Few A-League fixtures produce the pumping scenes and vibrant atmosphere that materialise when the city’s east meets westForget for a moment about what Sydney FC’s victory over Western Sydney Wanderers in Saturday’s elimination final means for the rivalry. First, let’s postulate on why Wanderers midfielder Miloš Ninković was frogmarched out of the Sky Blue’s dressing room by two Sydney attendants in its aftermath, hurling remonstrations as he went. The silent footage released by the A-Leagues’ media arm Keepup offers few hints, which is perfect because speculation is much more fun.Did Sydney boss Steve Corica see his former player waltzing into his inner sanctum as an act of disrespect after their year-long war of words? Was Ninković congratulating his former teammates...
Attempted career reboots for the footballing pariah have amounted to little with his immense talent unfulfilledExplaining the thinking behind his move to Australia in an interview last December, Jack Rodwell professed to have been conflicted before agreeing to sign for Western Sydney Wanderers, the A-League side he had just joined following a two-week spell in quarantine at what was once an insalubrious miners’ camp outside Darwin. While the midfielder felt he had more to offer as a player in England or elsewhere in the European big leagues, the impression was conveyed that a lack of alternative options meant relocating to Australia had to be considered.The decision to move to Sydney was made easier by the fact that his wife is...
By moving to Western Sydney Wanderers the Serbian playmaker has ensured any bond built with the Sydney FC fanbase will evaporateWhat do Sol Campbell, Luis Figo, and Miloš Ninković have in common? They fill the not-so illustrious turncoat archetype; players that with one stroke of a pen abdicated their chances to become legends of their club and, at best, cast a cloud across their legacy. In swapping Sydney FC for Western Sydney Wanderers, Ninković has arguably come as close as any in the A-League Men to rivalling Campbell’s move from Tottenham to Arsenal or Figo’s switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Plenty have played on both sides of the Harbour City in the past, but none have possessed the kind...
The most gripping football on offer around the world exists because clubs risk relegation to a lower tierThere is a haunting presence in the A-League Men. Shuffling from ground to ground clad in tattered purple, orange, or red and black regalia, they are the ALM revenants: those whose seasons have long since died but continue to walk amongst us. Their hopes and dreams dashed, their only purpose now is to haunt the rest who still draw breath.This is the reality of what confronts Perth Glory the Western Sydney Wanderers and Brisbane Roar as the 2021-22 season concludes. With little to no hope of finals football, supporters watch on as their beloved clubs, once so full of promise, go through the...
Carl Robinson and Bernie Ibini had a fiery return to McDonald Jones Stadium. Can a Covid-era crowd light up the first Sydney derby of the season?Three years ago Sydney FC fans endured what was, in their eyes, an unforgivable betrayal. Vedran Janjetovic, having lost his spot in goal to Danny Vukovic, defected to Western Sydney. The move, completed in December after much speculation, was sacrilege, a contravention of the golden rule: do not cross town.Janjetovic was seen as the ultimate deserter, a turncoat of the highest order, and supporters made their dissatisfaction known in his first Sydney derby as a Wanderer. Related: A-League's prodigies showcase local potential – but will the public respond? Continue reading...