Phoenix's debutants, Stein Huysegems and teenager Louis Fenton, found themselves on the score-sheet as the home side secured a deserved victory at Westpac Stadium. Indeed, the score-line probably flattered Sydney FC, who began the game as favourites in the A league betting.
Juventus and Italy icon del Piero looked the class act that he is but could only threaten sporadically and of more concern to manager Ian Crook was the obvious gulf in quality between the World Cup winner and the rest of his team-mates.
Never the quickest over the first five yards, del Piero has always made up for a lack of outright pace in brain cells. The worry here is that no-one else is on his wave-length.
It took him the sum total of nine minutes to tell his team-mates he wanted to ball to feet and there were obvious flashes of frustration.
Any Sydney FC fans betting on soccer hoping the 37-year-old would work a miracle in his first taste of competitive action Down Under was sadly mistaken and it will clearly take time for all parties to work on a more level playing field.
Footballers' footballer del Piero must quickly realise the ball will not always reach him to within a micro-millimetre - and there must also be an understanding from the rest of the Sydney FC that what they have here is a special talent.
Granted, it is one at the back end of an illustrious career but one who can still make a difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment