We are the champions! | TWG We are the champions! | TWG

Sydney FC opened their season with an ominous 3-3 draw at home to underdogs Newcastle Jets.

The Sky Blues rallied from behind to share the points (which proved crucial by Round 12) but their flat-footed first half performance and inability to capitalise on multiple chances caused concern for Sky Blue fans.

Sydney FC cleaned up their act to secure some solid wins against crosstown rivals Western Sydney Wanderers, eventual Premier’s Brisbane Roar, and Adelaide United. But despite getting points on the ladder, the Sky Blues lacked consistency and looked vulnerable in defence.

Key season moments for Sydney FC included the Round 4 last gasp win against Canberra United which gave fans some hope (and coronary damage) as the Sky Blue forwards began to show improved communication and some striker-minded doggedness to get a 94 minute winner via a tidy pass from Kyah Simon to Emma Kete, who finished clinically.

As if to mirror our pre-season team reviews, Sydney FC scrambled through the rest of the season trying to outscore the opposition and never was this more evident than the absolute blowout 5-7 loss to Perth Glory (who happily took to the ‘who-can-outscore-who’ challenge!).

Everyone was surprised when Sydney FC managed to sneak into the finals and long-time arch rivals, Brisbane Roar went in confident of a golden ticket to the Grand Final. But the young Sydney FC outfit realised their full potential and outplayed favourites Brisbane Roar with a 3-2 win under immense semi-final pressure and with a loud Brisbane crowd in the background.

Dani (our Brisbane correspondent) noted at the time if Sydney FC can beat Brisbane then the Sky Blues will take home the major trophy, and this sentiment rang true, particularly given the gravity of the win following last-season’s semi-final controversy. The Grand Final day arrived and the Sky Blues looked stunned to be involved, but again played to their best and put in a strong confident showing to secure a 3-1 Grand Final win against Melbourne Victory, and their second Westfield W-League Championship.

MVPs

Sam Kerr

Returning from an ACL injury, Kerr came to Sydney FC in remarkable form and spent the season dashing around the pitch putting in headers, crosses and shooting from everywhere and anywhere to pocket some classy goals. Kerr’s versatility complimented Stajcic’s flexible approach to player positioning and Kerr displayed the skills and smarts to be a quality winger, central midfielder or striker.

Renee Rollason proved the heart of the defenec | TWG Renee Rollason proved the heart of the defenec | TWG

Renee Rollason

Much-loved and long underrated ‘Rollo’ went from being Sydney FC’s leading goalscorer last season to filling the big centreback shoes of the injured, Danielle Brogan. A natural midfielder/forward, Rollo looked shell-shocked for the first part of the season and struggled to gel with the all new Sky Blue defensive backline. Rollo’s ability to adapt to the position over time was inspiring and very shortly she was coolly playing out from the ball under pressure and closing down the opposition expertly.

Teresa Polias

Polias is highly effective in both defending and attacking, on and off the ball, in and around the midfield (which sounds obvious, but it is rare to see such a balanced attacking/defending midfielder). She also has an uncanny ability to read the game and she will be seen at an attacker’s feet or in a passing lane long before the ball is played.

Room for Improvement

Both whopping defensive errors and minor well-exploited defensive holes were very costly for Sydney FC throughout this season eventually finishing the season with 24 goals against (the third highest conceded goals in the league).

Sloppy back-passing, goalkeeper positioning issues, poor communication, not tracking runners, late support from the midfield and not being able to close down attackers when 1v1 were persistent issues for the relatively inexperienced team. Opposition teams found it easy to poke holes in Sydney FC week to week and were seen to exploit goalkeeper McLaren’s difficulties with long drifting balls by shooting frequently from long range.

Sydney FC’s ability to capitalise on set pieces should have been better given the skillset of players such as Ellyse Perry, Alanna Kennedy, Nicola Bolger, and Kyah Simon. However, perhaps of most concern was the Sky Blues persistently falling off the pace and allowing the opposition to control the game.

Final Word

It is true that pre-season it looked grim for Sydney FC and everyone was talking about the youthful and inexperienced team. The loss of 7 key squad members, most of whom were seasoned senior players, was expected to muddy the usually clear waters.

In the end, the Sydney FC spirit remained true and Head Coach Alen Stajcic showed what makes him a leading Australian coach when he guided a young talented group of footballer’s to the Westfield W-league Championship against the odds. The late introduction of goalkeeper Sham Khamis to the starting XI, in conjunction with Annalie Longo, Elizabeth Ralston, and Rollason working more cohesively was a positive reflection of Stajcic’s coaching efforts.

Season Five was a fairytale season for Sky Blue fans. After seeing our talented team clamber through the regular season, it was such a pleasure to see these same players fulfil their potential, and set the field on fire during the finals series.