EASILY the most scrutinised decision in Vitezslav Lavicka's short reign as coach has been his choice of goal-keeper. Clint and Ivan are probably the closest two keepers at any single club in the A-League.
Both are competitive and determined figures, as keepers tend to be, and the strengths and weaknesses of each have been debated everywhere. But at A-League level, it's like choosing between a Porsche and a Ferrari - there are arguments to be had, but either way you win.
Lavicka kept the decision close to his chest, right until the last. The Daily Terror kept up its proud record by prematurely announcing that Crazy Ivan had won the battle, and the SMH's chief football writer sounded like he had just received his tax bill, when he was given the task of announcing to the viewing public that Clint had won the starting position, shortly before the Fury game.
On Saturday afternoon, Clint repaid Lavicka's faith, doing what he does better than any other keeper in the league - stopping shots. At the death of a game that was begging to be put down, Bolton's penalty save was something to cheer about - a well taken penalty and just a world class stop. He followed up a minute later, denying Macallister, in a 1 on 1 at point blank range. Great stuff.
So well done to Clint Bolton, for a performance worthy of the Sydney No 1 jersey.
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Whatever Lawrie McKinna did to his rag-tag bunch of hustlers between the ACL and the A-League, he has turned them into probably the most difficult team in the league to play against. Their tactics seem to involve maintaining physical contact with any player in their half and a focus on defensive football. For teams that are geared to play on the counter-attack like Sydney (and indeed Melbourne in Round 1) are, there's just no prospect of playing your normal game.
Nevertheless, the (self-proclaimed / Andy Harper proclaimed) assertion that the Mariners are an attacking team was demolished by Sydney who dominated both the possession and territory away from home.
For all the Sydney possession, nothing really came. It seems that Sydney are probably a creative midfielder short of being the complete side this year - especially when Corica comes off. Lavicka seems very set on discipline and playing to a plan (e.g. nine Keller passes to the chest of Brosque in the left channel), but there seemed to be a lack of the flexibility that was probably needed to break open this game.
It would have been nice to see us try something like swapping Danning to the left wing where he was so effective late last year, or dropping Brosque into the hole. Hopefully that sort of thing will come once Lavicka is satisfied that the players know the roles in his system perfectly and we will be a bit more dynamic in this type of game.
There's not much else to say about that game - at least nothing good. I reckon there will be plenty of teams happy to take a point away from Brisbane Water. Thanks to Clint Bolton, Sydney FC are one of them.
