Sydney FC Sign Del Piero in Coup For A-League

Juventus Legend Alessandro Del Piero has signed with Sydney FC

Today marks one of the biggest signings in the Hyundai A-League.  The Australian top flight has pulled a major coup by signing former Juventus main-stay Alessandro Del Piero to 2 year deal.  He will wear number 10 for the side, which begins it's domestic league campaign next month.

The move has been rumored for much of the summer, but competition for his signature emerged from England as both Southampton and Liverpool had been said to have presented offers to the 37 year old.  However, in the end, the lure of of Australia sealed the deal for Del Piero.

 "This is a very big moment for me because I want to continue my career in a new part of the world where I can make a major contribution and help grow the game I love."

A-League fans should enjoy watching the stylings of Del Piero, who has 91 caps for the Italian National Team.  His resume is long, including winning both the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup.  He scored 289 goals in 704 appearances at Juventus, where he won the Italian Serie A six times.

For someone such as myself, that follows and loves both Major League Soccer and the Hyundai A-League, it's very easy to draw a comparison between this move and the move of David Beckham to the LA Galaxy some years back.  I do think it's the same caliber of move, though I stand by my thought that at this point in it's development the A-League is actually a little ahead of where MLS was 7-8 years in.  Hopefully with the Gold Coast situation seemingly behind them and the addition of the new West Sydney Club, the league can find stability in it's membership, something that MLS struggled with at times as well.  If Del Piero can stay healthy at 37, he should help move some more people through the gates, providing that International star that many fans seem to crave seeing.

This really should be a banner season in Australia. 

A League Action: Adelaide United vs Sydney FC

Coming into this one at Hindmarsh Sydney FC had yet to score a goal on the new A League campaign. I guess you'd have to forgive Adelaide if they thought they were going to have it easy in front of a great crowd at their home ground. However, it didn't quite turn out that way.

Sydney was really the better side from the opening whistle. You could tell by the the crisp way they moved the ball that they were coming out in a positive frame of mind and were determined to give the Reds all they could handle. Brett Emerton seemed to be playing a more important role and was settling in a bit, which should please Sydney fans. He forced a save from Galekovic in the 8th minute, and Bruno Cazarine hit the post in the 13th, preventing Sydney from taking a deserved lead.

Then in the 29th minute, a defensive blunder cost Sydney dearly. During some scrambling in the Sydney penalty area, defender Michael Beauchamp tried to chest the ball down so he could clear it from in front of his own net. However, his touch was poor and the ball bounced off him right to the waiting personage of Dario Vidosic who emphatically slammed it into the net giving Adelaide a 1-0 lead.

Sydney had two more nice chances before the half. Terry Antonis forced Galekovic into a point blank savw in the 36th minute, and then in the 43rd Nick Carle watched his strike hit the crossbar. Antonis got the rebound for a followup shot but once again Galekovic stoned him, preserving the 1-0 Adelaide lead at half time.

The second half was pretty much all Syndey. Adelaide seemed to really go into some kind of funk, even in front of their own fans. In the 60th minute Jamie Coyne lashed a golazo into the roof of the Adelaide net to tie the match at 1-1. As good as Galekovic had been in goal, he had no shot at it.

In the 82nd minute Nick Carle got the goal that gave Syndey the three points that they richly deserved. Driving into the Adelaide area, the Syndey midfielder slotted a shot through the legs of Galekovic to make it 1-2 to Sydney. Adelaide never really threatened in the closing minutes, and that was our final score.

Sydney really put it all together in this one. They did have a scare in the second half as Emerton pulled up lame and subbed out, but the bench said it was just a severe case of cramps.

Sydney FC's Bridge Suspended For Two Matches.

Folks down in Australia already have this news, but on Monday Football Federation Australia announced that Sydney FC forward Mark Bridge has been given a two match ban for his red card hit on the Victory's Rodrigo Vargas during the season opener between the two clubs.

Bridge will miss Sydney's home opener against the Roar as well as their next match away to Adelaide. Sydney have indicated they will not appeal the ban.

(Information from the Associated Press was used in this entry.)

A League Action: Melbourne Victory vs. Sydney FC

About this time last year I was looking for any and all live soccer to watch on TV. One Saturday night I stumbled across the Australian A League on Fox Soccer. I gave it a shot. Sure it's not EPL or Serie A, but it's a good league that is gaining strength and skill every season. Sort or like MLS, only younger.

After watching a few matches I decided to support Melbourne Victory. Every year their fixtures with Sydney FC are called "The Big Blue." This was the first Big Blue of the season on it's very first day.

The crowd in Melbourne was electric as these two teams, arguably the most successful in the A League's short history, kicked off. Both sides were bolstered by Australians returning from Europe to play in the A League. The Victory had Harry Kewell and Sydney had Bret Emerton. Both would figure in the match.

Things got off to a torrid start as both sides had chances in the early minutes. In the 4th minute Victory man Danny Allsopp had a close up shot that Reddy managed to save by taking it in the stomach. On the Sydney counter, Mark Bridge rifled a shot at the Victory goal, but Covic was able to stop that as well. Then in minute 29 Sydney had a free kick right outside the 18. The kick itself took a ricochet and Bridge made his presence felt by firing it back on goal, but again Covic was up to the task.

Sydney looked to be gifted the lead in the 33rd minute as Leijer committed a foul in the box. Former Blackburn man Emerton stepped up to take the spot kick, but his pedestrian effort was easily saved by Covic and we went to the half tied at 0-0.

Even though there were no goals in the second half, there was still a big story to talk about. As the Victory set up for a free kick just outside the Sydney 18 in the 74th, a scrum erupted in the wall. Mark Bridge elbowed a Victory player in the throat and earned himself a straight red card for his trouble.

Unfortunately for us Victory supporters, Melbourne was not able to take advantage of being a man up. They had some nice chances down the final 15 from Allsopp, Broxham, and Rojas, but Reddy was just as good in the Sydney goal as Covic was for the Victory and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. There were quite a few good chances though.

All in all it was an energetic start to the new A League season.