Sydney Olympic 0-2 Sydney United

Well another weekend, another home game and another missed opportunity to make up ground on the Top 5. It was another frustrating Sunday at Belmore Sports Ground where once again our general play was good, but there was simply no end product.

We started the match off well, we were looking sharp. In that First Half alone, new boy Rene Klingenburg, William Angel, Harris Gaitatzis and Mitch Stamatellis all had great opportunities to score, but neither were able to hit the back of the net. A combination of a lack of composure, as well as some fine goalkeeping from the opposition shot-stopper, who rightly has a lot of people talking of him going to the next level, kept the score at 0-0. During the First Half we were no doubt the better team, everybody was playing well, but as has been the case this season, we were just unable to take advantage and turn our good play into goals. Throughout the First Half the opposition had a few half chances and some good moments, but in the end we were by far and away the better side, but unfortunately we went to the half-time break dead-locked at 0-0.

If in the First Half we started off well, the Second Half began in the complete opposite fashion. We conceded an early penalty which the opposition dispatched. After a good performance by Sydney Olympic to that point, we were unjustly 1-0 behind. The next 15 minutes was all Sydney Olympic again, as we had 3 great chances to pull level, a combination of poor finishing and some good goalkeeping made sure we still trailed. With us opening up trying to chase the equaliser, it gave the opposition the chance and the space to go and chase a second goal, and they did have a couple of half chances. But it would be us that would continue to rue the constant missed chances. Late on, the opposition managed to bundle in a scrappy goal to put them 2-0 up and the match was effectively over. It was another loss at home and no doubt it is becoming a frustrating period for all Sydney Olympic Supporters. Finally in what became a running theme throughout the entire match was the shocking officiating from the 3 blind mice out there. If ever you need anybody to ruin a match, give these 3 a call, because for most of it, they had absolutely no idea what they were doing. I can see how this team is so far in front on the ladder.

If it feels like a broken record on here every week, you may be on to something, because basically I am on here telling you what seems like the same story every week. Good play, we are working hard, we are solid defensively, but where it matters the most, on the scoreboard, we just cannot seem to get it ticking over by scoring goals, having the 2^nd worst attack in the League only confirms this.

Sunday saw the debut of our German recruit Rene Klingenburg. It might take him a couple of matches to get used to this League, but judging from what I saw on Sunday, he has immense quality and was far and away the best player on the park, from either side.

With Adrian Vranic, Chris Triantis, Michael Gaitatzis all leaving for varying reasons, a couple of others allegedly heading for the door before the season is out and with Jacob Boutoubia apparently suffering a season ending injury, we’re limping towards the end of the season, it has been a forgettable year. Reports are that Brayden Sorge who has missed a large chunk of this season, may be ready for next Sunday. So let’s hope we can show something in these last 6 weeks of the season.

For the Club Championship, for the third week in a row we have had a shocking weekend. Our U18s won 2-0, the U20s lost 2-1, adding in our 2-0 loss in First Grade, and that is a combined 3 points for the entire weekend. We are sliding ever closer back towards a relegation dog-fight. We need to wake up in all three grades and turn it around, beginning with next weekend. 

Next Sunday Afternoon we have an absolute must win clash, at home at Belmore Sports Ground, against Parramatta FC. Kickoff is at 3pm. 

Sydney Olympic 1-2 Sutherland Sharks

With all due respect to Sutherland, if we at Sydney Olympic cannot beat cellar dwellers like them at home, than we can forget even thinking about making the Finals this season let alone making an impact in them, which was a long shot to begin with anyway given our horrendous start to this season. But this type of terrible result only magnifies that.

In the First Half it was us who came out looking the better side and we generally dominated proceedings. We were working well as a unit and playing some nice football, despite the rain which was teeming down by this time. We even created several good chances to open the scoring, but as is the story of our season so far, it was not to be. Sutherland were only looking dangerous via set pieces, corners and freekicks. We seemed to be in control but just could not find anyone to take their chance and hit the back of the net. Throughout the First Half, there didn’t seem to be any real danger to our goal from the opposition. This changed though right on half-time as they opened the scoring from a corner which found the head of one of their players. Unbelievably and undeservedly, we went to the half-time break down 1-0, with the supporters shaking their heads.

The start to the Second Half was similar to the start of the First as we came out hunting for an equaliser. We created a couple of chances; we were banging on the door. 10 minutes into the Second Half we were finally rewarded as Harris Gaitatzis finished well to make the score 1-1 and get us back into the contest. Unfortunately all that good work to get back level was undone, as a loss of concentration shortly after cancelled out our equaliser and once again Sutherland found themselves in front. Remarkably by this point the rain was actually getting heavier, which was making it all the more difficult for us to go on and find another equaliser. We tried hard but we could not create that clear cut chance that we needed to get back on level terms. By this time the pitch had taken on so much water that it was getting harder and harder to play the simplest of passes. Sadly we could not find the all-important goal and the game finished in a 2-1 defeat for Sydney Olympic.

We really should be taking advantage of the string of home matches we are having at the moment and to falter against the lesser lights of the competition is very disappointing. The rain teeming down all afternoon no doubt does not help, but we do not have anybody to make the difference in the attacking third and nor do we have someone up front who can put any chances we do create away at a consistent rate.

The absence of William Angel out on the field yesterday was felt by all. Hopefully he is available to play next week as we need him out there.

The talk of new signings coming in to help the side has not eventuated either at this point of the season and in fact we are losing more players than we are bringing in. Only a couple of weeks after Chris Triantis walked out on the club, Michael Gaitatzis has followed him out the door as well. This does not bode well for the important matches that are coming up.

For the Club Championship it was for the second week in a row not a great weekend. Our U18s drew 3-3, and our U20s drew 2-2, adding our 2-1 loss in First Grade and that only gives us 3 points for the entire weekend, following on from the 5 points we picked up last week, we are allowing ourselves to get dragged back in to the relegation dog-fight. We need to step it up.

Next week it does not get any easier, as our next League match is this Sunday Afternoon, June 26 at Belmore Sports Ground, against a rampaging Sydney United, Kickoff is at 3pm.

Deadlocked - Sydney Olympic 0-0 Blacktown City

In a match of limited clear cut opportunities, at least for us at Sydney Olympic we came away with a scoreless draw against the visiting Blacktown City, at Belmore on Sunday Night. For Blacktown City, they might have a different opinion on the match as their players blew some golden chances to score and win the match. But in the end it was a well earned point for the Blue & White.

As for the match itself, during that First Half we did have some nice passages of play, we kept possession well and we looked comfortable on the ball, but that final killer pass was not there, and as a result we were not able to create many clear cut chances. William Angel and Josh Gaspari were looking dangerous and there was some good movement, but we were finding it difficult to break through Blacktown’s defence. Jason Madonis had a couple of long range strikes but they did not trouble the Blacktown goalkeeper. Blacktown are a renowned fast-breaking attacking force and throughout the First Half they once again showed that, attacking us on numerous occasions. Our defence though held firm and dealt with most of their raids. Although missing an open net from 3m would not have gone down well with them you would have thought. Paul Henderson was once again great in goals and Mitch Stamatellis and Anthony Tomelic were solid in front of him as we held them out and went to the break dead-locked at 0-0.

At the beginning of the Second Half, both sides searched for a way to unlock the other’s defence. Both sides created chances but Blacktown had the better of them, yet they could not get passed Paul Henderson who was having another big night between the sticks. The game then degenerated into a midfield battle for a lot of the Second Half as both sides seemed miffed about how to get through the others defences. In the last 15 minutes, the Sydney Olympic boys pushed again to try and find that all-important breakthrough. The story of our night was good interplay and movement, but there was a clear inability to produce a good final pass for a team mate to score or at least have a chance at a shot. Blacktown had a few chances late on, but we held on and it was not to be for either side and we had to settle for a 0-0 Draw.

Sydney Olympic of 2016 is improving and we once again showed some good spirit and true grit to fight off the Blacktown challenge, but we are lacking that little bit of magic in the attacking third.

We tried hard in this match and everybody out there worked hard, but we could not find the back of the net. Paul Henderson once again had an outstanding night in goals for us.

One thing that I have certainly noticed with a few of our players is their unwillingness once they are in good positions, to have a shot at the goals, there is a lot of dilly-dallying even once we are inside the box. It’s worth having a crack from time to time.

For a few weeks now there has been much talk of new signings. Josh Gaspari is the only one to of actually featured so far, and with the apparent departure of Chris
Triantis, we need a boost that these players will surely give us. As you would know (or maybe you don’t) there must be a 4 week break before a player’s last match before they can play for their new club, this is an issue we are facing at the moment.

For the Club Championship it was not the best of weekends. The U20s Lost 4-2, while the U18s picked up a 1-1 Draw, add our 0-0 Draw in First grade and we picked up only 5 points for the weekend.

Our next match is next Sunday Afternoon June 19, at Belmore Sports Ground against Sutherland Sharks, Kickoff is at 3pm.

Manly United 1-1 Sydney Olympic

It has been a wet and wild weekend in old Sydney town, starting with Friday Night at Cromer Park against Manly United, where a heroic display from Paul Henderson saw us pick up a valuable point on the Northern Beaches.

The match for most parts, was played in torrential rain, which limited the amount of “good football” that could be played. To the game itself, we started off well and created a few chances to open the scoring. Manly were also looking busy during that first half carving out some chances of their own. The first half generally was a pretty even affair. But 10 minutes before the break we went behind via a headed goal from a cross from a freekick. Minutes before half-time Paul Henderson pulled off some big big saves to keep the score at 1-0, which was how the score stayed as the referee blew his whistle for half-time.

The first 20 minutes of the second half were a continuation of the last 10 minutes of the first half. Manly were attacking our goal at will and putting all sorts of pressure on our defence. Once again we held firm, with Paul Henderson making some crucial saves to keep us in the contest. After this period though we seemed to grow in confidence and Manly would have been a little despondent after failing to capitalise on their chances and dropped their heads a little bit. We then got on top and had a couple of chances, the first one going wide, but with 20 minutes to go, the second found its mark. New recruit Josh Gaspari finished off well to open his account for Sydney Olympic and put us right back in the match. The final stages of the match saw both sides lift in search for a winner, but it would not come for either and the matched ended 1-1.

The last 3 or 4 weeks has seen steady improvement by the team, we are getting better each week. Whether it will be enough for us to make the Top 5 we will just have to wait and see, as it will be a tough ask given our poor start to the season.

As mentioned, new recruit Josh Gaspari scored a valuable goal for us on his Sydney Olympic debut. There is talk of 3 or 4 more players coming in to bolster the First Grade Squad, we will just have to wait and see.

For the Club Championship we picked up 4 points courtesy of our Draw in First Grade. In the U18s we Won 2-1 and in the U20s we Won 4-3, giving us a combined 13 points for the weekend, a good haul.

Over the last month there has been plenty of feedback and interest by Sydney Olympic Supporters on facebook and twitter regarding talk of change to the current Sydney Olympic logo, which is not everybody’s cup of tea. With next year being the 60^th anniversary of the founding of the club you would think that the Club would be implementing things now so it is changed and ready for next year.

The Olympic Rings in all polls and comments has been overwhelmingly the most popular choice from Sydney Olympic Supporters. Given that several other teams use some version of the Rings like Hamilton Olympic from Newcastle, Canberra Olympic and Wollongong Olympic. I see no reason why we cannot revert back to our original Ringed design which we used from 1977-1999, even an all-blue Ringed design would be acceptable. The Club and the Supporters deserve a better logo, one that reflects the clubs heritage and its future.

Our next League match is a big one. Next Sunday Night, June 12, against Blacktown City, at Belmore Sports Ground, Kickoff will be at 7.00pm.