retired_edmari1

Wednesday 7th September 2005

I made one change to the squad travelling to Melbourne. I took off Robbie Middleby bringing on [/B]Andrew Packer[/B], and bringing Anthony Danze back onto the bench. With Yorke still injured, he satyed back to continue his work with the club physios and doctors.

(GK)Clint Bolton
(DR)Mark Milligan
(DL)Alvin Ceccoli
(DC)Brett Studman
(DC)Matthew Bingley
(MR)David Carney
(ML)Andrew Packer
(MC)Steve Corica (c)
(MC)Ufuk Talay
(ST)Franco Parisi
(ST)Sasho Petrovski

(SUB1)Diego Barcena
(SUB2)Jacob Timpano
(SUB3)Anthony Danze
(SUB4)David Zdrilic

retired_edmari1

(Sorry guys posted too early by accident)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The match started off great again, with Petrovski opening our account in the 8th minute of the match, off a lovely one two with Parisi. Within a minute though, Danny Allsopp had equalised. This was looking like it would become a very competative match. Our defence began to find it a very difficult job to contain both Archie Thompson and Danny Allsopp, as they continued to find the gaps in our defence. Lucky for us, we had Bolton standing solid in between the posts. He wasn't letting anything get past him. We too got a few good shots in but nothing that found the back of the net, as we went into the sheds at half time at 1-1. Within 3 minutes of the restart, Milligan had put the ball into our own net, giving Melbourne a 2-1 lead. 5 minutes later Milligan payed back his debt when he scored for us from the penalty spot to bring it to 2-2. It wasn't enough yet though as Thompson found the back of our net for Melbourne in the 72nd minute, giving them a 3-2 lead. In the 86th minute, the game was put beyond our reach, as Nixon scored for Melbourne to make it 4-2. Our first loss of the season, and to a team we should hae beaten easily.

retired_edmari1

Saturday 10th September 2005

With a convincing 4-0 win over Solomon Islands today, Australia have won the Oceania World Cup Qualifying Final, 12-0 on aggregate, puting them into the playoff with the 5th placed South American qualifier, for the last time, as from 1st January 2006 Australia are officially part of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The playoff will be played over two legs on Saturday 3rd December and Saturday 10th December.

retired_edmari1

Saturday 10th September 2005

That night Jamie and I sat there on my couch watching the game sipping our wine, as we cheered on our beloved Socceroos.

"We have a 6 day break before our next match don't we?"

"Yeah we do Dimi. Why do you ask?"

"Well i was wondering if you wanted to...I don't know...maybe take some time off and go down the coast."

"Yeah that would be great. Wait a minute how would we organise that in such a short time?"

"Don't worry one of my girlfriends, well her father owns a holiday house down in Bateman's Bay. He said it was free this week if we wanted it. I told him i'd give him a call tonight to let him know. We could leave tomorrow afternoon and come back Thursday morning."

"You already ok'd this with Walter didn't you?...You sneaky little devil."

"Yeah. He is exppecting us in for the morning though tomorrow and afternoon on Thursday."

"Sounds great...but you are going to have to help me pack now, because i'm assuming that you have already packed."

"Yeah i have...and i'll help you...men can't do anything on their own."

"We can quite a lot thank you very much."

Thursday 15th September 2005

"Tony...How did you and Jamie find your trip?"

"It was very nice thanks Walter. Very relaxing. Spent most of our time walking along the beach, walking along the harbour, or in the pool at the house there."

"Well glad ou enjoyed it, but...its time to knuckle down. You have an important game tomorrow against Newcastle. Oh...and Ian said the boys have been working really well."

"Thanks Walter."

I couldn't get Jamie(Dimi) off my mind. The last couple of days that we had spent together were magical.

retired_edmari1

Friday 16th September 2005

Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets

With Yorke back to full fitness and training well, Franco Parisi was again taken out of the starting line up, but was put onto the bench in place of Zdrilic. Other changes were made too this time. Ufuk Talay was taken out of the match squad, replaced by Anthony Danze, while Terry McFlynn took his long awaited for place on the bench. And Jacob Timpano, took Matthew Bingley's place while Bingley took his place on the bench.

(GK)Clint Bolton
(DR)Mark Milligan
(DL)Alvin Ceccoli
(DC)Brett Studman
(DC)Jacob Timpano
(MR)David Carney
(ML)Andrew Packer
(MC)Steve Corica
(MC)Anthony Danze
(ST)Dwight Yorke (c)
(ST)Sasho Petrovski

(SUB1)Diego Barcena
(SUB2)Matthew Bingley
(SUB3)Terry McFlynn
(SUB4)Franco Parisi

retired_edmari1

The match started off well. The lads looked like they had put the loss against Melbourne behind them already, and they weren't letting it get them down. Anthony Danze opened the scoring within one and a half minutes off an Andrew Packer corner, and we were on our way. Sasho Petrovski made it 2-0, in the 12th minute, when captain Dwight Yorke played a chilling through ball, that split the Newcastle defence in two and found the feet of Sasho Petrovski who calmly slotted it past the Jets keeper Liam Reddy. We continued to dominate, as in the 34th minute, Sasho Petrovski & Dwight Yorke combined once again, to give Sasho Petrovski his second goal of the game. In the 41st minute, Newcastles Liberian import Prince put the ball past Bolton to make it 3-1 but it was us who went into half time the happier side, leading 3-2 after Milicic grabbed a second goal for the Jets. Things got wworse for us in the second half, especially in the 80th minute, when Mark Milligan who had been playing so well so far this season, picked up a second yellow card for the game and was sent in for an early shower. But credit had to be shown to the lads, as they kept their composure and continued their good work, to keep the score at 3-2 guvung us the full 3 points. The only other problem we had was the injury to Danze in the 88th minute. Lucky for us, Danze's injury was only a small problem and he was training again within one day.

retired_edmari1

Friday 23rd September 2005

Sydney FC vs New Zealand Knights
(GK)Clint Bolton
(DR)Matthew Bingley
(DL)Alvin Ceccoli
(DC)Brett Studman
(DC)Jacob Timpano
(MR)David Carney
(ML)Andrew Packer
(MC)Steve Corica
(MC)Anthony Danze
(ST)Dwight Yorke (c)
(ST)Sasho Petrovski

(SUB1)Diego Barcena
(SUB2)Mark Rudan
(SUB3)Terry McFlynn
(SUB4)Franco Parisi

With Mark Milligan suspended for one match, Matthew Bingley took the starting right back role, while Mark Rudan took a seat on the bench. Other than that, the squad was unchanged from that which won against Newcastle last week.

From the first whistle, we bombarded the New Zealand goal, with shot after shot after shot. We just couldn't find a way past the Knights keeper Danny Milosevic, that was until the 36th minute, when it took a Dwight Yorke penalty kick to put us ahead 1-0. At half time, we went into the sheds at 1-0 still. The second half began in the same way the first did, with us taking shot after shot after shot, but finding no way past Milosevic. Yet we kept the score at 1-0 and held onto the 3 points. This put us into 1st place, with 12 points from 5 games, 12 goals for and 8 against, a 3 point lead over Melbourne in 2nd place, who had the same goals for, but 9 against.

retired_edmari1

Sorry guys, but this bit of the last post:
is now the following instead, because of technical problems i had to replay the match. sorry.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________


Neither team wanted to lose this match. That was what was evident after we went in at half time at 0-0. Both teams had had their fair share of chances, just no one could put the ball into the back of the nets. Both keepers, Danny Milosevic and Clint Bolton, were having an amazing game, pulling off unbelievable saves. The second half was turning out to be like the first, and that was exactly how it turned out. In the end the score stayed at 0-0 and we stayed in 2nd place.

retired_aurie

Sorry to see your winning match turned into a draw like that
This is one reason why I keep on saving before and after every match.

My previous computers had a knack of dying on me at the worst possible times, so I started using this precaution. Sometimes though, I'd have to start the same game a few times, because the computer fell on it's backside halfway through the match.

The worst moment for me, was when I was managing Liverpool against ManUtd and was up 4-0 by halftime. Next time around I scraped through with a 2-1 win and followed it up with lots of foul language

KUTGW :thup:

retired_edmari1

thanks axeman.

actually i have just employed that tactic too with the saving of games.

it did really tick me off and foul language is exactly what my girlfriend was hearing for the next 15 minutes and she heard it from behind closed doors...lol

anyway thanks for the support

i hope you enjoy the rest of the story as it unfolds