Ohayo Gozaimasu, Sawasdee Krap, Annyeong Haseyo, Hei, Chow and Nihao readers.
We're back!
It was about a year ago that I took up this gig and wrote this to reflect the despair and ridiculousness of our last season and the glimmer of hope that the new Sydney FC regime represented.
To be honest, my wildest dreams last February didn't have the club lifting the Premiers' Plate a year later. But they've done it, in brilliant Sydney style. It's nothing short of a privilege to be able to celebrate our club's amazing success one year on.
What a fantastic game to be a Sydney fan - short on nail-biting and long on celebrating. A strike that's been a year coming from Karol Kisel calmed the nerves early enough, before Johnny Aloisi's 50th minute goal set off a party in the stands that didn't finish until the TV crew had packed up their gear and the groundsmen turned the lights out.
Karol and Johnny played blinders. Karol made a claim to be the natural replacement for Steve Corica with a fantastic game in the centre of midfield. The goal was something special, but so were the workrate, passing and movement off the ball. John Aloisi was simply our marquee player who made the difference. Again. The rest of us only get to score goals that good on video games.
But more than the two magical strikes, this was a win in Sydney style - hard working, well organised and efficiently executed. You knew Stuart would close down Hernandez all game, that Stephan would beat Mrdja to everything in the air and Colosimo would get everything else, that Shannon and Byun would range up and down their lines tirelessly all night long and that Clint would be perfectly positioned for Hernandez's free kicks. Whatever statistics the pundits might pull out to paint Sydney as fortunate, there is no doubt that the boys made their own luck and earned their victory.
And the reward for that sweat and concentration came when Frank Lowy handed Steve Corica the only bling that matters these days. I'm sure Frank didn't mind getting caught up in the players' euphoria one little bit. As much as it means to us fans, you could see from their reactions that the Premiership clearly means a lot to everyone involved in running, coaching and playing for the club. There is nothing minor about it.
Thursday's match is going to be a killer. Melbourne will be out for all sorts of revenge, but Sydney have the opportunity to inflict some real psychological damage if they can repeat Sunday's dose. This finals series against Melbourne has the makings of a buy-the-DVD classic... which will make two Johnny Aloisi DVDs on my shelf.
Maybe he'll sign them for me.
