Sydney FC were left to rue yet more wastefulness in front of their own fans, as they were held to a 1-1 draw against a valiant Brisbane Roar side at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
After a cagey first 10 minutes, the visitors had the first big chance of the game; Sydney’s defence failed to deal with a Jay O’Shea cross and the ball fell to Juan Lescano, however the South American could only produce a glaring miss from a brilliant position.
Sydney recovered and began to exert their control on the game, and were rewarded in spectacular fashion in the 34th minute as Elvis Kamsoba embarked on a mazy run from his own half, vaulting challenges before releasing a perfectly timed ball for Anthony Caceres to sweep home past Macklin Freke.
However, Brisbane would hit back just six minutes later against the run of play, as a snap Nikola Mileusnic volley caught Sydney custodian Andrew Redmayne off guard, the keeper only able to parry the bouncing shot into the net.
Elvis Kamsoba went close in the 67th minute after latching onto a neat through-ball, but he could only fire his shot straight at Freke.
Brisbane then nearly grabbed a goal just two minutes later, but Alexander Parsons skied the ball after a neat cutback from Corey Brown.
Sydney introduced new signing Mustafa Amini in an attempt to swing the game in their favour, and Sydney continued to have a flurry of chances as the match wore on. Substitute Harry Van Der Saag even hit the post in the 84th minute, but still the Roar held on, as they would gain a valuable point on the road.
CONFIDENT KAMSOBA FLOURISHING IN NEW ENVIRONMENT
In his last season at a floundering Melbourne Victory, Elvis Kamsoba was a player devoid of confidence. And it showed.
However, the Burundian international looks like a player reborn in Sky Blue this season. He is quickly becoming one of Sydney’s most important attacking outlets through his pace and energy, and his rebuilt confidence is showing in the way he is now taking his chances and being a key part of Sydney’s buildup play.
His assist for Caceres’ goal was simply marvellous. His distinct pace aside, he showed brilliant control and determination to ride past defenders and a deftness and composure that was previously hard to come by.
His comeback is one of the stories of the season so far.
LESCANO STRUGGLING TO GET RID OF THE COBWEBS
Brisbane’s foreign striker Juan Lescano hasn’t had much of a chance to get consistent game time so far this season. Only managing one game before Brisbane’s three week break, it appeared that the Argentinian struggled to get into gear this evening.
He spurned a glorious opportunity where he should have hit the target early on, and appeared to lack conviction and belief in himself, as he perhaps held onto the ball when he should have attempted to test Redmayne.
He was able to get into promising positions and was hassling the Sydney defence with his movement, but he was eventually substituted without being able to impact the scoresheet.
Brisbane will certainly be hoping that he can find his scoring touch soon, as their attack is in dire need of an injection of quality if they are to begin climbing the table.
SYDNEY DROP MORE POINTS AT HOME
Sydney FC’s home form in the league this season has been patchy to say the least. A defeat against Macarthur and now two draws after being in leading positions means that they have only taken five points from a possible 12 in their own backyard.
Sydney controlled possession and by and large had the better chances, especially as the game wore on, but they will be left to rue their missed opportunities as they share the points with a still winless Brisbane team.
By Sydney’s high standards, this is not good enough, especially as they look to climb up the table after an indifferent start to the season. They now sit five points behind ladder leading rivals Melbourne Victory.
Steve Corica’s side put in a largely promising performance, creating plenty of opportunities with their key attacking players standing out, but it means nothing if they cannot convert those chances into points. They need to rediscover a clinical edge from season’s past if they are to get anywhere near avenging last season’s grand final loss.
FINAL SCORE
A-League Men, Round 10: Nestrata Jubilee Stadium
Sydney FC 1 (Caceres 34′)
Brisbane Roar 1 (Mileusnic 40′)
