This was the moment when the result became inevitable: Macarthur FC defender Kealy Adamson walks off after receiving a red card 26 minutes into the elimination final against Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
The send off was not only ridiculous – you can see his opponents feeling for him as he walks off – but it also robbed all football fans of the chance to watch an even fight over 90 minutes.
However, 10 versus 11 in such a high stakes games can only end in one way: annihilation of the side with a player sitting in the dressing room scratching his head about his dismissal.
The score was 1-0 at the time, with Sydney opening the scoring eight minutes after the start.
In response, the Bulls played their usual game of patience, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
Instead, they went down a man inside the first 30 minutes.
You have got to feel for Adamson; the young defender challenges for the ball just outside the penalty box and the Sydney player falls to the ground.
The referee immediately awards a penalty, but is then obviously contacted by the VAR, soccer’s version of the NRL bunker, he reviews the incident, calls Adamson over and shows him the red card.
Sydney receive a free kick on the edge of the box, but nothing comes off it.
The Bulls know they’re up against it now, a man down playing away from home to a team that’s hit its straps at the business end of the season.
Yet at least two Macarthur goals chances go begging, including one that Valere Germain should have buried, but his timing was awful for once this season.
Sydney score again 50 minutes in to make it 2-0, and when they get a third 17 minutes later it’s all over red rover.
Yet the Bulls make their supporters proud by not giving up – right to the end, which is now 4-0 to the home side.
Macarthur may be eliminated from the premiership race, but it has to be said that the 2023-24 season could well end up being the making of the club in terms of fan support.
It was just the third season in the A-League, but the team that calls Campbelltown Stadium home won over a lot of new fans with its fighting spirit.
It wasn’t a massive increase, but crowd numbers at home steadily increased throughout the season, and I have no doubt this trend will continue next season.
On the field, the team is slowly developing its own style of play, combining fast counter attacking football with high levels of resilience in defence.
It’s not there yet, but no doubt head coach Mile Sterjovski (pictured below) is already working on how to improve next season.
