be in Melbourne – at least they’re guaranteed a full house.

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19 comments

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    • SLF says:

      10:14am | 08/03/10

      Was a cracking game for the neutral yesterday, with some fantastic goals. Robbie Kruse’s was worthy of winning any game.

      Despite what all the soon to arrive knockers will say, the A-League is improving each year although the crowds need looking at particularly in Sydney and Brisbane. Plus the new teams have added extra excitement to the competition and had decent first seasons.

      Time for the FFA to stop tinkering with the format and just let the game bed in and continue to grow.

      Reply

    • Macca says:

      10:37am | 08/03/10

      Disagree David. Sydney crowds are fickle, and hosting games at the SFS, a fair travel for many fans from the western suburbs, is never going to win fans. (Thinks the Rabbitohs hosting games at the deplorable Stadium Australia)

      I think the Sydney Rovers (expansion club) will see pretty solid crowds in a few years

      Reply

    • Haertbroken FC says:

      10:52am | 08/03/10

      It will be wonderful for FC to win the Grand Final in Melbourne. I have my doubts about the “official” crowd figure. Having attended the last game of the season and yesterdays match the crowds seemed the same to the naked eye, if not a lot bigger yesterday. Having said that media coverage of yesterdays game was hardly expansive…the League season launching in a week seems to be much more important.

      Reply

    • Dave says:

      12:05pm | 08/03/10

      I was at both games as well, Heartbroken, and I think the figure was accurate - there were definitely fewer people - and what reason would there be for making the official figures lower?

      I agree, though, that the start of NRL sucked all coverage from the game, which is a real shame.

    • DG says:

      12:25pm | 08/03/10

      Haertbroken: I agree with Dave. For the last game of the season there were people on the upper tier on the eastern side of the ground. There weren’t last night.

      What was more disappointing than crowd numbers, was the people who left at the end of regulation time. Quite a few people had no idea that there would be extra time….

    • s y d N E Y says:

      11:00am | 08/03/10

      To lose to Melbourne - bad, but with another chance next week, not the final blow.

      To lose to Melbourne from a wrongly given penalty, and from the sneaky foot of Muscat -  Shattering.

      Would have preferred to have lost to a worthy goal, or a penalty shoot out, at least then its a bit more sportsman like. But then again - it was Melbourne we were playing.

      Reply

    • James says:

      09:35pm | 08/03/10

      Sydney were the ones wrongly given a penalty and of course lets forget about the myriad of incorrect offside decisions that went against Melbourne. And as for us being unsportsmanlike? Sorry that we played to the rules and scored a goal from a perfectly legitimate free kick. Why didn’t Sydney refuse to take the penalty? Melbourne were the better team on the day and thats all that matters come finals.

    • John says:

      11:09pm | 08/03/10

      Wake Up sydNEY

      Dont cry over spilt milk, Melb had several calls go against them, two dubious offsides that would of left Robbie and Arch one on one with the keeper and an obvious hand ball that was missed, yes the free kick may not of been correct but it wasnt our defence that was asleep.
      overall sitting in the away end it was a brilliant attmosphere(the same as the cove would of experienced two weeks ago) something that the other codes could only dream of.

    • Dave says:

      12:09pm | 08/03/10

      I’ve heard a bit of this stuff this morning, but the truth is Muscat caught Sydney napping. Aloisi admitted they knew about this tactic but they lost concentration for a second and paid the price. Knowing you made a mistake just makes all the more painful.

      Reply

    • Mick says:

      02:10pm | 08/03/10

      Ref stuffed up. Quick free kicks should be taken immediately or everyone waits for the whistle. It’s logical, sensible, fair and actually in the FIFA directives in the law book. But it happens all the time and allowed the rightful team to win on the day, sobeit. Kruse (no matter how much of a wally the bloke is, and he is) scored a cracker of a goal that far outshone the VERY soft penalty. Entertaining game.  Hope Wellington put up a big fight next week to give the comp some momentum leading to Melbourne for the big one. Well done Newie for having a crack too - sad that it wasn’t meant to be.

      Reply

    • Aitch B says:

      02:21pm | 08/03/10

      @s y d N E Y

      It was a free kick, not a penalty. There are dubious free kicks paid in every game every week, so it’s standard fare. If the Sydney players weren’t switched on enough to cover the possibilities then I’m sorry but that’s their fault and your cause for pain. It appears that you also have an ‘anti Melbourne’ mindset, so it’s pretty obvious where you’re coming from.

      Reply

    • Xavier says:

      03:59pm | 08/03/10

      Melbourne’s crowds have obviously been the standout of the competition, though whilst the crowd in Sydney was disappointing, I should point out that only 18,000 or so showed up for the first leg in Melbourne. The match was hardly promoted and played on a Thursday night, so the FFA is going to need to lift its game (as does Victory, again, and Sydney FC).

      I’d expect 50,000 to cram into Etihad for the Grand Final though, provided Melbournians are aware it’s on!

      Reply

    • S.L says:

      04:33pm | 08/03/10

      As Sydney media are very pro rugby league at the moment (read always) yesterdays game was only mentioned as an after thought in the sports section. Waaaaayyy behind Brendon Fevolas photography skills and the pharmecutical industry in Newcastle. But at least the game gets some column ink. Go to Melbourne and you hardly have a hope in hell of anything other than AFL on the sports pages which is a real shame. The outside world (Britain, Europe and Asia) know of the A league and are aware the “Big One” is up soon. Whether many are interested or not is irelevent, the point is they know of this competition. In a perfect world local soccer would get some free to air coverage to complement Foxs efforts.
      As far as the games concerned the penalty was as clear a foul as I’ve seen. How can you defend a push like that? Kruses goal was the best I’ve seen in the A League for quite a while! Goal of the season? It’s up there!
      As for Archie Thompsons effort, WAKE UP FC HEEELLLOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Go Mariners!!!!!!!............

      Reply

    • Daniel says:

      07:33am | 09/03/10

      Whats going on Sydney City has become a slum and now were losing soccer matches?

      Reply

    • Average Joe says:

      10:38am | 09/03/10

      The best team over the two legs prevailed - and what a great battle it was. Both teams should be congratulated and I hope they meet again in the GF.

      Much has been said about Victory’s crowds, but they are seriously down on prior years and when Heart gets pumping that will significantly affect them further. 2 teams in the one town, playing at the same CBD venue - it’ll just split the fans.
      It just shows that for the FFA and the A League the money is in the broadcasting deal and not people through the gate - but games with small crowds often suffer in their appeal on the box as well. Be warned.

      Reply

    • S.L says:

      12:38pm | 09/03/10

      I don’t know where you hail from Joe but if you want to see broadcasting deals take over from crowd numbers in the importance stakes take a look at the NRL. Near empty ANZ stadium with the TV producer ripping his hair out trying to find an angle with a crowd behind it!

    • NSW are chokers says:

      11:18am | 09/03/10

      Remember a month or so back when Sydney beat the Victory and the whole state of NSW carried on as if they’d just won the world cup? Ha. Idiots.

      Reply

    • Grant says:

      02:34pm | 10/03/10

      You know our media is in a dire state when the front page is about the Clarke-Bingle-Fev fiasco -serioulsy, who cares! - and yet not one so called sports writer can tell us if Muscat played by the rules or the ref got it wrong.
      It’s a pity that what little football coverage we get in the press comes from numpties who know little about the world game (yes, News Ltd, that means you).
      And unless someone of effnic background chucks a flare the free-to-air TV kids aren’t interested. Serioulsy, where would the 6pm TV news be without boat people, dole bludgers and those wretched soccer hooligans from the ‘burbs.

      Reply
 
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