The Beginning of the Protracted Finals to Determine the Champions of the League Which Is Finished Already

Not that there’s anything wrong with this sort of thing but when Sydney beat Melbourne in the final game of the ‘regular’season to claim the minor premiership and install themselves as red hot favourites to go on to the championship game there was a nagging feeling that maybe that should have been that.

As reported last time the match was not without it’s controversy in the build up and I was willing to go out on a limb and suggest that Melbourne signing a player who… well… wasn’t very good was not the worst thing that could happen. And so it proved with the profligate striker lamely firing his only shot of the match straight at the post as Sydney kept out the visitors and scored to goals themselves. The first, a clear slice from Slovakian Karol Kisel from outside the area that looped up and away from the goalkeeper and bounced over line in the bottom corner sent the fans in to jubilation at one end and in to a small riot at the other for no obvious reason. With the Melbourne fans obviously very upset down one end of the stadium a plethora of policemen were rightly deployed down the other to keep an eye on Sydney’s loyal cove and the were treated to a surreal delight. Mama’s boy John Aloisi, much derided throughout his stay in Sydney as much for his huge pay packet (highest in the league) as much as his very low return won the ball in his own half and beat his man. What followed was Dali-esque as Aloisi ambled along at his top speed, a slow jog, and must have been as amazed as anyone that the Melbourne players just stood off and off and off until 35 metres later he cracked it, completely unchallenged, in to the net.

With that the league was won and whilst this seemed like the perfect night an injury to veteran Steve Corica, off within 20 minutes marred the copy book a little. According to the Daily Telegraph Kisel told Corica “We’ll fight for you.”  He wasn’t lying but none-the-less the  club captain, the man who’s been with Sydney FC since there was a Sydney FC and who’d just announced his plans to retire at the end of the season, has now been ruled out of what would surely  have been his swan song with a ruptured hamstring tendon.

Sydney’s top scorer or all time, he’ll be sorely missed and it’s not for nothing that Sydney have at times been described by the media as Stevie Corica and his ten mates. His replacement on the night, Brendan Gan, is no replacement really and in fact it was Kisel who filled his role after he went off. They’ll all need to be on top of their game now, as the play Melbourne, in Melbourne on Feb 17th. The finals then roll on with sudden death matches between  3rd (Gold Coast Utd) and 6th (Newcastle) and also between 4th (Wellington Phoenix) and 5th (Perth Glory) before Sydney meet Melbourne again for the second leg. Win over the two legs and they’re in the finals, lose, and they’re back in the mixer, playing the winner of the two winners, which, should they win it, will see them play… Melbourne victory again.

In any case a place in the Asian Champions League is now booked and the first 27 game season has thrown up some surprises, not least that hastily thrown together North Queensland Fury were better than three other teams over the campaign and weren’t far off making it to the finals although it was Aurelio Vidmar’s (roll it on your tongue, it’s like a liqueur) Adelaide Utd who finished dead last, lack of goals scored their major vice.

Top scorer was, of course, Gold Coast’s Shane Smeltz, who rattled them in like he just didn’t care and got 19 by the end of the regular season, which is more than Robbie Fowler and John Aloisi managed between them (9 each). Sergio Van Dijk of Brisbane Roar came second with 15 and it was a decent stint by Paul Ifil who got 12 but also contributed so much more with some incredible all-round performances that underlined Wellington’s surge up the table. However, goal scoring feats weren’t enough to secure Smeltz the player of the year award. The Johnny Warren medal, awarded by his peers, went to Melbourne Victory’s Carlos Hernandez who combined the third best scoring streak in the league with some visionary passing, acute free kicks, skills and deft touches to make him the favourite.

Here’s hoping things get tightened up next season with only the top four teams allowed to compete for the Championship, or even scrap that final toe to toe and introduce a cup competition to round off the season. And maybe too they could replace the minor premiership prize with something more impressive than this plate that looks like it needs some grapes on it, but until then congratulations to Sydney, who over 27 games managed to score one more point than their nearest rival and deserve to be called Champions.