Sydney Red’s Pitch Side View As Laca Opens Account
Jul 14th, 2017 by 'holic
A huge thanks to one of our own, Sydney Red, for his take on our opening tour match in the city he now calls home.
Where do I start?
As we parked close to the stadium, and walked a short distance it was very clear that Arsenal were in town. Thousands of fans milling around the merchandise and food stalls. After a quick purchase of a cap for son and a Sydney Tour t shirt for me, went through the security quite quickly and up to seat.
The stadium was built for the 2000 Olympics and has been updated a few times since, so a great stadium. Everybody has a good view. As we took our seats the players were out on pitch doing prematch training routines. Singing was coming from various parts of the ground , Ozil chant, Giroud and even we hate Tottenham, much to amusement of my 15 year old Aussie son.
To fireworks and rendition of Fat Boy Slim “right here right now” both teams strode out to pitch. Match underway. Immediately it was Arsenal on the attack with very quick passing and movement. Sydney looked unable to match the precision Arsenal showed.
A quick attack led to a corner, and after four minutes the Gunners were ahead. The BFG hooked the ball over his head and into the corner. A great roar went up in the 80,000 crowd, which must have been 79,000 Gooners and 1000 going for the champions of Australia, Sydney FC.
Pictures of Wenger on the big screens got huge cheers and renditions of only one ”Arsene Wenger’’. For much of the first half it seemed to be only matter of time before Arsenal added another couple. Theo missed a few, and seemed very rusty…lots of speed but no finish. Danny ran everywhere and Ozil played some lovely passes .
The star for me was Rhys Nelson playing on the right wing. He gave the Sydney defence a bigger run around than they would have received all season. On this showing he must be given a chance this season, perhaps in the Europa league. Also getting a mention are Willock, Saed and Bielik, all looked assured and hopefully get a good run in the team.
Late in first half a rare attack by Sydney forced Cech into a good save and the ball was put into the side netting by the Sydney follow up….a warning had been given.
The second half started with only one change for Arsenal, Martinez for Cech. Martinez seems a big unit and made a couple of good low down saves as Sydney came back into the match over a 15 minute period.
Arsenal were then given a poor penalty as the replays on the big screen clearly showed the ball hit a Sydney defender’s back. The replays were quickly taken off screen as on the pitch the ref struggled to convince anyone in the stadium it should be a penalty. Justice was served when the goalie (ex trialist with Arsenal) palmed away Welbeck’s penalty.
We were then treated to the strange vision of Arsenal replacing ten players at once! On came Giroud and new man Lazcazette amongst others. The changes did not slow down the game and again Arsenal got many chances but the goalkeeper continued to have a great game.
A huge cheer went up as a paper plane from the crowd landed on the pitch, this was quickly followed by many many others flying around the crowd….An Aussie version of the Mexican wave?
Ten minutes from the end Iwobi had a good run down the right and squared back for Lacazette to stroke in. Again the roar went up and the scorer was clearly pleased with his goal….more please. He certainly kooks very fast and dare I say it reminds me of Henry from a distance.
The game finished and the players came out with a large banner thanking their Aussie supporters. A great end to a great night.
My final thoughts. As first game a good run out. Arsenal should have won 4 or 5-0. The opposition had the game of their life…where have we read that before. Young players look good and must be given a chance this season. Theo is still rusty. BFG looks class at the back. Saed looks very stable. Coquelin is going to get a lot of yellow cards this season!
The smiles on faces outside stadium and singing was sight to behold. A great night and 90,000 will be back on Saturday v Western Sydney Wanderers.
Come back at the weekend for SR’s view on the second leg of the tour. Have a good one, ‘holics.
105 Responses to “Sydney Red’s Pitch Side View As Laca Opens Account”
Great read Sydney, ta.
And lips puckered and sloppy kisses blown in the direction of all those lovely boys that were kind enuff to say ‘ello over the post … there were far, far too many for me to name check (actually, there weren’t – but they was all quality though, and they know it!) xx
Lovely stuff, SR, an excellent read. But no fighting in the stands? There was blood spilt behind me the last time Arsenal played in Sydney, and bodies falling down the bleachers between me and my gf. Not to mention two Arsenal players sent home for misdemeanors.
The game has gone soft mate.
Not an angry word
79000 v 1000 not a chance
The atmosphere was great, Saturday might be different as the other sydney team fans are very vocal and some parts have been threatened with bans in past
Will be an atmosphere like a epl game
Lovely report Red!
Feels like I was there .
Wish I was! Glad you enjoyed
nice one syd red
nice one son
bitta (lack of)cultural appropriation there
it’s fuckin stuck in me head now , mind
booooooo !
.
chris
i watched it streamed on youtube
i know – who’d a thunk
perhaps try that for next one
.
anyhoo
morning ‘hol
morning all
?
UP THE ARSENAL
Excellent report Sid. I can feel your pleasure at seeing the Arsenal in the flesh again. I just saw the goals so you filled in the gaps nicely. I rather liked the instinctive strike from Lacazette. So far, and yes it is ridiculously early to make a judgement, he reminds me of a certain Ian Wright.
Talking of whom, isn’t it time we had another statue at the Emirates?
Now why didn’t I think of that, cba! Please don’t answer that. 🙂
? chris
only discovered this sorcery yesterday meself
plus
the opportunity to ask the author
what did you think of Gibbs , SR ?
denied forever
apologies ?
.
definitely cheerio now
cheerio
My Christ, cba, that takes me back a long way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUc9Af4q3_0
That’ll be in your head all day…
Great read, Mr Red. Thanks.
Gibbs Sodium Ricinoleate, The Great Protector … how could anyone forget that! I have always been a Macleans brusher meself though.
If Kieran was an American, Gibbs Sodium Ricinolate may well have been his actual name.
Gibbs Sodium Ricinolate III
Salut! ? ?
Nice first post-match of the first pre-season! ?
Mesut Ozil’s recent book has been remaindered and is available in The Works for a fiver.
That went well then.
This is in stores, it hasn’t made it online just yet
I tell a lie, it is online
https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/sports-biographies/gunning-for-greatness/9781473649927
syd, top read. brought back spine tingles from last summer in san jose, and a huge smile to my face. so glad you had the chance and took it (unlike most of our strikers!).
Thanks Sydney Red.
I left London more than 20 years
ago myself – the drop from 20-30
games a season to none is kind
of sharp. Used to have to get the
Sunday evening paper to get the
first results and it was always a
nervous moment opening up
that paper.
Great report and glad all went
well.
With transfer fees, add ons, wages and bonuses on top, Kyle Walker may end up costing Manchester City close to £100m
One
Hundred
Meeeeeeelion
Pounds
Let that sink in for a minute. Then add the following…
For
A
Right
CuntBack
Football is sick and there’s no cure.
Top drawer reporting, Sydney Red. 🙂
I would watch out for those Western Sydney Wanderers though. Sounds like they are a bunch of tuffs.
Walker cost more than
Lacazette – that is crazy.
No worse than Stones I suppose.
Shitty have spent fortunes on
Mangala, Stones and Walker
but I really can’t see their defence
will be any better next season.
They haven’t been able to replace
Kompany.
But I don’t mind if we sell them Gibbs
at a cut price 40million.
i love our club: “form is temporary, class is permanent” and “remember who you are, what you are, and who you represent” shown here so brilliantly.
https://www.arsenal.com/news/pictures-our-visit-barangaroo-reserve
Citeh are probably the biggest cause of the price inflation in British, nay, World football. Their deal for Robinho was ridiculous of its day and as Osaka Matt says they have wasted money on many useless defenders. Bravo was a bad deal and they’ve also signed uninspiring players like Fernando as well as half a team from us. They simultaneously face large numbers of top youth players wanting to leave to get a chance at first- team level. The Chavs and Citeh only seem to get these boys to stop a proper club developing them . Hope it all ends in tears.
A B C
Always
Be
Closing
the jackson 5 – the thatcher tapes
G B H
Grievous
Bodily
Harm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4szKBjP5I8
Come oooooon
that’s not very good
ps.
is it ?
no
it’s not
is it ?
go to 30
o how hilarious
must shut up
rest of clan elsewhere
self restraint not so easy on yer own
now that ‘holic
after roaming in large
raising his hind leg on the bar stools
marking his territory
has buggered off
on a better offer
he’ll roux brothers that day
i tell thee !
HE WILL !
.
.
.
.
.
.
p’raps not
self restraint? must try it some time
frenchie lover
bullshittus interruptus
?
thankyou8ball
might play some music
sorry ‘hol
ya big dereliction of duties so and so
Hey hey cba
Waiting on the West Sydney Wonders?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pra6ezRMejg
8ball
of course i’ll watch it
but i’m not on the edge of my seat
waiting on it
they’re interesting to see
but just dim sparkles
before the main event
Background singers should have been done away with, preferably by medieval torture methods.
@45, that is. Roy Orbison by himself is always good.
ye gain no real notion
about anybody
from these faraway kickabouts
yer 41’n like a goodun ?
i will be quiet now
Guilty as charged my friend. Looking forward to seeing our Arsenal later…
faraway kickabouts
New trainers, cba?
Wenger is saying tonight that he is in contact with Sanchez regularly and he is ‘positive’ he will stay. He is also claiming that everyone will be ready for the Leicester game.
Things seem to be changing.
I’d still like Lemar though if Ox is leaving.
cept for
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeZHB3ozglQ
still think 47 ?
This was a good little documentary. 90 minutes but worth it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08xdlts/rock-n-roll-guns-for-hire-the-story-of-the-sideman
Fine read, SR. We saw the same match (except I didn’t see it; save for some highlights augmented by reports). There is a pure joy to seeing the team in the flesh for us far-flungs that many of those lucky enough to be able to get to the Ems on a regular or even semi-regular basis seem to have lost.
Heart rending emotional send off today at the funeral of young 6yr old Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery,who lost his long battle with cancer this week.
He touched the entire world of football with his courage in adversity.
Rest easy little fella.
@56. Some background singers I like, including those for suuuuuuure. 🙂
as a man who
when forced to dance
dances like he was forced
fuckin love those women
sex on heels
fuckin yes
.
.
homemade
fuckin hit off it
shoulda gone easy
throwin up from ankles tomorrow
i’ll venture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq7hgzna3E
crowd chewing like coke heads
show sponsored by beech nut
still good though
Seems Glen Kamara has gone to Dundee.
1 appearance for the first-team in that grim
cup game against SheffWed. 1 more appearance
than I’ll ever manage though and best of luck
to him. Never been to Dundee and hopefully
it’s warmer than it sounds.
Conflicting reports on Lemar deal, conflicting with
my wishes that is.
Most of the gum chewers in the audience looked pretty mean. Good song though.
Backing singers? I’ve always thought the girls behind Elvis on ‘Suspicious Minds’ were fabulous (best heard on the album recordings, not the live performances) but these are also worth a listen … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtrKPsUlM0E
I notice that Ozil Gummidge’s book had a forward by Moaninho. Do you suppose that had something to do with its failure. I mean what Arsenal fan is going to buy a book which starts with the Specious One?
I enjoyed the didgeridoo lesson, scruz. It’s a little known fact that I once presented Aussie’s best didge player (David Hudson) playing a duet with an android I purchased from McAndroids of London which had previously been the featured keyboard player for the Thompson Twins. You can spot him in this vid … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ie0rS3gbhbE
With aboriginal on didge and robot on panpipes they performed a couple of numbers including Gheorghe Zamfir’s haunting theme music from the wonderful Aussie movie Picnic At Hanging Rock, and I have to say the incongruous pairing proved magical.
…in fact I do have the video … https://www.facebook.com/chris.wheatley.18/videos/vb.100000701012434/1613813141985371/?type=2&theater
…recorded on VHS for record purposes only, staging lit for theatrical effect not for broadcast, and then copied and recopied before spending 30 years in a cupboard gathering dust and moisture. 🙂
pretty cool, chris. he’s a helluva dig player. thanks for sharing that!
Great report thanks Sydney Red. Leaving for the game in a bit over an hour and excitement is really building now. Don’t think I have ever felt so lucky and privileged to have been won over by George Armstrong on the Big Match all those years ago.
I am a born and raised Australian and so I grew up without a tradition of singing or even chanting at sports events, Australians born here just don’t do that at any sport. I wonder how much of the crowd tonight will be Aussie born and raised gooners compared to those with an English/British heritage. Hopefully plenty of the latter so there is plenty of singing and vocal support as Sydney Red talks about from Thursday. I love going to the cricket or rugby internationals and hearing the Barmy Army or Lions or English supporters singing and sledging we Aussies for not singing. Would love to understand why we have no such tradition.
Any suggestions on whether I should wear a DB10 Dreamcast shirt or a much more recent Rosicky one? My son will be in an Ozil shirt.
Chris@68: that was rather hauntingly beautiful. Thanks for the link.
GAwmi69: You can never go wrong with DB10.
Chris@68, again: David Hudson, hitherto unknown to me, is quite the musician. Thanks for the introduction.
https://youtu.be/NMmGweWWlCQ
He’s a lovely guy, Ned, very obliging and genuine. I was lucky to include him in a number of events back in the day, but none so unusual as his duets with BIM of which there were several for different audiences.
Anyone visiting North Queensland should definitely pay a visit to Kuranda, home of the Tjapukai people. It’s glorious country up on the Atherton tableland above Cairns.
what ned said , chris
really enjoyed that ?
saw these fellas a few times
was mesmerized by the didgeridoo
ye could feel it rumbling in yer chest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8TqZVByHto
consider yourself responsible for doing my family’s head in
after the game
?
if you or ned
know of or find more didgeridoo electronica
i’d love to hear it
it’s a much better marriage than c + b up above
In the stadium, beer in hand, forty minutes to kick-off. A few compliments for the DB10 jersey on the way in – true gooners!
? george A
Enjoy GA- beer and match!
Strong lineup to start
Ospina
Koscielny, Montreal, Elneny?
Maitland-Niles, Ramsay, Iwobi, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain
Lacazette, Giroud
Half-time 3-0 to the Arsenal. Goals to Giroud and Ramsay, both assisted by Monreal and a late one to Elneny with a shot from outside the box that took a wicked deflection.
Well that was an enjoyable watch. 3-1, could have been 8-2.
Sounds like a better first half for us than the second.
Just back from the gym
I’m ten years younger
hell, twenty years
How about that Petit, eh?
Wenger suggests we have never bid for Mbappe . It suggests that te amount of drivel published in the media nowadays is growing exponentially. We all knew Arsene wouldn’t pay that amount for a player and the reports from Italy and Spain were very wide of the mark . I think I’d take most of the other stuff in the same way.
Lots of interesting things came out of the two games one if which is that Elneny can clearly play in a three at the back . That makes him very useful to us.
enjoyed that
exhibition matches should be enjoyable
doug mountjoy notwithstanding
“TWO FAT LADIES”
No, cba, that’s a mirror you’re sat in front of
😉
?????
.
let Ramones in yer life people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9YMTJGkqTc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHc6x01QCKk
Lemmy lives!
Sex booze and rock n roll….and football
yeah
Thank you, Sydney,
Great stuff – only just got to read it.
Now awaiting Part II !
steamship Y
?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVamLWU8BbQ
all dead
still breaks my heart
Lacazettes first real goal for us
he will pull his shirt up over his head
a Joey Ramone vest for to reveal
it will happen
IT WILL
Lemmy you say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91QIMu9CVrI
The Godfather
Everyone thinks he’s dead
Here is a random post for American viewers like me.
It looks like our Premier League viewing options are going to get more expensive, and less games.
https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2017/6/28/15884798/premier-league-american-television-coverage-streaming-premium-package-tottenham-hotspur
Good morning viewers! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>