Seems a shame that only the fourth-place A-League team goes to the P-PC instead of the winner of the Grand Final. Why was this contest scheduled concurrent to the A-League Finals Series? It's a nice consolation prize for Sydney FC, but unfair for Sydney FC fans who have to choose between traveling to Hawaii to see their team and staying home to see the Grand Final. Then again, maybe Sydney FC fans want nothing more than to get out of town? I know I wouldn't be terribly excited to see the MLS Cup played at Gillette Stadium if the New England Revolution weren't in it.
its always sydney sydney sydney. they are not the only club in australia. why oh why do overseas teams want to play against sydney.. melbourne has the better surport in the country followed by yes sydney.
If you go by crowd averages, Queensland have the second best support! P.S. You do know that Sydney "qualified" for this tournament by losing to Queensland on Friday night. If Queensland had of lost, we would have went to it. It's not as though Sydney was chosen to go.
SYDNEY FC were last night hoping to convince the organisers of the inaugural Pan Pacific Championships to allow them to re-inforce their squad before next week's tournament in Hawaii. Sydney's consolation prize for their premature exit from the A-League finals series is a place in the four-team tournament, which includes two Major League Soccer clubs - Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo - and Japanese Nabisco Cup winners Gamba Osaka. Sydney will play two games on the trip, the first against MLS champions Houston at Aloha Stadium next Thursday, Sydney time. "Junny's got a two- to four-week lay-off, so there's no point in taking him," Kosmina said. Sydney will also leave behind Mark Milligan and Ruben Zadkovich, who are both being given time to rest before the Olyroos camp which starts on Sunday week. Midfielder Ufuk Talay will also miss the trip to Hawaii - he leaves on Thursday for Japan, where he will join former teammate Mark Rudan at second-division side Avispa Fukuoka. With long-term injury victims Adam Casey and Mike Enfield also unavailable, Sydney were last night asking organisers to bend the rules to allow them to take a couple of extra players. New signing Simon Colosimo would be the most obvious addition, as he has completed his commitments with Perth Glory. One piece of encouraging news for Kosmina is the comeback of defender Jacob Timpano, who has missed the bulk of the past two seasons with injury. http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league...-trip-to-hawaii/2008/02/11/1202578694210.html
As Wezza has said, its not like Sydney were chosen for this. Whoever lost this semi final was going to go. If Melbourne had actually made the semi's they might've played this tournie. It is a good consolation prize for Sydney, but it will be disappointing for either Qld or Newcastle because whoever loses that semi will get nothing!
If we could have just "chosen" a team then I would have liked to see Melbourne or Adelaide - then they get some preperation for ACL
Sydney has made the finals of every comp in the 3 A-League seasons, and were Champions in season 1. Galaxy made the playoffs in their first ten seasons, only missing out in the last two seasons. They've been champions twice- in '02 & '05. So although your comment may have been off the cuff- they do have similarities! Melbourne may have won the A-League once but they also failed to make the finals in the other two seasons. Either its on, or its not with them!
It hasnt received much publicity, but here's some more info on the PPC. http://blogs.smh.com.au/sport/archives/2008/02/hawaiian_pan_pacs_no_holiday_f.html
Anyone know if the Sydney FC games/any of the games, will be telecast here? And if so, Foxtel or will it be a similar scenario to the Sydney v LA Exhibition game in November, when Ten picked up the match?
So far no-one has picked up the rights to the games as far as i know Glory. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23234460-5006068,00.html
Here's an indication on the lineup...... http://www.smh.com.au/news/a-league...ness-for-kossie/2008/02/20/1203467182790.html
Gamba Osaka beat the Galaxy 1-0. Goal in the 4th minute. Apparently the astroturf field we're playing on in terrible, bounces way too much. I gathered from the Galaxy thread that the crowd is building up, but is still small and the field is very narrow for a football field. Should be interesting. And yes Kanga- for once we shall!
I saw half way through the seconf half. Interesting that some players had turf boots while others had regular boots. As for the pitch, it looks horrible. American football lines visible, plus the goalie's box is squashed, with it being very wide but smaller in length. Looks like Brosque is going to play midfield, with Vidaic and Santalab up front. Looks like a 4-3-1-2.
Quite a contrast between the Galaxy/SFC game and this Dynamo/SFC game. One a poorly managed circus with a few royalty type players, then a bunch of cerfs...the other a team of good players. Should be interesting to see the matchup again in the 3rd place match. Brosque is well contained in this match, unlike in the Galaxy game where the Galaxy made him look like a world beater. I was hoping to see him light up HouDy.
I didn't see it that way. I saw a Houston team playing very well, and simply beating Sydney at each possible aspect. Sydney wasn't screwing any of them up, just getting outplayed.
Just from the report i read, it said that they played woefully. Who was missing from the regular Sydney lineup anybody know?
I posted it elsewhere, but I can't help but think that the Roar would have been so much more competative. Even sending Melbourne or adelaide as a warm up to the ACL would have meant a more competative squad turned up. Would have been a great way to kick start the ACL campaign.