This is a new feature I’m going to try to produce every month: a bit of a wrap-up of our academy results each month. I’m going to focus on the results of the teams, but also try to highlight some of the promising young players coming through. This first update will cover the first two months of the season so that everything will be caught up.
First Grade
10/3/18 – Sydney FC 3 – 1 Hakoah Sydney City East FC
17/3/18 – Sutherland Sharks 2 – 1 Sydney FC
24/3/18 – Sydney FC 1 – 2 Wollongong Wolves
31/3/18 – Sydney United 58 5 – 3 Sydney FC
7/4/18 – Sydney FC 3 – 3 Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC
15/4/18 – APIA Leichhardt Tigers 3 – 0 Sydney FC
21/4/18 – Sydney FC 1 – 2 Manly United
29/4/18 – Sydney Olympic 1 – 0 Sydney FC
Goals
Jeremy Cox – 5
Hassan Jalloh – 3
Sam McIlhatton – 2
Jerry Skotadis – 1
Patrick Flottman – 1
It’s been a shaky time for the academy throughout March and April, with only 4 points from 8 games. Unsurprisingly, this puts the academy at the bottom of the league table in the NSW NPL. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom, and there have been some positives to come out of it.
In the first game of the season, Jeremy Cox scored a hat-trick with some good finishes and clever use of his body (Watch the highlights of the game here). Going into the season, the academy really needed to produce a new striker with Charles Lokoli-Ngoy promoted to the first team and John Iredale going to the Netherlands. While Cox wasn’t able to keep up the form of that first game, he has looked good going forward and might be the player the academy needs. He is sitting on an impressive 5 goals in 8 games.
Other good attacking talent has been on show, with Hassan Jalloh looking particularly impressive. A rangy inside forward with a good eye for goal and a great work rate, he is someone to look out for in the next couple of years. Marco Tilio is also a joy to watch, with incredible accelerating and technical ability; given that he was named in the Asian Champions’ League squad, it is only a matter of time until the teenager makes an impression at a professional level.
At the back, Patrick Flottman has been notably improved and looks much more comfortable at this level. It’s clear that some problems remain in defence however, given how often the team has been conceding there. As always with the academy, however, the main point is that we are producing some good talents and, as said above, it is clear that we have some solid players coming through.
The games in May are:
5/5/18 – 3:00pm – Lambert Park – Sydney FC vs Marconi Stallions FC
12/5/18 – 7:00pm – Lily Homes Stadium – Blacktown City FC vs Sydney FC
19/5/18 – 7:45pm – Lambert Park – Sydney FC vs Rockdale City Suns FC
27/5/18 – 3:00pm – Hensley Field – Hakoah Sydney City East FC vs Sydney FC
Under 20s
10/3/18 – Sydney FC 3 – 1 Hakoah Sydney City East FC
17/3/18 – Sutherland Sharks 6 – 1 Sydney FC
24/3/18 – Sydney FC 4 – 1 Wollongong Wolves
31/3/18 – Sydney United 58 2 – 2 Sydney FC
7/4/18 – Sydney FC 5 – 5 Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC
15/4/18 – APIA Leichhardt Tigers 2 – 3 Sydney FC
21/4/18 – Sydney FC 1 – 0 Manly United
29/4/18 – Sydney Olympic 2 – 2 Sydney FC
In the last couple of years the Under 20s have been the backbone of our academy, earning enough points to get us promoted from NPL2 and to keep us in the competition. This season they have been performing fairly well, sitting third with 15 points. They team has scored 21 in the 8 games, but have also conceded 19. Hamish Lamberton is the competition’s leading goalscorer with 10: he has scored in all but one game at this level this season.
I also just want to point out the 5-5 result, which is one of the weirdest games of football I’ve ever witnessed. Constant back-and-forth right to the end.
Under 18s
10/3/18 – Sydney FC 2 – 3 Hakoah Sydney City East FC
17/3/18 – Sutherland Sharks 1 – 4 Sydney FC
24/3/18 – Sydney FC 4 – 0 Wollongong Wolves
31/3/18 – Sydney United 58 0 – 2 Sydney FC
7/4/18 – Sydney FC 1 – 1 Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC
15/4/18 – APIA Leichhardt Tigers 1 – 2 Sydney FC
21/4/18 – Sydney FC 3 – 2 Manly United
29/4/18 – Sydney Olympic 3 – 4 Sydney FC
The Under 18s are having a brilliant season so far, sitting second on the table on goal difference with 6 wins from their 8 games and scoring a league-leading 22 games this season.