In a decade of A-League big blues, the only constant has been pressure.
Pressure to be the biggest and best in the competition.
Pressure to sign the biggest stars, to capture the imagination.
Pressure that comes with expectations.
Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC held court in the first five A-League seasons, sharing four championships to cement their status as the league’s powerhouses.
In the four since, neither featured on grand final day – a streak that ends on Sunday.
The meeting of the Sky and Navy Blues is a replay of the 2010 decider, the first A-League grand final to be decided on penalties.
Sydney’s Simon Colosimo, who won the Joe Marston Medal for best afield, said three meetings between the teams in the previous month meant the battle lines were well drawn.
“It was very much a game of chess,” he said.
“One of those games that had constant pressure, it was very intense, the whole way through.”
After an hour, the breakthrough came from Mark Bridge.
He nodded home past Victory’s Mitchell Langerak just 30 seconds after Roddy Vargas’s goal was ruled offside for the home side.
Stalwart Adrian Leijer headed home an 81st minute equaliser, sending the match to extra time and then penalties.
That put Sydney FC goalkeeper Clint Bolton front and centre and his enduring memory came from Victory’s first spot kick, taken by Kevin Muscat.
“I’d faced quite a few of his pens before and each time he’d sent me the wrong way,” Bolton said.
Muscat, now coach of Victory but still with more A-League penalties than anyone, shot right as Bolton dived left.
But the ball rattled off the post, giving Sydney the advantage.
Bolton said his reaction was “sheer surprise”.
“From there it just felt like things were going our way,” he said.
Bolton made the only save of the shoot-out as Sydney FC triumphed 4-2.
Alongside Archie Thompson, Leigh Broxham is the only surviving member of the Victory team from the 2010 grand final.
The tenacious midfielder played the 120 minutes through to extra time and score his penalty, to no avail.
Broxham said he had long ago recovered from the loss but, at the time, it hurt unlike any experience in his career.
“Bringing it up now is not like putting salt in the wounds,” he said.
“We went very close, it was pretty hard to get over for a few months.
“We got on a plane that night to go to Japan, you try to get over it pretty quickly but we got turned over in the Asian Champions League so it’s obviously not easy.”
With two 3-3 draws behind the sides this season, the 2015 grand final is more likely to be a display of attacking talent.
But Bolton said the intensity would still be there.
“The history between these two teams suggests nothing different,” he said.
“I hope this game goes an extra thirty minutes because it’s going to be highly enjoyable to watch.”
Colosimo said a potential edge on Sunday could be found in the fitness of both teams.
“Victory are coming into the game without exerting that much energy,” he said.
“I don’t think they were really put under pressure in the semi whereas Sydney were.”
Nine of the best Sydney FC – Melbourne Victory matches
28 August 2005 – Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory
The first Big Blue came in the A-League’s inaugural round, with Dwight Yorke opening the scoring for “Bling FC”. Archie Thompson replied in the second half, his first of 14 career goals against Sydney, to give Victory a point.
16 October 2005 – Melbourne Victory 5-0 Sydney FC
Sydney’s first trip to Olympic Park brought a brutal drubbing, with Thompson netting twice and Kevin Muscat scoring two penalties.
8 December 2006 – Melbourne Victory 0-0 Sydney FC
More than 50,000 packed into the Telstra Dome in what still stands as a record regular season A-League crowd. Unfortunately the match of few chances didn’t hit the same heights.
27 December 2008 – Melbourne Victory 3-2 Sydney FC
The Sky Blues were up 2-0 within five minutes but Ney Fabiano’s late winner kept Victory on track for their second championship.
14 February 2010 – Sydney FC 2-0 Melbourne Victory
The premier’s plate was on the line in this final day showdown, with Sydney earning their first premiership through Karol Kisel and John Aloisi goals.
20 March 2010 – Sydney FC 1-1 Melbourne Victory (Sydney win 4-2 on penalties)
After Victory earned a home grand final after home and away success in the finals over Sydney, the Sky Blues got their revenge in the decider. A tense and brutal grand final was won on penalties after Muscat and Marvin Angulo missed their spot kicks.
10 November 2012 – Sydney FC 2-3 Melbourne Victory
Unknown substitute Andrew Nabbout struck his first two A-League goals in just his second A-League game to snatch a win for Victory.
26 January 2014 – Melbourne Victory 0-5 Sydney FC
An Alessandro Del Piero masterclass on Australia Day handed Melbourne Victory their biggest ever A-League defeat. Seb Ryall’s Leo Messi interpretation to round four defenders and score was enjoyed immensely by travelling fans.
18 April 2014 – Melbourne Victory 2-1 Sydney FC
Victory had their revenge for the five-goal defeat in last season’s elimination final, with Gui Finkler’s late volley sending Sydney out of the A-League finals.
– AAP
