Sydney FC 1113940 226149565 2008-07-17T01:19:45Z 58.172.157.14 /* Notable Former Players */ {{ Football club infobox | clubname = Sydney FC | image = [[Image:Sydney FC.png|130px|Logo]] | fullname = Sydney Football Club | founded = [[2004]] | ground = [[Sydney Football Stadium]],<br />[[Sydney]] | capacity = 45,500 | chairman = {{flagicon|Australia}} Andrew Kemeny | mgrtitle = Coach | manager = {{flagicon|Australia}} [[John Kosmina]] | league = [[A-League]] | season = [[A-League 2008-09|2008&ndash;09]] | position = TBD (league)<br/> TBD (finals) | | pattern_b1 = _blue_reebok_spikes | leftarm1 = 000066 | body1 = 6698FF | rightarm1 = 000066 | shorts1 = 000066 | socks1 = 6698FF | pattern_la2 = _shouldersonwhite | pattern_b2 = | pattern_ra2 = _shouldersonwhite | leftarm2 = 6698FF | body2=FFFFFF | rightarm2 = 6698FF | shorts2 = 6698FF | socks2 = ffffff }} '''Sydney FC''', founded in [[2004]], is an [[Australia]]n [[association football]] (soccer) club based in [[Sydney]] and competes in Australia's premier competition, the [[A-League]]. Sydney FC won the inaugural A-League Championship in [[A-League 2005-06|2005&ndash;06]] by defeating the [[Central Coast Mariners FC|Central Coast Mariners]] 1-0 in the Grand Final. After winning the [[Oceania Club Championship 2004-05|2004&ndash;05 Oceania Club Championship]], Sydney FC competed in and finished fifth (of six teams) in the [[2005 FIFA Club World Championship]] in December 2005. As inaugural A-League Champions, Sydney FC also competed in the [[AFC Champions League 2007|2007 AFC Champions League]]. It finished 2nd in its group behind Japanese giants [[Urawa Reds|Urawa Red Diamonds.]] Sydney FC also went on to compete in the 2008 [[Pan-Pacific Championship]] in Hawaii as the representative of Australia and its [[A-league]]. Domestically, Sydney FC is one of only 2 clubs in the [[A-league]] to have consistently made it to each seasons finals play-offs for the Championship title since the leagues founding in 2005. With its achievements in the last 4 years since its founding, Sydney FC today still remains one of the most successful clubs of professional football in Australia, and has become the international marketing face of the [[A-League]]. Its home ground is [[Sydney Football Stadium]], a 45,500 seat multi-use venue<ref>{{cite web | title = Australian Stadiums: Aussie Stadium | url = http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=9 | work = Austadiums | accessmonthday = December 22 | accessyear = 2006}}</ref> in the suburb of [[Moore Park, New South Wales|Moore Park]]. Right from the beginning Sydney FC was marketed as the "glamour club" of the new competition,<ref>{{cite web | date = [[2004-10-27]] | title = Sydney FC emerging as new league's glamour club | work = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/26/1098667769923.html | accessdate = 2006-12-22 }}</ref>, with the involvement of the club's high-profile personnel, including investor and actor [[Anthony LaPaglia]], ex-[[Manchester United]] star [[Dwight Yorke]] as the team's first "marquee player" and [[1990 FIFA World Cup]] winner [[Pierre Littbarski]] as manager in the first season given as rationale. <ref>{{cite web | date = [[2006-11-07]] | url = http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20710852-23215,00.html | title = Budget FC closes door on Benito | work = [[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]] | accessdate = 2006-12-22 }}</ref> Sydney also went on to sign Former English International defender [[Terry Butcher]] as the 2006/07 season coach, Brazilian superstar midfelder [[Juninho Paulista]] in the 2007/08 season, and Socceroos legend [[John Aloisi]] as striker in their 2008/09 season, with each as the highest paid footballer in Australia in their respective seasons. Strikers [[Benito Carbone]] of Italy, and Japanese National regular [[Kazuyoshi Miura]] have also made appearances in the sky blue jersey. Capped Socceroos defender [[Tony Popovic]] is the current captain, and former Australian International [[John Kosmina]] is the current manager. == History == ===Foundation=== The first steps towards the foundation of Sydney FC were taken in April 2004 when Soccer New South Wales (now [[Football NSW]]) announced their intention to bid for a licence in the new Australian football competition.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 7]], [[2004]] | title = Soccer NSW announces bid for new national league | url = http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/default.aspx?s=insideffa_newsfeatures_newsitem&id=7504 | work = [[Soccer New South Wales|Soccer NSW]] | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> [[Image:Sydney-Galaxy-homebush.jpg|thumb|right|330px|Sydney FC playing the [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] at [[Stadium Australia|ANZ Stadium]] during 2007.]] The bid was lodged with the Australian Soccer Association (now [[Football Federation Australia]]) on [[July 19]], challenged only by a consortium headed by [[Nick Politis]], known as the "Sydney Blues",<ref>{{cite web | title = Kewell major player behind Sydney team: report | date = [[September 9]], [[2004]] | work = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/08/1094530699766.html | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> for Sydney's place in the 'one team per city' competition.<ref>{{cite web | last = Smith | first = Peter | date = [[July 21]], [[2004]] | title = ASA delighted with number of bids for new league | url = http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/default.aspx?s=insideffa_newsfeatures_newsitem&id=7772 | work = [[Football Federation Australia]] | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> A public row broke out between the two bidders after reports that the ASA were set to vote in favour of Sydney FC,<ref>{{cite web | date = [[September 10]], [[2004]] | title = ASA picks Soccer NSW | url = http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=49872 | work = [[The World Game]] | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> causing Politis to withdraw his support for a team,<ref>{{cite web | last = Hall | first = Matthew | title = Harry now a Central figure | date = [[October 10]], [[2004]] | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/09/1097261863278.html | work = [[The Sun Herald]] | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> and leaving Sydney FC as the only candidate remaining. Sydney was officially launched as a member of the new 8-team [[A-League]] on [[November 1]], [[2004]], with a 25% stake in the club held by Soccer NSW, the remainder privately owned.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[November 1]], [[2004]] | title = Birth of Sydney FC is a magical moment | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=624&pageid=11 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> [[Walter Bugno]] was announced as the inaugural chairman of the club. By February 2005, Sydney had filled 16 of their allowed 20 squad positions &ndash; attracting [[Australia national football (soccer) team|Socceroos]] [[Clint Bolton]], [[Steve Corica]] and [[David Zdrilic]] as well as youth internationals [[Justin Pasfield]], [[Mark Milligan]], Wade Oostendorp, [[Iain Fyfe]] and [[Jacob Timpano]].<ref>{{cite web | date = [[February 23]], [[2005]] | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1349&pageid=489 | title = Sydney FC squad list | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> [[Germany|German]] [[Pierre Littbarski]] was signed as Head Coach, to be assisted by former [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] player [[Ian Crook]]. Sydney FC played its first ever match against [[Manly United FC]] on [[March 25]], [[2005]], winning 6-1.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 6]], [[2005]] | title = Sydney FC starts with emphatic 6-1 win over Manly | url = http://sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1364&pageid=489 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> Shortly after, Sydney set off on a tour to the [[United Arab Emirates]] to play matches against local teams FC Hatta, [[Al Ain FC]] and [[Al-Jazeera Club|Al Jazira]], winning all three.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 12]], [[2005]] | title = Petrovski and Carney score twice in Sydney's 7-1 win | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1368&pageid=489 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 20]], [[2005]] | title = Talay's lone goal gives Sydney 1-0 win in Dubai | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1374&pageid=489 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 20]], [[2005]] | title = Zdrilic goal gives Sydney 1-0 win over Al Jazira | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1373&pageid=489 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> Whilst in [[Dubai]], Sydney FC announced that they had agreed to terms with former [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] player [[Dwight Yorke]] to join Sydney as their "marquee player" &ndash; one paid outside of the $1.5 million [[salary cap]] &ndash; for two seasons.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[April 18]], [[2005]] | title = Yorke completes trifecta for Sydney FC | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/Football/Yorke-completes-trifecta-for-Sydney-FC/2005/04/17/1113676643103.html | work = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> ===Pre-League=== Sydney FC's first competitive match was held against [[Queensland Roar FC|Queensland Roar]] at [[Central Coast Stadium]] in [[Gosford, New South Wales|Gosford]] as part of an Australian qualifying tournament to enter the [[Oceania Club Championship 2004-05|2005 Oceania Club Championship]]. After winning the match 3-0, Sydney went on to defeat [[Perth Glory FC|Perth Glory]] and the [[Central Coast Mariners FC|Central Coast Mariners]] to win their first piece of silverware and qualify for the Oceania Club Championship, to be held in [[Tahiti]]. Despite an early scare against [[New Zealand]] club [[Auckland City FC]],<ref>{{cite web | date = [[June 2]], [[2005]] | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=1410 | title = Steve Corica wonder goal gives Sydney a 3-2 win | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> Sydney won all of their matches in the competition and qualified for the [[2005 FIFA Club World Championship]] in [[Japan]]. The start of the 2005 Pre-Season Cup marked Sydney FC's first match at [[Sydney Football Stadium]], as well as [[Dwight Yorke]]'s first appearance for the club &ndash; Yorke scoring the first goal of Sydney's 3-1 win which stretched their unbeaten run to 9 competitive matches (15 including [[friendly match|friendlies]]). Upon reaching the semi-finals, Sydney's unbeaten run finally ended at 11 with Perth Glory [[midfielder]] [[Nick Ward (footballer)|Nick Ward]] scoring in injury time to inflict the new club's first ever loss.<ref>{{cite web | date = [[August 14]], [[2005]] | title = Ward comes off bench to seal Perth win | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=339 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> ===Club World Championship 2005=== In December 2005, Sydney FC competed in the [[2005 FIFA Club World Championship]] as the [[Oceania Football Confederation]]'s entry to the tournament following their [[Oceania Club Championship 2004-05|2004-05 Oceania Club Championships]] success in June. On [[December 12]], in front of a crowd of over 28,000 at [[Japan]]'s [[Toyota Stadium]], Sydney FC narrowly lost to [[Costa Rica]]n champions [[Deportivo Saprissa]] 1-0, denying the club a semi–final match against European champion [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. Four days later, Sydney FC defeated the African "Club of the Century" [[Al-Ahly]] 2–1 to finish the competition in fifth place. This was to be any Australian football club's last year to qualify for the Club World Championship through the Oceania Club Championship. The FFA (Football Federation of Australia) announced soon after Sydneys grand final win that Australia will depart from the Oceania Football Confederation to join the higher ranking Asian Football confederation. The A-league now participates AFC's inter-city club tournaments such as the Asian Champions League held annually during the off-season of the A-league, and also the international cup tournaments such as the Asian Cup held every 4 years. Sydney FC went on to represent Australia in the Asian Champions league in 2007. ===League 2005-06=== {{main|Sydney FC season 2005-06}} [[Image:Sydney-Champions-2006.jpg|280px|right|thumb|[[Sasho Petrovski]] holds the trophy aloft as [[Sydney FC]] celebrate being the inaugural [[A-League]] champions in 2006.]] Sydney FC entered the inaugural A-League season as heavy favourites for the title,<ref>{{cite web | date = [[August 10]], [[2005]] | title = Sydney FC installed as favourites | url = http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=274&pageid=490 | accessmonthday = [[December 23]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> and hosted their first league match against [[Melbourne Victory]] on [[August 28]], [[2005]]. This event drew a then-record crowd for a regular season match in Australia. The stated figure was 35,208 although this is likely to be an underestimation of the true crowd size. A large number of people who 'walked up' to the game was unmanageable for ticket sellers at the gate, and for only the second time in the history of the [[Sydney Cricket Ground Trust|SCG Trust]] (the operators of [[Sydney Football Stadium]]), the gates were opened twenty minutes after the game had started, permitting around two&ndash;thousand fans to enter for free. The season saw mixed results for Sydney in the new competition, including a 5-0 loss to Melbourne in October followed by a 5-1 win over {{ALeague CCM}} a month later. With a place in the finals-series on the line, Sydney lost just one of their last seven games to secure second place at the conclusion of the twenty&ndash;one game regular season, seven points behind [[Adelaide United]]. Sydney had beaten Adelaide 2-1 in the final round and again faced them in the Major Semi&ndash;Final. Over two legs, they defeated Adelaide 4&ndash;3 on aggregate, ensuring a home Grand Final which produced a sell&ndash;out crowd of 41,689 (above the stated capacity of [[Sydney Football Stadium]]). On [[March 5]], [[2006]] they faced Central Coast Mariners, the nearest club to Sydney by distance, in the [[A-League Grand Final 2006|inaugural A-League Grand Final]]. Sydney won the match 1&ndash;0 after [[Dwight Yorke]] set up [[Steve Corica]] for the deciding goal, to claim the first A-League Championship. During the off-season, coach [[Pierre Littbarski]] left the club following a dispute over his contract which involved a significant pay cut from his reported $700,000 first year salary.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sportsaustralia.com/articles/apr06/artid5431.html|title=Littbarski commits to Sydney|date=[[April 13]], [[2006]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/littbarski-quits-blasting-club-lies/2006/05/03/1146335805632.html|title=Littbarski quits, blasting club 'lies'|date=[[May 4]], [[2006]]}}</ref> He was replaced by former [[England national football team|England]] international and [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] manager [[Terry Butcher]] on [[May 17]], [[2006]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/motherwell/4988790.stm|title=Butcher named as boss of Sydney|date=[[May 17]], [[2006]]}}</ref> Preparing for their second season, Sydney FC recruited [[Ruben Zadkovich]] (previously on a short-term contract with Sydney FC), [[Alex Brosque]] ([[Queensland Roar]]) and [[Jeremy Brockie]] ([[New Zealand Knights]]). ===League 2006-07=== {{main|Sydney FC season 2006-07}} [[Image:terrybutcher1.jpg|180px|right|thumb|Former England Captain [[Terry Butcher]] signs on as Sydney FC's head coach in the 2006/07 season]]The [[A-League 2006-07|second season]] of the [[Hyundai]] [[A-League|A-league]] ("dubbed Version 2.0") was ultimately an unsuccessful and disappointing season for the defending champions. The club's [[Management|administration]] had spent [[debt|far more than it had earnt]] over the course of the past two years, and subsequent budget cutbacks included the sale of marquee forward Dwight Yorke, a significantly reduced [[advertising]] campaign, and the loss of German coach Pierre Littbarski. The team's displays on the field were widely reported by Australian sports [[mass media|media]] to have ranged from showing glimpses of strong form to marked disappointment<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=6925&pageid=11|title=Sydney FC Butchers Opportunity|date=3 February 2007}}</ref>, and no real challenge for the premiership was mounted. The off-field administration of the club came under equally heavy criticism. There were disruptions and disagreements within the club's controlling board, and disruptions in the dressing room involving several senior players and coach Terry Butcher. Amongst many other unfortunate events, the club was fined AU$129,000 and three competition points for an alleged [[salary cap]] breach involving [[David Zdrillic]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200701/s1821528.htm|title=FC Won't Appeal Salary Cap Sentence|date=4 January 2007}}</ref>. The Sydney FC squad also suffered through remarkably bad [[luck|fortune]] with regards to [[injury|injuries]]; at one point, only thirteen players were fit & available on the team sheet, including regular second-choice keeper Justin Pasfield <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/gloves-are-off-for-plucky-pasfield/2006/11/02/1162339987868.html|title=Gloves are off for plucky Pasfield |date=[[November 3]], [[2006]]|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref>. All of this amounted to disappointing attendances, ugly displays of football from what were previously regarded as a good team to watch and relatively poor performances. Eventually, Sydney progressed to the finals series only by way of a hard fought [[tie (draw)|draw]] against the [[Queensland Roar]] in the final match of the regular season<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=6768|title=Sydney through to play-offs|date=21 January 2007}}</ref>. The [[Newcastle Jets]] were drawn as the team's initial [[play-off]] opponents in the final series. Sydney Won the first leg 2-1 at home but lost the second leg 0-2 away and they were ultimately defeated by the Jets 3-2 over the course the two (home and away) legs. ===Asian Champions League 2007=== [[Image:Sydney-CoricaGoal-ACL.jpg|150px|left|thumb|[[Sydney FC]] became the first Australian team to score in the [[AFC Champions League 2007|Asian Champions league]] in a win over [[Shanghai Shenhua]].]] On [[November 22]] [[2006]], Sydney FC and [[Adelaide United]], as 2005-06 Champions and Premiers, were nominated as the first clubs to represent the Australia in the [[AFC Champions League 2007]]. Expectations were low for Sydney after a troubled season - many key players left the club at seasons end and coach Terry Butcher was replaced by former [[National Soccer League|NSL]] coach [[Branko Culina]]. Culina named a revamped 21-man squad and in their opening game on [[March 7]] [[2007]] had 2-1 away win over [[Shanghai Shenhua]] with Ufuk Talay scoring a thunderous goal outside of the 18 yard box. That result was followed up with a 2-2 draw at home against Japanese club [[Urawa Reds]] after being up 2-0 in front of 21,010 - a bigger home crowd than had attended any of the last season's regular matches<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=7300&pageid=11|title=Sydney FC lets lead slip|date=22 March 2007}}</ref>. In a game delayed by a day after near monsoonal rain, they struggled against [[Indonesia]]n side [[Persik Kediri]], losing 2-1 and showing their lack of match fitness against a better than expected Persik side. In the return match a fortnight later, Sydney FC revenged the loss at [[Parramatta Stadium]] in [[Western Sydney]], defeating Persik 3-0 with goals from [[Steve Corica]] and [[Alex Brosque]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=17507&pageid=2055 |title=Sydney maintains ACL charge| publisher=A-League |author=Hughes, M |date=2007-04-25 |accessdate=2008-04-18}}</ref> Sydney's final matches in the group finished in stalemates, first at home to Shanghai and then in Japan at Urawa Reds. Sydney was one point behind Urawa in their group ladder going into the final match, faced with needing to win in order to progress. Unable to capitalise on good ball possession, the match ended 0-0 and thus ended Sydney's Asian Champions League campaign. ===League 2007-08=== {{main|Sydney FC season 2007-08}} [[Image:Sydney-Queensland-2008.jpg|350px|right|thumb| Sydney FC fans before kickoff during the 2007/8 A-League finals series.]]For the [[A-League 2007-08|third]] Hyundai A-league season, Sydney FC's playing squad retained a majority of players from the previous AFC Champion's League campaign, but was nonetheless altered through activity in the transfer market. On August 5, [[David Carney]] was transferred for [[Australian dollar|AU$]]125,000 to [[English Championship]] side [[Sheffield United]]. The former Sydney player signed a three year deal with the club which has been reported to be earning him around AU$1.25 million a year. <ref>[http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/58038,carney-makes-blades-parade.aspx Carney Makes Blades Parade, 5 August 2007]</ref> New players included former Socceroos regular [[Tony Popovic]] and former LA Galaxy attacking midfielder, [[Michael Enfield]]. On [[August 3]] [[2007]] [[Brazil national football team|Brazilian]] international [[Juninho Paulista]], formerly of [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] and [[Middlesbrough]], signed with Sydney FC as the team's marquee player.<ref>[http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=sydfc_news_item&id=18698 Juninho signs as marquee player, 3 August 2007]</ref> They also secured youth players [[Ben Vidaic]] and [[Adam Biddle]]. Tony Popovic and [[Mark Milligan]] were named as captain and vice-captain, respectively. <ref>[http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/58297,millsy-gets-vice-captain-callup.aspx Millsy Gets Vice Captain, 7 August 2007]</ref> On October 15, 2007 [[Michael Bridges]] was signed on a season-long loan deal from [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]] as a replacement for Michael Enfield, who had sustained a serious knee injury. After an early season run of disappointing results, on [[October 22]], [[2007]], it was announced that manager [[Branko Culina]] would be sacked from the club. On [[October 23]], former [[Adelaide United]] coach [[John Kosmina]] was presented as the new head coach of the team. <ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=sydfc_news_item&id=19834 |title=Club and Culina part by mutual consent |publisher=sydneyfc.com |date=2007-10-22 |accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref> Kosmina got the side off to a flying start under his tenure, winning a clash with table-topping rivals Central Coast in a thrilling 3-2 victory before a crowd of nearly 18,000 at the SFS - a sign of bigger things to come for the Blues. This was followed by an impressive 1-0 away victory over the Newcastle Jets, as with former England junior [[Michael Bridges]] recorded his first goal in the A-League. An entertaining 0-0 draw at the [[Telstra Dome]] with rivals Melbourne Victory followed, as Sydney FC - still undefeated under Kosmina - began climbing the competition's ladder. [[Image:Sydney-Juninho-2008.jpg|200px|left|thumb|[[Juninho Paulista|Juninho]] in the 2007/08 Sydney FC jersey]]During all of this, the [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] played a one-off exhibition match against Sydney FC at Sydney's [[Stadium Australia]] on 27 November 2007. Sydney FC won the match, which was broadcast nationally on free-to-air TV by [[Network Ten]], 5-3. [[David Beckham]] scored the first goal for the LA Galaxy from a free kick right on half time, as a crowd of over 80,000 looked on. <ref>{{citenews|url=http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/beckham_bends_it_sydney_fc_conquers_136458|title=Beckam Bends It Sydney FC Conquers|publisher=SBS.com.au|date=2007-11-28}}</ref> On December 22, a crucial match against the [[Central Coast Mariners]] resulted in a 5-4 victory in favour of Sydney. The match, held at [[Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium]], was described by critics as the best game ever to come from the A-League.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22966795-2722,00.html|title=It was the best A-League game ever|publisher=[[The Australian]]|date=2007-12-24|accessdate=2007-12-24}}</ref> The win was especially savoured after Sydney were down 2-0 after 15 minutes. The controversial sending-off of Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in the 16th minute turned the match in favour of Sydney. Frank Ribery scored in the 21st minute, and he also went on to score 2 more.It was Ufuk Talay who scored their 5th goal via a penalty in stoppage time. On Friday the 28th of December 2007, Sydney FC came from behind for the second time in two weeks to defeat Adelaide United 3-1 and keep its unbeaten away record intact in front of a record Adelaide crowd of 25,039. [[Image:JohnAloisi.jpg|thumb|right|Aloisi signs for [[Sydney FC]]]]A win over [[Wellington Phoenix]] and draws with Queensland Roar in Brisbane and Melbourne Victory in Sydney in front of the highest crowd of the season (for all A-League teams) gave Sydney a final league position of 3rd.<ref>{{citenews|url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/01/20/Sydney_FC_lead_10_over_Melbourne|title=Sydney FC draw 2-2 with Melbourne Victory|publisher=[[LiveNews.com.au]]|date=2008-01-20|accessdate=2008-01-20}}</ref> On Friday the 26th of January, Sydney played out a nil-all draw for the first leg of the semi-final against the [[Queensland Roar]] in front of 23,450 fans at the [[Sydney Football Stadium]]. The teams then met again two weeks later in Brisbane to face off for the second leg. [[Marquee]] player [[Juninho Paulista|Juninho]], who had been in and out of the team all season with various leg and back problems, had been ruled out with a knee injury that he picked up in training, and [[Ruben Zadkovich]] was announced as his replacement. The Roar scored in the 14th minute through their Brazilian import [[Reinaldo]], and Sydney FC was subsequently defeated and knocked out of the running for the 2007/2008 [[A-league]] championship and AFC Champions League qualification. Instead, the team was placed into the 2008 [[Pan-Pacific Championship]]. === 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship === On the 20th February, Sydney were pitted against [[Houston Dynamo]], who had won the previous season's [[Major League Soccer|MLS]] Championship. The match was played on artificial turf (fake grass) at [[Aloha Stadium]]. Sydney FC were never really settled in the unfamiliar conditions, and suffered a 3-0 loss. Sydney newcomer [[Ryan Walsh (Footballer)|Ryan Walsh]] was dispossed of the ball 8 meters from the 18-yard box by [[Brian Ching]], and the Canadian International [[Dwayne De Rosario]] put the ball past keeper [[Clint Bolton]]. Then, straight after the restart by Sydney, [[Stuart Holden]] received a 'through-ball' pass from [[Dwayne De Rosario]], and shot past a stunned Sydney defence from the edge of the 6-yard box. When [[Chris Wondolowski]] scored before half-time to make the score 3-0, Sydney FC had really lost hope of coming back. Sydney went into the 3/4th playoff against [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] fairly confident, as they had already beaten an understrength Galaxy team during the in November 2007 friendly match. However, Sydney fell behind only 3 minutes into the match when multi-million dollar English signing [[David Beckham]] sent in a pin-point cross from the right wing to find striker [[Ely Allen]], who volleyed the ball past Sydney keeper [[Ivan Necevski]]. Defender [[Brendan Renaud]] then scored with a powerful shot from 30 meters out in the top right corner, but the Los Angeles team regained the lead soon after, as David Beckham again sent in a cross that [[Ivan Necevski|Necevski]] couldn't handle and palmed to the feet of Los Angeles midfielder [[Josh Tudela]], who tapped the ball into the net. LA went on to win the match 2-1, and Sydney finished 4th in the inaugural tournament. Japanese Side [[Gamba Osaka]] finished 1st, after a 6-1 thrashing of MLS Champions [[Houston Dynamo]]. === League 2008-09 === ''Main Article'': [[Sydney FC season 2008-09]] Sydney FC have started recruiting heavily going into the fourth season of the [[A-League]] with three major signings to the club, with [[Socceroos]] Stars [[John Aloisi]] from the Central Coast Mariners, [[Simon Colosimo]] from Perth Glory, along with the only goal scorer in the 2008 Grand Final and Olyroos Star [[Mark Bridge]].<ref name="sign hat trick">{{citenews| url=http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=sydfc_news_item&id=21644 |title=Sydney FC scores hat trick with Aloisi Bridge and Colosimo |publisher=sydneyfc.com |date=2008-03-03 |accessdate=2008-03-04}}</ref> Sydney then went on to recruit Midfielder [[Stuart Musialik]] from [[Newcastle Jets]] signing a 3 year contract on March 11th.<ref name="Bling FC attracts Musialik">{{citenews| url=http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/bling-fc-attract-musialik-108025/ |title=Bling FC attracts Musialik |publisher=theworldgame.com.au |date=2008-03-10 |accessdate=2008-03-10}}</ref> [[Mitchell Prentice]] from [[Perth Glory]] was snatched up by Sydney FC on May 3rd on a two year deal. While Sydney continues its heavy recruitment, several Sydney FC players whose contracts have ended in the 2007-2008 season have not managed to receive a contract, making room for future fresh signings. Players that have not re-signed for next season from the 2007/08 squad: [[Mark Rudan]] (Avispa Fukuoka), [[Ufuk Talay]] (Avispa Fukuoka), [[Ruben Zadkovich]] ([[Derby County]]), [[David Zdrilic]] (released), [[Patrick da Silva]] (released), [[Ben Vidaic]] (released), [[Mark Milligan]] (uncontracted), [[Juninho Paulista|Juninho]] (released), [[Brendan Renaud]] (released), [[Mark Robertson]] (released). ==Colours and badge== [[Image:Sydney FC.png|thumb|left|95px|Sydney FC's badge since founding in 2004]] The primary club colour of Sydney FC is [[sky blue]], which represents the [[Australian state colours|state colour]] of [[New South Wales]]. The secondary club colour is [[navy blue]], with additional contrasting colours of [[Orange (colour)|orange]] and [[white]]. The Sydney FC badge was created and used since the clubs founding in 2004. It features a [[Football (ball)#Association football .28soccer.29|football]] set centrally in a stylised crest shape. Above the ball is the shape of three shells of the [[Sydney Opera House]], an internationally recognizable symbol of the city of Sydney. Below the ball is the [[Commonwealth Star]], a seven-pointed star symbolizing the Federation of Australia. == Stadium == {{main|Sydney Football Stadium}} [[Image:Moore Park SFS 1.JPG|thumb|right|300px|[[Sydney Football Stadium]] with the [[City of Sydney]] in the distance]]Sydney FC play their home matches at [[Sydney Football Stadium]] (commonly known as ''SFS'', and formerly known as ''Aussie Stadium''<ref>{{citenews| url=http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=14290 |title=Sydney Football Stadium returns as Aussie deal expires| publisher=League Unlimited |author=SCG Trust| date=[[2007-07-09]]|accessdate=2007-11-28}}</ref>), located in the Sydney suburb of [[Moore Park, New South Wales|Moore Park]]. It was built in [[1988]] to be the premium "rectangular field" for [[rugby league]] matches. It is also now used for [[football (soccer)|association football]] and [[rugby union]] for major matches and domestic competition. The stadium has easy access from the city centre, with shuttle buses running from nearby [[Central railway station, Sydney|Central Station]] on match days. It has been the venue for several [[Australia national football (soccer) team|Australian international]] matches (notably [[1994 FIFA World Cup qualification|World Cup Qualifier]] against [[Argentina National Football Team|Argentina]] in 1993). The stadium's capacity was stated at 41,159 prior to renovations in 2007, although the attendance of the 2006 A-League grand final exceeded this number by over 500. The currently stated capacity is 45,500. Sydney FC have played matches at other Sydney venues. [[Parramatta Stadium]] in western Sydney was the venue for an [[AFC Champions League]] match against [[Indonesia]]n football side [[Persik Kediri]] in April 2007 when the SFS was unavailable due to a [[NRL]] match being played there. A friendly match against [[LA Galaxy]] was played at [[Stadium Australia|ANZ Stadium]] in November 2007 due to its greater capacity, which drew a crowd of 80,295. Some argue that if the home stadium of Sydney FC was moved to the [[Stadium Australia|ANZ Stadium]] in [[Homebush Bay]], then it would attract much larger crowds, making it an easier travel distance from the stadium to the south and south-west districts of Sydney. ===Training Ground=== Sydney FC's primary training ground is at [[Macquarie University ]] in [[North Ryde]] where they use the grounds, they also have advantage of the aquatic centre which they use for post match recovery sessions, leasing the facilities until at least late 2009. Occasionally Sydney will train at the [[Sydney Football Stadium|SFS]] and have been seen after home games having recovery sessions at local beaches such as [[Coogee Beach|Coogee]], [[Bondi Beach]] and [[Maroubra Beach|Maroubra]]. Sydney also occasionally host friendlies during the pre-season as training matches. These teams are usually selected from the football divisions of [[New South Wales]]. Teams that were selected from the previous 3 seasons included [[Sydney United]] and [[Sydney Olympic]] from the [[New South Wales Premier League|NSW State Premier League]] (level 1 State Football division of NSW), and Sydney University Football Club from the [[New South Wales Winter Super League|NSW Winter Super League]] (level 2 State Football Division in NSW). [[Blacktown City Demons]], [[Sutherland Sharks]], and [[Manly United]] are the teams selected for the 2008/09 season trail matches. ==Supporters== [[Image:Sydneyfc cove.jpg|thumb|right|340px|Sydney supporters at the northern end at the Sydney Football Stadium]] [[Image:Sydneyfc cove2.jpg|thumb|left|130px|The "Cove" emblem]] Sydney FC primarily draw support from across the city of [[Sydney]] as the only A-League team from Australia's largest city. The club has had strong average attendances in comparison to other A-League clubs. However, when considering Sydney population, statistics show the low attendance percentage from Greater-Western Sydney area. Some argue that support will be boosted if home games were to me moved to [[ANZ Stadium]], as it would attract more crowds from the west, with easier travel distance from both Eastern and Western suburbs. Plans to create a second Sydney team in future seasons may also create rivalry divisions and a rise in rival game attendance, as already evident in Sydney Melbourne fixtures. The official supporters group of Sydney FC are known as 'The Cove', and are normally located at the northern end of Sydney Football Stadium. The name came from the original name given to the settlement of Sydney &mdash; [[Sydney Cove]]. This settlement was located on the piece of land that is now the [[Circular Quay, New South Wales|Circular Quay]] ferry terminal. Cove members attend every home match and also travel as a group around the country to support the team at away matches. As a vocal group, The Cove also demonstrates its support by singing football and Sydney FC [[football chant|chants]], wearing the clubs colours, waving flags and holding banners, which can be seen and heard from all areas of the pitch. The Cove are known in the league for the dominating vocal superiority over opposing fans, in both home and away fixtures. On [[July 7]], [[2006]], Australian rock singer [[Jimmy Barnes]] recorded a club song entitled 'Sydney FC For Me' with 25 members of The Cove singing back-up vocals.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sydneyfc.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=4182|title=Barnesy and The Cove record Sydney FC club song|date=[[July 7]], [[2006]]}}</ref> It was released prior to the start of the [[A-League 2006-07|2006&ndash;07 season]]. ==Rivalries== [[Melbourne Victory]] -The clash between Australia's two biggest cities is considered the biggest rivalry in the league by both sets of fans. Sydney and Melbourne have been historical rivals for over a century, and their football teams are no exception. The rivalry between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory has become arguably the most bitter in the A League, with almost every match between the two teams characterised by spiteful confrontations, controversy and consistently record-breaking crowds when the 2 teams go head-to-head.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23051354-5000940,00.html|title=Rivalry will draw record crowd |publisher=[[Fox Sports]]|date=2008-01-14|accessdate=2008-01-21}}</ref> However other minor rivalries also include: [[Adelaide United]] - The two strongest teams in the first season have continued their bitterness with each other. While Adelaide took out the Premiership in the regular season, Sydney went on to take out the Championship title in the league finals. Since then, there has only been one game between the two sides decided by more than one goal. [[Central Coast Mariners]] and [[Newcastle Jets]] - 2 local derbies of [[New South Wales]], with easy travel between Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast. CCM finished as runner-up from the first season as Sydney took out the Champsionship title. The minor rivalry was expressed in a fantastic 5-4 game in season three, with Sydney victorious due to a penalty kick in stoppage time. Newcastle defeated Sydney FC in the 2006/07 season 3-2 on aggregate to progress to the minor semi finals. However, Newcastle has not defeated Sydney in a regular season match since September 2005. Sydney won all 3 encounters in the 2007/08 season. This is a minor rivalry as Central Coast and Newcastle fans seem to worry more about each other, and Sydney supporters seem be focused more on Melbourne. ==Current Senior Squad== ''Players in bold have senior international caps.'' Correct as of [[15 July]] [[2008]] {| width="835px" |----- style="color:blue; background-color:light blue;" !Name and position !No !Joined in !Former team !Birth date !Citizenship |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="6" align="left" | '''[[Goalkeeper (football)|Goalkeepers]]''' |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Clint Bolton]]''' ||align="center"| 1 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"| [[A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Tigers|APIA Leichardt]]||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1975|8|22}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Ivan Necevski]] ||align="center"| 20 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[Newcastle United Jets|Newcastle Jets]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1980|2|25}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="6" align="left" | '''[[Defender (football)|Defenders]]''' |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Iain Fyfe]] ||align="center"| 2 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"| [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] [[Image:Flag of Scotland.svg|20px]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1982|04|3}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Nikolas Tsattalios]] ||align="center"| 3 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[NSW Institute of Sport|NSWIS]]||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1990|3|1}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Tony Popovic]]''' [[Image:Captain sports.svg|12px|captain]] ||align="center"| 6 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[Al-Arabi Sports Club|Al-Arabi]] [[Image:Flag_of_Qatar.svg|20px]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1973|7|4}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Jacob Timpano]] ||align="center"| 17 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"| [[Wollongong Wolves]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1986|1|3}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australia]] |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="6" align="left" | '''[[Midfielder (football)|Midfielders]]''' |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Simon Colosimo]]''' ||align="center"| 12 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"| [[Perth Glory FC|Perth Glory]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1979|1|8}}||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Mitchell Prentice]] ||align="center"| 5 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"| [[Perth Glory FC|Perth Glory]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1983|03|2}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Robbie Middleby]]''' ||align="center"| 7 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"|[[Newcastle United Jets|Newcastle United]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1975|8|9}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Stuart Musialik]] ||align="center"| 8 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"|[[Newcastle United Jets|Newcastle United]] ||align="center"|{{birth date and age|1985|3|29}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Steve Corica]]''' ||align="center"| 10 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"| [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]]||align="center"|{{birth date and age|1973|3|24}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Terry McFlynn]] ||align="center"| 15 ||align="center"| 2005 ||align="center"| [[Morecambe F.C.|Morecambe]] [[Image:Flag of England.svg|20px]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1981|3|27}}||align="center"| [[Image:Ulster banner.svg|20px|Northern Ireland]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Adam Casey]] ||align="center"| 18 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[New Zealand Knights]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1986|5|1}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Adam Biddle (footballer)|Adam Biddle]] ||align="center"| 21 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[Blacktown City Demons]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1988|07|27}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Michael Enfield]] ||align="center"| 22 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"| [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1983|07|19}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of the United States.svg|20px|American]] |----- bgcolor="#EEEEEE" | colspan="6" align="left" | '''[[Striker (football)|Strikers]]''' |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | [[Brendon Santalab]] ||align="center"| 11 ||align="center"| 2007 ||align="center"|[[K._Sint-Truidense_V.V.|K.Sint Truidense V.V.]] [[Image:Flag of Belgium.svg|20px]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1982|9|9}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Alex Brosque]]''' ||align="center"| 14 ||align="center"| 2006 ||align="center"|[[Queensland Roar]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1983|10|12}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''Chris Payne''' ||align="center"| 16 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"|[[Manly United]] ||align="center"| [[1991]]||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[Mark Bridge]]''' ||align="center"| 19 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"|[[Newcastle United Jets|Newcastle Jets]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1985|11|7}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | '''[[John Aloisi]]''' ||align="center"| 23 ||align="center"| 2008 ||align="center"|[[Central Coast Mariners FC|Central Coast Mariners]] ||align="center"| {{birth date and age|1976|2|5}} ||align="center"| [[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|Australian]] |----- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" |} ==Youth Squad== Sydney FC's Youth Squad will be playing in the new 7 team [[A-League National Youth League]]. Current members of the 21 man squad (including 4 over-aged players) are * {{flagicon|Australia}} '''Vedran Janjetovic''' from [[Sydney United]] - Goal Keeper * {{flagicon|Australia}} '''Brendan Gan''' from [[Sutherland Sharks]] - Striker ==Notable Former Players== ''For further details, see [[List of Sydney FC players]]'' {{col-begin-small}} {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[David Carney]] (2005-07) * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Alvin Ceccoli]] (2005-07) * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Mark Milligan]] (2005-08) * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Sasho Petrovski]] (2005-07) {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Mark Rudan]] (2005-07) * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Ufuk Talay]] (2005-08) * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Ruben Zadkovich]] (2006-08) * {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Juninho Paulista]] (2007-08) {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|England}} [[Michael Bridges]] (2007-08) * {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Benito Carbone]] (2006) * {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuyoshi Miura]] (2005) * {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} [[Dwight Yorke]] (2005-06) {{col-end}} ==International Players== {{col-begin-small}} {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[John Aloisi]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Matthew Bingley]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Clint Bolton]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Mark Bridge]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Alex Brosque]] {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[David Carney]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Alvin Ceccoli]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Simon Colosimo]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Steve Corica]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Robbie Middleby]] {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Mark Milligan]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Sasho Petrovski]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Tony Popovic]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Nikolai Topor-Stanley]] * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Ruben Zadkovich]] {{col-4}} * {{flagicon|Australia}} [[David Zdrilic]] * {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Juninho Paulista]] * {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuyoshi Miura]] * {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Jeremy Brockie]] * {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} [[Dwight Yorke]] {{col-end}} ==Managers== *'''2005–2006''' {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Pierre Littbarski]] *'''2006–2007''' {{flagicon|England}} [[Terry Butcher]] *'''2007''' {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Branko Culina]] *'''2007–Present''' {{flagicon|Australia}} [[John Kosmina]] ==Other Staff== '''Strength/Conditioning Coach''': [[Nik Hagicostas]] <br />'''Club Docter:''' Dr. [[Andrew McDonald]]<br /> '''Goalkeeping Coach''' [[Jim Fraser]]<br /> '''Physio:''' [[Stan Ivancic]] ==Year by year history== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;width:100%; text-align:center" |+Sydney FC League and Tournament Qualification History''' !Season !! P !! W !! D !! L !! F !! A !! Teams !! League<br />Position !! Finals<br />Qualification!! Finals Series<br />Position !![[Asian Champions League|ACL]] Qualification !![[Asian Champions League|ACL]] Placing !![[Pan-Pacific Championship|Pan-Pacific<br />Championship]] !![[FIFA Club World Cup]] |---- |'''[[Sydney_FC_season_2008-09|2008-09]]''' || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 8 || - || TBA || - || TBA || - || - || - |---- |'''[[Sydney_FC_season_2007-08|2007-08]]''' || 21 (23) || 8 (8) || 8 (9) || 5 (6) || 28 (28) || 24 (26) || 8 || 3rd || Qualified || Minor Semi Finals || DNQ || - || [[Pan-Pacific Championship|4th]] || - |---- |'''[[Sydney FC Season 2006-07|2006-07]]'''|| 21 (23) || 8 (9) || 8 (8) || 5 (6) || 29 (31) || 19 (22) || 8 || 4th || Qualified || Minor Semi-Finals || DNQ || Group Stage (2nd) || DNP || - |---- |'''[[Sydney FC Season 2005-06|2005-06]]''' || 21 (24) || 10 (12) || 6 (7) || 5 (5) || 35 (40) || 28 (31) || 8 || 2nd || Qualified || bgcolor="#98FB98"| '''Champions''' || Qualified for 2007 || DNP || DNP || [[2005 FIFA Club World Championship|5th*]] |} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;width:50%; text-align:center" |+Sydney FC Pre-Season Cup History''' !Season !! P !! W !! D !! L !! F !! A !! Position |---- |2008-09 || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || 0 () || TBD |---- |2007-08 || 3 (3) || 0 (0) || 1 (1) || 2 (2) || 0 (0) || 6 (6) || Group Stage |---- |2006-07 || 4 (6) || 3 (4) || 1 (1) || 0 (1) || 7 (10) || 2 (4) || Semi-Final |---- |2005 || 4 (4) || 2 (2) || 0 (0) || 1 (2) || 5 (5) || 1 (2) || Semi-Final |} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%;width:50%; text-align:center" |+Sydney FC Asian Champions League History''' !Season !! P !! W !! D !! L !! F !! A !! Position |---- |'''[[AFC Champions League 2007|2007]]'''|| 6 || 2 || 3 || 1 || 8 || 5 || Grouping Stage (2nd in Group) |} <small> :P = Played :W = Wins :D = Draws :L = Loss :F = Goals For :A = Goals Against :DNQ = Did Not Qualify :DNP = Did Not Participate :TBA = To Be Announced :( ) = statistic including A-league Finals :* = Participated as [[Oceania Football Confederation|OFC]] member. </small> == Honours == *'''[[List of A-League champions|A-League Championship]]:''' **'''Champions (1):''' [[A-League 2005-06|2005&ndash;06]] **'''Finalists (3):''' [[A-League 2005-06|2005&ndash;06]], [[A-League 2006-07|2006&ndash;07]], [[A-League 2007-08|2007&ndash;08]] *{{sport honours|[[Oceania Club Championship]]|1| [[Oceania Club Championship 2004-05|2005]]}} - Champions *'''[[Asian Champions League]] Appearances: 1''' [[AFC Champions League 2007|2007]] - Group Stage *'''[[Club World Championship]] Appearances: 1''' [[2005 FIFA Club World Championship|2005]] - 5th *'''[[Pan-Pacific Championship]] Appearances: 1''' [[Pan-Pacific Championship 2008|2008]] - 4th == Records == ===Club=== * '''Record victory:''' 9&ndash;2 (vs Sobou FC &ndash; [[Oceania Club Championship 2004-05|Oceania Club Championship]], [[June 2]], [[2005]]) * '''Record defeat:''' 0&ndash;5 (vs [[Melbourne Victory]] &ndash; [[A-League 2005-06|A-League]], [[October 16]], [[2005]]) * '''Undefeated streak:''' 11 matches ([[May 7]], [[2005]] &ndash; [[August 6]], [[2005]])<ref>{{cite web | date = [[August 6]], [[2005]] | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=876 | title = Roar dominates but unable to break Sydney unbeaten run | accessmonthday = [[December 22]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}} &ndash; ''N.B.: The 17 matches quoted includes friendly matches, which are not included in this record''</ref> * '''A-League Regular Season Attendance:''' 33,458 (vs [[Melbourne Victory]] &ndash; [[January 20]], [[2008]]) * '''A-League Finals Series Attendance:''' 41,689 (vs [[Central Coast Mariners FC|Central Coast Mariners]] &ndash; [[March 5]], [[2006]])<ref>{{cite web | date = [[March 5]], [[2006]] | url = http://www.a-league.com.au/scoreboard/0000260243/scoreboard.html | title = Sydney FC vs Central Coast Mariners FC | accessmonthday = [[December 22]] | accessyear = [[2006]]}}</ref> * '''Record Average Regular Season Attendance:''' 16,710 ([[A-League 2005-06]]) * '''Record Season Total Attendance:''' 183,803 ([[A-League 2005-06]]) * '''Record Attendance:''' 80,295 (vs [[LA Galaxy|LA Galaxy]] &ndash; [[November 27]], [[2007]]) ===Player=== * '''Most appearances:''' ** '''All competitions:''' [[Iain Fyfe]] 100 ** '''A-League:''' [[Iain Fyfe]] &ndash; 69 * '''Most goals:''' ** '''All competitions:''' [[Sasho Petrovski]] &ndash; 26 ** '''A-League:''' [[Sasho Petrovski]] &ndash; 14 * '''Record transfer fee received:''' [[Australian dollar|AU$]]500,000 for [[Dwight Yorke]] from [[Sunderland A.F.C]].<ref>Transfer fee of £200,000; {{citenews| title=Yorke completes Sunderland move |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/5300876.stm |work=BBC Sport |date=2006-08-31 |accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> ==Sponsorship== '''Major Sponsors:''' <br>[[Bing Lee]]<br>[[JVC]]<br>[[HBA Health Insurance]] '''Minor Sponsors:'''<br>[[Star City Casino]]<br>[[Foxtel|Foxtel Television]]<br>[[Qantas]]<br>[[Daily Telegraph (Australia)|Daily Telegraph]]<br>[[Sydney Morning Herald|Sydney Morning Herald/Sun Herald]]<br>[[Powerade]]<br>[[Macquarie University]]<br>[[Hyundai Motor Company]] (In Association with A-League) == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == * [http://www.sydneyfc.com Official Sydney FC website] * [http://www.sfcu.com.au Sydney FC Unofficial] Supporter's Website * [http://www.oztifo.com/gallery/v/sydneyfc Sydney FC Fans Gallery] {{fb start}} {{AUS fb general}} {{AUS fb A-League}} {{AUS fb A-League SFC}} {{fb end}} {{Sydney Sports Teams}} [[Category:Sydney FC| ]] [[Category:A-League teams]] [[Category:Australian football (soccer) clubs]] [[Category:Football (soccer) clubs established in 2004]] [[Category:Sport in Sydney]] [[Category:Football (soccer) in New South Wales]] [[de:Sydney FC]] [[es:Sydney Football Club]] [[fr:Sydney FC]] [[ko:시드니 FC]] [[id:Sydney FC]] [[it:Sydney FC]] [[lt:Sydney FC]] [[nl:Sydney FC]] [[ja:シドニーFC]] [[pl:Sydney FC]] [[pt:Sydney FC]] [[ru:Сидней (футбольный клуб)]] [[zh:悉尼足球俱乐部]]