2 weeks Ago By David Lowe
The Jets' minuscule hopes of play-off participation were officially extinguished last Sunday, a 3-2 defeat away to Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium confirming the increasingly inevitable conclusion. Login or signup to continue reading The match was in so many ways a microcosm of the Jets' campaign, intense and dominant for periods of the contest, the promise of a great result seemingly in the air, then a loss of control, some defensive frailty, and the concession of a crucial late goal. The Jets faithful would have had that uneasy, here we go again feeling as soon as the excellent Douglas Costa pulled a goal back just before half-time, after the Jets had ambushed the hosts early and established a 2-0 lead.
In truth, the Sky Blues had wrestled control of possession and tempo before that point, slowing the pace of the game to suit their playing group and negating the mobility of the Jets, which threatened to derail their own finals quest. The commentary team, excited by early proceedings, informed us that the Jets hadn't won at Allianz for 13 seasons, and Sydney stayed calm, started to dictate terms and show us why. I think it's fair to say that both clubs have had stronger line-ups in the interim period, but given Sydney's midweek exertions, some key injuries, and the age of some of their most important players, this was a real opportunity for the Jets to get a rare victory.
At 2-0 after 26 minutes, the chances have rarely been better. Sydney were without central striker Patryk Klimala, midfield architect Leo Sena, cobbled together a back four or five, it was hard to tell at various stages, with star front third player Joe Lolley playing as a makeshift left fullback/wing-back. Young super sub Adrian Segecic played almost the full 90 minutes for the second time in 72 hours, and fellow youngster Jaiden Kucharski made a rare start.
They were well vulnerable, but the experienced and industrious skipper Rhyan Grant, and midfield talisman Anthony Cacearas were calming and influential. And then there was Costa, playing wherever the hell he liked, sensing where there was space, where he could be most dangerous, where he could link up with the better players in Sydney's side. Visually, the brilliant Brazilian looked knackered after half an hour, but his technique rarely wavered, he saw passes that nobody else dared imagine, received the ball with comfort in tight areas, found room to shoot, cross, to slow things to walking pace, to accelerate, to play intricately with the teammates he most trusts, and to score at a vital stage.
His coach knew, when he withdrew him right near the end, that while perhaps not his flashiest display, this was his most important and bravest contribution in a Sydney jersey. For some who never saw him in his pomp, imagine someone with the energy of the Energizer Bunny, absolutely blinding pace, and total confidence that he could give any opponent nightmares. Anyone! Do yourself a favour, get the YouTube going and enjoy an irresistible force and talent.
The Jets were decent enough to have got a result, and we will examine their season after two more important games that may yet shape title destiny. Unfortunately, they are more important for three or four other teams than the Jets, but that in turn suggests the last two rounds hold a lot of interest for the neutrals, and several fan bases. Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team.
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