It was a classic Sydney Derby featuring all sorts of subplots, spot fires, and intensity dialled up to the maximum.
In the fallout from Sydney FC’s stoic 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium came talking points aplenty, extracted from the moments you may have missed from the very first post-season meeting between these two great rivals.
THE ULTIMATE HEIST: Sydney FC knock off Wanderers in epic Derby Final
REACTION: TV cameras catch legend’s ‘awesome’ post-game Sydney FC moment
SEMI FINALS CONFIRMED! Sky Blues into final four to face the Premiers, Reds seek revenge against Mariners
PENALTY DRAMA: Brosque & Thompson react to Sydney Derby call
Joe Lolley’s 11-minute shift: ‘The sub being subbed’
Was it a precaution, or an inflammation of that troublesome hamstring injury?
Joe Lolley’s fitness was one of the big talking points of a week of derby build-up; the Englishman limped off the pitch in an otherwise routine final round win over Newcastle Jets, and could only return to the bench for Saturday night’s knockout final.
With less than 15 minutes to play, Sydney’s star winger emerged off the Sky Blues’ bench to replace Paulo Retre, with his right leg heavily bandaged. Minutes later, Sydney took a shock 2-1 lead through Adam Le Fondre.
If what came next was a precautionary substitution from Sydney FC coach Steve Corica then it was an immensely high-risk call: Corica withdrew Lolley at the 89-minute mark, just 11 minutes after his introduction.
“Here’s an interesting one,” mused Network 10 commentator Simon Hill as Lolley trudged off the park. “Joe Lolley has only been on the pitch a short period of time, (and) is going to be substituted. The sub subbed.
“Maybe that’s a recurrence of that problem with the hamstring? Or maybe he’s being put on ice, so to speak, for the Semi Finals.”
Listen below for KEEPUP’s immediate reaction at CommBank Stadium, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The more likely explanation of his withdrawal was a recurrence of the injury that hindered Lolley’s derby preparation – but Sydney FC boss Steve Corica insists it was a tactical manoeuvre.
“No, he wasn’t a chance of starting (tonight). He only trained the last couple of days,” he said post-game.
“We took him off (as a) precaution, obviously. Once we went up we wanted to change it a little bit, which gives him another week as well now to give himself a better chance. Whether he starts or comes off the bench again next week, we’ll have to see how much training he does.
“(He was) brave as well to put his hand up to be on the bench. He obviously felt something there last week, and didn’t want to let the team down, put his hand up to come on and did well.”
Lolley now has less than one week to recuperate, ahead of Sydney’s first-leg Semi Final against Melbourne City at Allianz Stadium on Friday, May 12.
The post-match declaration to ease Sky Blue minds after Mak’s withdrawal
As Sydney fans wait with bated breath for an update on Lolley’s fitness, they have every right to feel similarly apprehensive about the status of fellow wingman Robert Mak; he trudged off with a hamstring concern of his own with 86 minutes on the clock.
The Slovakia international scored the equalising goal on Saturday night, carrying on his white-hot form since returning from international duty in March. Mak has been nursing a hamstring injury through the final rounds of the regular season – but eased any concerns after the final whistle.
“I (first injured) it in Brisbane two games ago,” Mak told Network 10. “And yeah, I’ll be fine for sure for (the) next game.
“I want to be fine, I want to play the Semi Final, I want to get to the (Grand Final) and I want to win it.”
Brattan’s busy role & Sydney’s shifting shape
No Luke Brattan, no derby triumph for Sydney FC.
The central midfielder was immense for the Sky Blues on Saturday night, operating in multiple roles throughout the 90 minutes as Sydney’s formation shifted to suit certain gameplay situations.
When Sydney FC were without the ball, Brattan spent a bulk of his time sat alongside Paulo Retre in a deep-lying midfield role. But when his side gathered possession, they would often shift to a back three, with Brattan slotting in the middle of centre-backs Jack Rodwell and Alex Wilkinson.
The expectations set for Brattan varied with Sydney’s changing shape through a well-executed tactical display – but there was one clear prerogative Brattan was sent out onto the turf at CommBank Stadium to execute from start to finish: negate the impact of Wanderers creator Milos Ninkovic.
Nullifying Ninkovic
Brattan led what Hill on the Network 10 commentary described as “a constant barrage” on the former Sky Blue, who was closed down at almost every turn throughout his 76-minutes on the park.
Rodwell and Wilkinson were often called on to step out of their defensive line to close the pockets of space Ninkovic so often finds for himself in between lines.
The Serbian vented his frustration with a foul on Brattan in the 27th minute; that frustration then overflowed in the 68th minute when his late and dangerous challenge on the Sydney midfielder led to his name going down in the book.
Early in the contest, Ninkovic showed exactly why Corica’s side were so wary of containing his impact on the derby, ghosting into the box unmarked and sending a first-time half volley on target, which goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne did well to snuff out.
The result could easily have swung off a moment of Ninkovic magic. Brattan and co. made sure to nullify the threat, and did so brilliantly.
A war of words between friends-turned-foes: ‘It was quite fiery’
All season long, Ninkovic has played a villainous role in the recurring derby stoush. The Sydney FC legend’s off-season switch to the Red and Black made that inevitable.
At times, he’s thrived off the title of enemy number one. He showed it in Round 6, when travelling to face his former side at their new home ground, and supplying the assist for Kusini Yengi’s match-winner in a 1-0 Wanderers win at Allianz Stadium.
In Saturday’s Elimination Final, he was blanketed. Early in the second half, he drifted onto the left side of Western Sydney’s attack, and within earshot of Sydney boss Steve Corica on the touchline.
After conceding a foul to the visitors, Ninkovic reacted to a remark from Corica, gesturing to his former head coach with whom he won multiple pieces of silverware as a Sky Blue. A heated exchange of words ensued between the pair as the tension coiled like a compressed spring.
The pressure was reportedly released post-match as Ninkovic ventured into the Sydney FC change room. The A-Leagues All Access camera crew followed all the action of Saturday night’s Semi Final, and it was the docuseries team that alerted Wanderers head coach Marko Rudan of an alleged dressing room stoush post-match.
“My understanding from the guys that do (A-Leagues All Access)… approached me and just said that Milos went in there to congratulate his old teammates and their coach didn’t appreciate him being in there,” Rudan said post-game. “Something that occurred between those two, which wasn’t pleasant, it was quite fiery.
“I haven’t seen Milos yet so I haven’t spoken to him about that, but I think it all started in the game where I think their coach said something, not very nice on the sideline to Milos. I think that’s where it started.
“But it’s football, these things kind of happen, but that’s all I know.”
READ: Ninkovic & Corica in ‘fiery’ dressing room stoush: ‘We have issues’
The Adama moment that changed the game
With the Wanderers leading 1-0, the Elimination Final shifted with 21 minutes remaining.
Robert Mak equalised for Sydney FC, but it was a moment centred on Wanderers full-back Adama Traore, who headed the ball straight to the Slovakia international.
From that moment, the momentum shifted and the Sky Blues went on to win as Western Sydney boss Rudan singled out Traore’s defending for the equalising strike.
“These games are about moments and a moment Adama, looking back, wouldn’t have done and hasn’t done all season is head the ball back straight to the opponent,” Rudan told reporters post-game.
“You give them a sniff and they take it. They have the impetus. Our reaction wasn’t good enough as well. We looked lethargic in the second half.
“My take on that is… I know we’re up against a side that is very experienced, especially in finals football. They’ve been together for a long time. We’re a new team.
“Those moments in finals games, they’ve been there and done that. They created the moment that mattered most and we didn’t.”
