Pictures

One of the Argentinian training ship in the harbour, and one for general interest, back from Langkawi.




Jackfruit

So peaceful...

Phoenix 2 - 1 Sydney FC

Sydney were flying and the Phoenix struggling to play with any fluency or style. Surely this would be an utterly predictable game?
Well, no. It started that way. Pretty even, but the Phoenix a little fragile. It was an odd line-up. 4-4-2 (which was nice) and no Ferrante (even nicer) but different keeper, Dodd returned to his rightful centre back slot (harsh on the better ball-player Durante and McKain, but they were injured/ill). Moss replaced by Paston (a better dominator of the area, but weaker on shots). Brown (finally!) and Johnson in the middle with Gao and Kwasnick on the flanks.
Sydney took the lead fairly early on, but didn't really look any better than our lot. Paston is strong in the air, and Dodd is so powerful and good at judging headers. Ben Sigmund was a surprise selection at centre-back, being a short and muscular midfielder by trade, but he put in a very effective performance. But I can't help feeling this reflects badly on Sydeny. They were niggly and poor, assisted by an inept referee. But their goal was pretty good, a looping header over the tall but non-jumping Paston.
But the Phoenix stayed strong. Sydney had a bit of swagger about them (helped by the referee's tolerance of their antics), but didn't really threaten again. Gao was easily the stand-out player of the half, showing self-belief and no little skill to constantly probe, but Brown and Johnson were failing to get up there. The equaliser was more of a surprise because we have scored so few, rather than because it wasn't deserved. Kwasnick getting good mileage out of the full back and crossing for Smeltz to glance a fine header home.
I don't recall Sydney getting much of a sniff after that. There was a worrying sign that the Phoenix might be settling for a draw when the ordinary Coveny was withdrawn to be replaced by Christie and Gao (either marked out of the game or not supported by his teammates) by Ferrante. Christie's lack of pace was more than made up for by his superb first touches today, and Ferrante showed glimpses of quality in his gaining of possession. Both were instrumental in the attacks that, eventually, led to the winner. Brown had had a good game. Nothing spectacular, but doing the job imagined of him. Uncompromising and old-fashioned, he thundered around without showing any great flair, but an indomitable attitude. He then picks up the ball just outside the box and, seeing the typical lackof movement, has a go. It wasn't hit the cleanest, but it was aimed right in the corner and the keeper must have been unsighted by the defender and it rolled into the corner. That felt soooooo gooooooood.
MoM was Leilei Gao for me: he played with heart and skill through the first half, when there was precious little to cheer about. But Brown and the centre backs deserve much credit as well.