It is season over in 2019 for Sydney Olympic, as
an inconsistent and at time frustrating year wrapped up at Lambert Park on
Sunday Afternoon, as we defeated the SFC NPL Team in the final regular season game.
Quickly on this particular match at Lambert Park, it seemed like all the air
was let out of the place before a ball was even kicked. Everybody was aware of what
needed to happen, what needed to go our way, for us to make the Top 5 and play
Finals Football but you’d have to say, not many were optimistic it was going to
happen.
Anyway, we held up our end of the bargain as we dominated the match from start
to finish. Inside the first 5 minutes we had opened the scoring through Jack
Stewart. Not long after this we made it 2-0 as Alejandro Sanchez finished off
well, breaking his goal scoring drought in the process. Not long after this,
the opposition fluked a goal back totally against the run of play and at the
half-time break we were leading 2-1.
Midway through the second-half, Alejandro Sanchez got his 2nd goal of the
afternoon, following some nice work from Jinya An, one of our best players all season,
who crossed it for him to finish and make the score 3-1.
That is how the score remained at full-time, the positive was we ended the
season with a victory, the negative was hearing that Sydney United had beaten
Manly by the same score-line across town. Meaning it was season over.
You would have to say that overall, this season has been a failure and a
massive disappointment for all concerned, supporters, players, coaches, board,
given we were Champions last season and we could not back it up this season.
No doubt that this season, injuries have played their part in wrecking it. But,
after that poor start to the season, we were chasing our own tails for the rest
of it and it is just too even of a competition, to be having to play catch-up
for most of it.
The World’s longest off season now begins, there is plenty of time between now
and the time the next season begins, which will be some time next March, to get
things right at least on the pitch.
For sure, several players will be on their way out, if not already gone and
several others will be coming into the squad, we will just have to wait and see
who they end up being and lets all cross our fingers that the club brings in the
right players.
We all hope that someone other than Stevie Wonder will be in charge of
recruiting during the off-season.
A lot of question marks remain both on and off the pitch for Sydney Olympic.
In the Club Championship the 18s won 3-1 and the 20s lost 2-0. We have ended up
in 6th place. Thankfully, starting from next year, the Club Championship will
no longer count as part of any promotion or relegation.
For the Sydney Olympic women’s team, they lost 1-0 to the Northern Tigers in
their Semi-Final, but by virtue of finishing 2nd during the regular season,
they will have another chance this weekend. They will play the Illawarra
Stingrays in an Elimination Final on Sunday.
Disgrace of a season.
ReplyDelete