Two teams, one finals position: it’s a sudden death showdown in Sydney. Don’t miss this absolutely massive New South Wales derby.
Sydney FC v Newcastle Jets
Sunday 25th March, 4.00pm
Two teams, one finals position: it’s a sudden death showdown in Sydney. Don’t miss this absolutely massive New South Wales derby.
Local derbies are always huge occasions, but they rarely get any bigger than the one that takes place on Sunday in Sydney. It’s an all-or nothing clash between these New South Wales rivals.
With Sydney and Newcastle contesting the last available finals slot, the maths are simple. If the Sky Blues win, they will leapfrog the Jets and make the finals. Anything other than a Sydney victory and it will be Newcastle who end the season in the top six. What an incredible encounter we have in store.
While a draw won’t be enough this Sunday, Sydney FC will take encouragement from last week’s stalemate in Melbourne, as they came from 2-0 down to share the spoils with Heart.
A second-half brace from Shannon Cole rescued a point when the game seemed beyond them and typified the kind of spirited fightback that has defined their season. The fact that Vitezslav Lavicka’s men never say die will serve them well in this crucial clash.
While Newcastle currently occupy that all-important sixth place, they go into Sunday’s showdown having only picked up one point from their last two games.
After drawing at home to the Gold Coast, they lost to title-chasing Brisbane Roar last weekend at Hunter Stadium when a win would have cemented a finals spot. Having fallen behind, they equalised through Ali Abbas and looked to push on for the victory after keeper Ben Kennedy saved Henrique’s spot-kick, but a late second penalty, this time from Mitch Nichols, meant that Newcastle ended the game empty handed and now have to go to Sydney to fight for that last finals spot.
While the Sky Blues will take heart from the fact that they have already beaten the Jets this season – a familiar come from behind win in Newcastle – they will be praying for a different outcome to the last time the teams came together at Allianz Stadium, when their local rivals smashed five to stun the home crowd.
Not only will the visitors take inspiration from that fantastic away performance, but they will also look to their last game on the road for confidence, when they put in a great display to win 3-1 against Melbourne Victory.
These results should leave Sydney FC in no doubt that they are in for the toughest test on Sunday afternoon. With Newcastle knowing that they can afford to draw the game, there are sure to be hoards of Jets fans making the short journey to SFS and they will be in strong voice, so it is up to the Cove to make home advantage count and spur the home team on to the vital win.
Whether you wear Sky Blue or Red & Blue, your club needs your support more so than ever on Sunday. This huge local derby is sure to be brimming with passion, commitment and intensity on the field, so get ready to display similar levels in the stands. Raise your voices, sing your side into the finals and end your rivals’ season.
