Celtic 1 Sydney FC 2 – Hoops misfire on Super Cup bow as mid-table A-League side spoil party despite Kyogo goal
THE city gave him a warm welcome the day before.
Then its main football club showed no regard for a returning Aussie hero by inflicting defeat on Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops in the Sydney Super Cup opener at the Allianz Stadium.
On his homecoming, Postecoglou would’ve been delighted to accept a framed Football Australia Hall of Fame award before kick-off and appreciated the warm applause with it.
But then there would’ve been disappointment for the Celts boss who so wanted his team to put on an exhibition of proper attacking football to mark his proud return to Oz.
But they couldn’t deliver.
Goals from Robert Mak and Max Burgess condemned the Hoops to a shock defeat with a freak Kyogo Furuhashi strike the only real joy for the visitors.
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Joe Hart and Giorgos Giakoumakis were given the night off by Postecoglou ahead of Sunday’s final game against Everton while Greg Taylor, Sead Haksabanovic, Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate and Jota joined a few B-team youngsters on the bench.
Mid-table A-League outfit Sydney came into this on the back of a sickening weekend city derby defeat to Western Sydney Wanderers.
They also hadn’t played particularly well.
But Steve Corica’s men were an entirely different prospect for the Hoops – impressing with free-flowing football, great width and a big threat through the middle in 73-times capped Slovakian international Mak.
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Several Celts looked to be suffering from jet lag, with half the squad arriving in magnificent Sydney only on Tuesday night.
But Liel Abada should’ve given them an eighth minute lead after being picked out by a fine cross from captain for the night James Forrest. The Israeli rose well enough at point-blank range but could only manage a miscued header well wide.
Then David Turnbull fired a shot from 20-yards straight at home keeper Thomas Heward-Belle.
The Sky Blues, however, began to settle – and a brilliant cross-field ball by skipper Luke Brattan perfectly picked out Rhyan Grant in acres of space wide right.
He quickly controlled, entered the box and unleashed a vicious, angled right foot shot which Benj Siegrist superbly pushed away.
Celtic had been truly served notice of Sydney’s capability.
And just five minutes later Mak hammered a close range shot off the Celts’ crossbar.
The Hoops makeshift midfield of Yosuke Ideguchi and Oliver Abildgaard were toiling to make any real impression, with the latter especially over anxious to impress – frequently giving the ball away, caught out of position or robbed of the ball.
But then Tony Ralston produced a brilliant ball behind the home defence – sharply spotting Abada’s clever run – and the winger delivered a first time ball across the box for Furuhashi.
The Japanese idol was denied by the bravery of Heward-Belle who bravely dived at the frontman’s feet to block.
By now it was an entertaining game – and in the 22nd minute Joseph Lolley crashed a left foot shot off Siegrist’s bar.
It was agony for Sydney and, worse still, they had to endure Celtic taking a 24th minute lead against the run of play – and it was a fluke.
Alexandro Bernabei’s goal-bound left foot shot from 25-yards was well hit but would’ve been saved – until it ricocheted off a suspiciously offside looking Furuhashi’s chest and wrong-footed Heward-Belle.
But, Celtic’s lead lasted only two minutes.
Sydney’s well deserved equaliser came from the excellent Mak – taking a fine Lolley through ball and bursting past and across Stephen Welsh before neatly side-footing past Siegrist from 10-yards.
Abada thought he’d put Celtic back in front in the 35th minute after Ralston had found him with another tremendous pass. He drew out Heward-Belle and clipped the ball over him towards the inside far post.
But, Aaron Gurd got back superbly to clear with Furuhashi also darting in.
Sydney were well up for Celtic’s scalp – but they were indebted to the impressive Heward-Belle for a decent 43rd minute save from a Furuhashi shot.
That was quickly followed at other end by a good diving parry by Siegrist from a Lolley effort.
Postecoglou made five changes at the break with the big guns on – and they made a noticeable improvement.
Heward-Belle saved well from Jota, Turnbull hit an effort just over and then the Portuguese winger, put in by Furuhashi, rashly shot over from close range.
Sydney, though, then stunned Celtic with a goal of their own against the flow of the play – and it was a belter on the hour.
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Max Burgess eluded Greg Taylor in the box and created the space to curl a left foot shot beyond a diving Siegrist and into the top far corner.
Postecoglou lost stopper Welsh in the 78th minute with a head knock.
And despite a late surge they couldn’t produce a leveller.
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CELTIC: Siegrist, Ralston, Welsh (Lawal), Starfelt, Bernabei (Taylor), Abildgaard (O’Riley), Ideguchi (Hatate), Turnbull (Robertson), Furuhashi (Vata), Forrest (Haksabanovic), Abada (Jota).
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