Sydney FC completed their pre-season programme with a 3-0 friendly loss to Perth Glory at WIN Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.
Sydney FC are looking ahead to their opening game of the Hyundai A-League 2013/14 against Newcastle Jets, having completed their pre-season programme with a 3-0 friendly loss to Perth Glory at WIN Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.
The Sky Blues will meet the Jets on Friday, October 11th at Allianz Stadium when the pair do battle in the first game of the Hyundai A-League 2013/14 season.
The squad will build up to the game with another two weeks of training, plus next Saturday-s (5th October, 2pm) Fan Day at Allianz Stadium.
Alessandro Del Piero started his first game back in Australia since returning from Italy while new signing Nikola Petkovic made his debut for the club.
Perth were first to hit the target on six minutes when Scott Jamieson-s right wing corner kick evaded everyone except Sciola who headed towards goal, but Nick Carle was tight to the far post to clear the danger.
The Glory took the lead on 15 minutes when Josh Risdon beat Petkovic on the Perth right hand side to square to Jamie MacLaren in the box. The striker-s first touch took him past Jurman and he fired home from eight yards.
Sydney-s first chance came in the 22nd minute when Emerton-s through ball found Gameiro clear of the defence on the right hand edge of the box, but the striker-s chip to the back post was just out of the reach of Del Piero.
The Sky Blues were a whisker away from being on level terms in the 28th minute when Mark Warren whipped in a low cross which narrowly evaded Gameiro-s out-stretched leg from eight yards.
Sydney FC came even closer five minutes later when Petkovic put over a teasing left wing cross and Garcia-s header looped towards goal. Goalkeeper Vukovic looked in trouble but recovered to tip the ball onto the bar and over.
The Sky Blues fans thought Sydney had equalised on 38 minutes when Del Piero played a 1-2 with Nicky Carle on the edge of the box and the Italian curled a right foot shot just wide of the post. From the angle of the main stand the ball appeared to have gone in but in reality had hit the pole behind the goal and rolled into the netting.
The miss meant Perth reached the break in the ascendancy.
Despite Sydney FC-s pressure towards the end of the first half, Perth went further ahead inside three minutes of the restart. A bouncing ball found its way to MacLaren and his lobbed pass put Sciola through on goal to finish via a deflection off Necevski-s knee.
Jamieson was booked for a foul on Del Piero after 63 minutes and when Marc Warren whipped in the resulting free kick Joel Chianese was inches away from getting a vital touch.
Great work from Chianese to win the ball from Jamieson on the right gave Sydney FC a two on one situation. The cross was delayed just enough however, to allow the Perth defence to get back and clear as Abbas was about to shoot from 6 yards.
The final goal of the night came with virtually the last kick of the game when MacLaren completed a brace neatly lobbing the ball over Necevski from the 25 yard mark.
The Sky Blues now have just under two weeks to go until Friday 11th October when they kick off the Hyundai A-League season 2013/14 at home to Newcastle Jets.
Perth Glory 3 (MacLaren 15-, 90-; Sciola 48-) d. Sydney FC 0
WIN Jubilee Oval, Kogarah.
Referee: Alan Milliner
Sydney FC: 1. Necevski, 2. Ryall, 3. Warren, 5. Jurman (13. Calvano 55-), 6. Petkovic, 7. Emerton (16. Chianese 45-), 9. Gameiro (22. Abbas 65-), 10. Del Piero, 11. Garcia (14. Mallia 76-), 15. McFlynn, 19. Carle.
Subs: 25. Petkovski, 20. Bouzanis.
Yellow Cards: Carle 44-, Calvano 76-. Del Piero 76-,
Perth: 1. Vukovic, 4. Edwards, 5. Pantelidis (3. O-Neill 58-), 7. Burns ©, 8. Nagai (17. Harold 63-), 10. MacLaren, 14. McGarry (6. Edwards 58-), 16. Sciola, 19. Risdon, 21. Jamieson (2. Clisby 63-), 23. Thwaite.
Subs: 11. Zahra, 20. Spence.
Yellow Cards: Jamieson 52-.
