Monday, 29 April 2019

Sydney Olympic 3-1 APIA Leichhardt

Sydney Olympic has recorded its first home victory of 2019, after putting in its best performance of the season so far, in dismantling traditional rivals APIA Leichhardt, on ANZAC Day last Thursday.

In total contrast to most of the beginnings to our matches this season, we came out looking sharp in the first-half against APIA, a very good APIA side too. Although we started brightly with a lot of enthusiasm, we did not create too many great goal scoring opportunities inside the first 20 minutes, the same can be said of APIA.

After witnessing a scrappy opening to the contest, in the last 15 minutes of the first-half, we would go up a couple of gears and alter proceedings.

On the half-hour mark, we were awarded a freekick just outside the box and given a great chance to open the scoring and we did not pass it up. Jinya An curled in a brilliant left-footed effort right into the top corner of the APIA goal, to give us a 1-0 lead.

5 minutes later we doubled our lead, as Alejandro Sanchez was put through on goal and he made no mistake to finish off expertly. APIA had a chance to pull a goal back but we handled the pressure well and subsequently, we went down the other end right on the stroke of half-time and made it 3-0, as Alejandro Sanchez was found free inside the box, to finish and score his 2nd of the game.

As was expected at the start of the second-half, APIA came out strongly looking to get back into the contest, we held them out until 20 minutes into the second-half, when they managed to score a freekick themselves to bring the score back to 3-1.

With APIA piling on the pressure, they left space for us to hit them on the counter-attack and with a bit more composure, we could have extended our lead and killed the game off for good. In truth, APIA had some good moments throughout the second-half, but defensively we held firm right to the end to confirm our 3-1 victory.

So after a shaky start to the season, it was an impressive victory to ease some of the pressure. Of course, it is only 1 game and we need to build on this, keep pushing and string a good sequence of results together to start climbing the ladder.

For the Club Championship, the U18s won 2-1 and the U20s lost 2-0.

Our next match is this Wednesday Night May 1, an FFA Cup 5th Round Qualifier, a derby against NPL 3 side Stanmore Hawks, at Peter Moore Field. Kick-Off is at 7.30pm.

Our next match in the League is Saturday Night May 4, in what will be a tough match away against Marconi, at Marconi Stadium, Kickoff is at 7pm.

On the women’s side of things, after their 2-1 win against Manly on Thursday Night, they sit top of the table after 8 rounds.

Hopefully everybody had a good Easter, whether you celebrated last week or this week.

Saturday, 20 April 2019

Sydney Olympic 2-2 Manly United

Despite playing on Sunday, on Wednesday, and then again on Friday, the boys put in a good shift and with a bit more luck and/or composure, we may have and probably should have, walked away from this match with all 3 points against Manly United.

As was expected, we started the match off a bit sluggishly, but as the game went on, we gradually got ourselves into the swing of things.

It was a fairly even first-half as both sides had opportunities to open the scoring in the first 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it would be our opponents who would open the scoring before half-time, with yet another flukey long range strike. We’ve been on the receiving end of way too many of those already this season.

It was definitely a disappointing end to the first-half and at the half-time break we went in 1-0 down.

We looked a lot more sharper at the start of the second-half and it did not take us long to find the equaliser. With Mitch Stamatellis finding the back of the net via a quality header, which beat the Manly goalkeeper.

Although the opposition had their own chances, we were on top from that moment on and had a plethora of chances throughout that second-half to take the lead, but once again as has been the case this season, our finishing let us down.

As expected, Manly went down the other end and took the lead themselves with a sucker-punch of a goal, once again, we have been on the receiving end of a fair few of those as well this season.

Credit where credit is due, the players did not drop their heads and continued to look for goals and 5 minutes from the end, we grabbed our 2nd equaliser of the game, thanks to a wonderful volley from Dimi Petratos.

We had a couple of chances late on to grab a winner, but it was not be and so we had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

As the full-time whistle was blown, it was a mixture of disappointment and pride as the result was not ideal. The players put in a shift and gave it their all but deep down, we felt we deserved more than just a draw.

The injury crisis at the club has widened, with the inclusion of Alex Sanchez and Hagi Gligor to the injury list. The latter appears to have ruptured his ACL for the 2nd year in a row, pretty sure it was at this exact same part of the season as last year. If this is true, it is a devastating blow for the bloke and we wish him all the best in his recovery again.

They both join Zac Mackenzie, Brendan Hooper and now Niko Tsattalios and Radovan Pavicevic, who looked to have picked up knocks as well, during the match with Manly.

This of course, has taken a heavy toll on the team and our results, this current packed schedule we are experiencing is not helping things either.

A rare bright spot for the club during this difficult opening 1/3 of the season, is the emergence of Dimi Petratos who due to injuries, has been given his chance to show us what he’s got in 1st Grade. And he hasn’t disappointed with his performances so far and even scoring in our last 2 matches.

For the Club Championship, the U18s lost 4-0 and the U20s won 3-1.

Last Wednesday we made relatively light work of Lindfield FC in our Round 4 FFA Cup Qualifier, winning the match 3-1.

In the Draw for Round 5 FFA Cup Qualifying, Sydney Olympic has drawn the Stanmore Hawks, a very interesting match-up. Details TBC.

The boys now have a solid break before our next match on ANZAC Day, Thursday Afternoon April 25, against traditional rivals APIA Leichhardt, at Belmore Sports Ground, Kick-Off is at 4.45pm. Will it be 5th time lucky in trying to notch up our first home win of the season?

Sunday, 14 April 2019

Rockdale 2-1 Sydney Olympic

The tailspin this team is experiencing is bewildering to say the least. The players who performed so well last season, have simply not come to terms with the fact that it is a new season and you have to do it all again. Quite a few of them have been woeful.

Max Burgess and Riley Woodcock have been big losses no doubt. But, is anyone going to seriously tell me that should mean that we turn into a putrid, shadow of the side we were last season?

The recruitment in itself to cover those losses was virtually non-existent, not to mention some of the people who were brought in. Whoever was in charge of that side of things, needs a good long hard look in the mirror and probably needs to be doing something else in some other field.

We lost only 4 matches in all of the 2018 season. We’re not even 1/3 of the way into this 2019 season and we have already lost 3 matches and to put that into more context, we have had what some would call a “soft draw” to start the season. We have lost matches against teams we have no business in losing to.

Further to this, we have also yet to play the likes of Manly, APIA, Marconi or Sydney United. Things will only get worse.

As for the Rockdale match, it was a match where we should have come out firing from the get-go, stomp on their throats and kill the game off early, but we pussy footed around for most of it, which is becoming a trait in this side.

Ironically, we managed to score first. Now you would have thought that in doing so, we would shut-up shop and try to hold on, given we were with 10 men. But instead we buckled under the pressure and copped 2 goals in the latter stages of the second-half to send us to another defeat.

Sure there are genuine gripes about the cheat of a referee who officiated the match, but we have to rise above that sort of stuff and not give these types of referees who go on a power-trip when given a whistle, any excuse or opportunity.

In terms of the red card we copped, it is unfortunately exactly what happened. Nikola Kuleski got himself into a situation he was never going to profit from and was given a 2nd yellow for dissent.

We have not beaten this Rockdale team since 2015 now, which is hilarious when you think about it. They are not a traditional heavyweight of the competition, I can’t remember them winning anything in this League, nor are they a great rival of Sydney Olympic’s, but for some reason these clowns are our bogey side.

Maybe them facing Sydney Olympic and it being a sort of World Cup Final for them explains it, they have nothing else, so it has to be it.

To go with that abysmal result in First Grade, it was a clean sweep of failure. The U18s lost 2-0 and the U20s lost 3-0.

If this sort of garbage continues, we will seriously find ourselves in a relegation battle. And as has been seen over the last few years, Marconi, Melita and Bonnyrigg have all been relegated, so there can be none of this, “we’re too big to be relegated” or “it won’t happen to us” rubbish.

I don’t know what they’ve been doing at the Club, but they need to wake the fuck up and fast.

Our next game is against Lindfield FC in a 4th Round FFA Cup Qualifier, This Wednesday Night April 17, who play association football on the North Shore. It will be played at Charles Bean Oval in Lindfield with Kick-Off at 7pm. What odds we lose that one as well?

Our next match in the League is against Manly United on Friday Afternoon April 19, which is a Public Holiday, at Belmore Sports Ground, Kick-Off is at 4.45pm. We have yet to win at home this season and if we don’t win this one, pull the curtain down on 2019.

Monday, 8 April 2019

Sydney Olympic 0-2 Wollongong Wolves

3 matches in 7 days looks to have gotten the better of us, as we could not back-up our victories over Hakoah and Mt Druitt Town, going down 2-0 at home to the league leading Wollongong Wolves on Sunday.

Perhaps feeling the effects of the week, we started the match off a little slowly, with Wollongong pouncing early. They had an early chance to open the scoring but were denied by Paul Henderson.

After this inauspicious start, we got ourselves into the game and started to play well, looking threatening in attack.

It was end-to-end stuff, as both sides went back and forth threatening to score. We nearly did midway through the first-half, as Alex Sanchez was put through on goal, he then rounded the goalkeeper only to miss the opportunity. It must be said that it looked a fairly tight angle.

Literally the next passage of play, Wollongong broke away, counter-attacked and went down the other end to open the scoring.

At half-time we went to the sheds trailing 1-0.

The second-half pretty much went the same way as the first-half. Both sides were adventurous and looking for goals, but given our predicament of being behind, we chased a goal a little harder.

The back and forth struggle continued and on several occasions we found ourselves in great positions to grab an equaliser, but the quality in the final pass or shot was lacking.

As we continued to push late on for a goal, we were exposed by another Wollongong counter-attack and with around 5 minutes to go they scored their 2nd to put the game to bed. As we went down 2-0.

It was a match where with a bit of luck we might have gotten something from, 
but it was not to be. 

We have now not won any of our 3 home matches to start this season, which is always disappointing. We have to win our home games.

It’s been a very hot and cold start to the season for Sydney Olympic, which is evidenced in our results so far this season, twice being held scoreless, another two matches where there were goals galore, sometimes we look like world beaters and at other times bottom feeders. Frustrating to say the least.

In terms of the Club Championship, the U18s picked up a 1-1 draw, and in the U20s, we picked up a 1-0 win.

Last Wednesday, Sydney Olympic ventured out West, for our Round 2 catch-up fixture with Mt Druitt Town.

We were the far better side in the first-half but somehow went into the half-time break with only a slender 3-2 lead. Had we taken our chances, we could have and should have been well out of sight by half-time.

After some nervy moments in the early part of second-half, we put our foot down and took enough of our many chances to run out comfortable 6-2 winners, the score could have easily been double-digits.

We got the all-important 3 points which is what matters.

Sad news during the past week was the passing of Club Legend, Sotiris Patrinos. Brought to Australia from Atromitos in 1960, he helped us win promotion to the NSW 1st Division. He was with us for the next 10 years and will go down as one of the greatest in the Club’s history.

R.I.P. and condolences to his family.

Our next match is away at Rockdale, on Sunday April 14, Kick-Off at 4.30pm.

On the Sydney Olympic Girls side of things, Round 5 saw them draw 1-1 with the Illawarra Stingrays and remain undefeated so far this season. They are sitting in 2nd spot on the ladder at this stage.

Monday, 1 April 2019

Off the Mark – Hakoah Sydney City-East 0-1 Sydney Olympic

Sydney Olympic is off the mark for season 2019, registering our first win against an opponent who has always been a thorn in our side going back decades, Hakoah. We did it the hard way and there definitely were some nervous moments near the end, but we well and truly deserved the 3 points.

Before a ball was even kicked and given our predicament, one had the feeling that the match was destined to be one of those tight and nail-biting affairs, where one chance and one goal could win it for either side and as the match got under way, those feelings were proven right.

There were not too many clear cut chances created by either side during the 90 minutes. It wasn’t totally devoid of goal scoring opportunities, but I don’t know if it’s that pitch of theirs or what it was, but the contest was mainly a midfield battle and almost a battle of wills out there.

We played decent in the first-half, solid in defence, but neither team could break the deadlock as the score remained at 0-0 at the half-time break.

We looked much better in the second-half and managed to find the all-important breakthrough mid-way through the second-half. New recruit Jack Stewart, found some room for himself in the box to finish off well and score his 1st goal for the club.

We also had the best other chance of the second-half right near the end as Harris Gaitatzis let off a long range bomb, which was somehow parried onto the crossbar by the Hakoah goalkeeper.

Not that he needs to redeem himself, but Paul Henderson made up for his error last week with a fine performance in goals, keeping yet another clean sheet and keeping Hakoah out all match, and they did have a few chances.

So, it’s good to get off the mark in 2019 and have our first win in the bank, hopefully we can go on a run now and start climbing the ladder.

Obviously most things we do this season, will be scrutinised and compared with what we did last season. One thing is certainly clear, that in attack we do have issues. We are clunky with our combinations, Alejandro Sanchez and Radovan Pavicevic look down on confidence, Jack Stewart is new to the club and with Max Burgess leaving and Harris Gaitatzis coming in, it is almost a new-look forward set up. It looks like it may need some time for it to gel.

In defense, Zac Mackenzie went off early during the game with what looked like a serious injury, but I do not know that for certain. William Angel played the entire second-half at Centre-Back. By now, Will has to have played in every position for us down the years.

That is 3 Centre-Backs injured now, as Brendan Hooper has a long-term injury also and Mitch Stamatellis has yet to feature for us either this season. Our depth will be tested in the next little part of the season.

Finally, congratulations to Niko Tsattalios, who notched up game 100 for Sydney Olympic on Sunday.

In terms of the Club Championship, the U18s lost 2-0 and in the U20s, we picked up a 3-2 win.

We need to keep up this momentum now, as on Wednesday Night, April 3, we have our Round 2 catch-up match away to the Mt Druitt Town Rangers, at Popondetta Park in Emerton, Kick-Off is at 7.30pm.

This is followed by Round 5, and we will be looking for our first home win of the season on Sunday Afternoon, April 7, against an in-form and top-of-the-table Wollongong Wolves outfit, at Belmore Sports Ground, Kick-Off is at 4pm.

On the Sydney Olympic Girls side of things, in Round 4 they smashed the North Shore Mariners 7-0, to go top of the NPL 1 women’s competition. A pretty good start to the season.