Ange Postecoglou returned to Australian shores as a Scottish champion and Hall of Famer but Thursday night was all about Sydney FC, who took conquered the powerhouse 2-1 in the Sydney Super Cup opener.
It was all about Ange Postecoglou in the lead up and pre-game – the A-Leagues legend was honoured before the match after being inducted into Football Australia’s Hall of Fame.
There was also the famous Postecoglou chant belted out by Celtic supporters as the Sydney Super Cup opener got underway: ‘Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away. This year, to save me from tears, I’ll give it to Postecoglou‘.
But Sydney did not read the script – back at the venue of last week’s breath-taking derby against Western Sydney Wanderers, the Isuzu UTE A-League giants went toe-to-toe with the champions of Scotland and came out on top thanks to Max Burgess’ moment of magic and a fine Robert Mak strike after Kyogo Furuhashi had given Celtic the lead.
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Celtic – with their high octane brand of football – controlled the early proceedings but it was Sydney who looked the more threatening.
From Luke Brattan’s glorious pass to Rhyan Grant, who was denied brilliantly by Benjamin Siegrist, to Mak rattling the crossbar with a thunderous strike, Sydney provided a stern test.
After Thomas Heward-Belle thwarted Kyogo, Joe Lolley’s half-volley cannoned off the crossbar in the 22nd minute. All that was missing was a goal for the Sky Blues.
Then at the other end a minute later, Alexandro Bernbaei’s long-range effort deflected off Kyogo and into the back of the net, wrong-footing Heward-Belle amid appeals for offside.
But just as quickly as they conceded, Sydney restored parity almost instantaneously – Mak burned his defender and being played through by Lolley and it had been coming.
Celtic did finish the first half strongly, with Liel Abada’s scooped ball over the onrushing goalkeeping almost finding Kyogo, but for some last-ditch Sydney defending, while Heward-Belle was at it again to keep out the Japanese star minutes prior to half-time.
The Bhoys came out all guns blazing in the second half – the introductions of Jota, Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley and Sead Haksabanovic provided extra quality and pace and they were unlucky not to score.
But for all their threatening play, they were caught cold by a moment of magic from Burgess – the Sydney attacker curled a delightful shot pas Siegrist on the hour-mark.
