Editor’s Note: As I am attending both this and the Chelsea match to cover in person, we’ll be departing from our usual preseason takeaways format for both
, with a full match report and further match features from on the ground to follow in the coming days.After a swift sojourn to New Zealand, Tottenham Hotspur headed across the Tasman for the first of two matches in Australia, the first of which was against local A-League side Sydney FC. The match, played in front of a largely partisan home crowd,
was controlled mostly by the visitors until a second half strike by Sydney FC forced the match to penalties, with Spurs coming out on top in a topsy-turvy fixture.
Though fans may have been disappointed at the youth-focused lineup named in Auckland, Roberto De Zerbi’s XI for this match had fewer concerns in that regard, with Richarlison, Mathys Tel, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, and Martin Dubravka coming in to start. Andy Robertson also made his first squad of preseason as a new Spurs signing, with Mikey Moore and Mateus Fernandes conspicuously absent, the latter following reports of a potential knee injury. Despite the number of senior players starting, however, Archie Gray retained the captain’s armband in a show of faith from De Zerbi.
The lift in experience from the Auckland FC fixture lifted the quality on the field markedly, with Spurs putting in a much-improved showing through the first half. Spurs heaped pressure upon Sydney, who initially looked a little stunned, struggling to even breach the halfway line as the Lilywhites pinned them back.
Mathys Tel was heavily involved early, linking up well with Rio Kyerematen as he attacked fullback Rhyan Grant, but it was the press that was largely Spurs’ best creator through the half. Sydney FC goalkeeper Gus Hoefsloot was often rushed as Richarlison and Gallagher looked to shut him and his available passing options down, forcing a number of poor giveaways that Tel and Conor Gallagher failed to capitalize upon.
Gallagher was another engaged player through the opening stanza, often dropping deep to link play and missing three very good chances to score: the aforementioned chance, in which he had an open net begging but failed to direct his effort on target with a defender on his back; a blocked shot from the penalty spot after a jinking Solomon run; and an attempt that struck the post after Lucas Bergvall won the ball well in the middle of the pitch and drove forward.
Sydney began to warm into the match, buoyed perhaps by a couple of poor Spurs giveaways. Striker Mathias Macallister had a couple of opportunities, one an ambitious attempt from halfway following a poor square ball from Kyerematen that had Martin Dubravka scrambling, before the Australian teenager was played in behind, chipping Dubravka, slow to come off his line, but not getting the attempt on target as Ben Davies came across in cover.
Sydney seemed to grow in frustration, making a couple of heavy challenges that belied the friendly nature of the encounter, with Alexandar Popovic receiving a yellow card for a particularly nasty challenge on Richarlison from behind, and Spurs perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty after Ben Davies was dragged down in the box on a set piece. Spurs appeared to then up their physicality in response, seemingly leaving a little bit extra in a few challenges and refusing to take a back foot.
It was Mathys Tel who broke the deadlock. Another moment of overexuberant physicality from Sydney FC was rewarded with a Spurs free kick as Manor Solomon was dragged down centrally just outside the 18-yard box. Tel stepped up to the free kick and caressed a curling, dipping effort into the top right corner past a diving Hoefsloot. It was a stunning strike and enough for Spurs to take a 0-1 lead into the half.
Roberto De Zerbi made three changes at the half: record signing Sandro Tonali came on for Lucas Bergvall, youngster Luca Williams-Barnett for Tel, and Kota Takai for Davies. The changes appeared to unsettle Spurs, who looked disjointed with roles somewhat reversed from the first half with Sydney FC on the front foot. Spurs still had chances though, with one notable one as Luca Williams-Barnett broke through on goal and with only Hoefsloot to beat shooting tamely at the keeper.
Sydney FC responded by equalizing, after a gorgeous reverse ball from Tiago Quintal was deflected by Takai into the path of Takahiro Sekine. Sekine, unlike Williams-Barnett, finished calmly past Dubravka, who again was a little slow coming off his line.
De Zerbi made further changes, with Robertson, Jamie Donley, Dane Scarlett, Mason Melia, and Yang Min-hyeok coming on for Tye Hall, Archie Gray, Conor Gallagher, Manor Solomon, and Richarlison, as Sydney also made a triple change. This signified a shift to more of a 4-4-2 by Spurs, who once more began to find themselves in the ascendancy.
Williams-Barnett continued to dazzle without quite being able to find an end product, but it was Yang who had the best chances of the second half. A move started by an excellent pass from deep by Donley across the pitch made its way to Robertson, whose low cross should have resulted in a goal, with Yang instead shinning his attempt wide. History then repeated itself when another cross from Robertson, chipped this time, found Yang open on the penalty spot, with the South Korean winger unable to direct his attempt on target.
Further substitutions followed, as U18 players Harry Byrne and Tyler Tingey subbed on for Malachi Hardy and Kyerematen, but as Robertson and Williams-Barnett were both thwarted on separate occasions by Hoefsloot, the 90 minutes came to a close 1-1 with the match proceeding to a penalty shootout.
Williams-Barnett stepped up first with boos ringing out from the home crowd. His confidence was on full display though as he slotted a panenka past a diving Hoefsloot. The next two efforts from each team, courtesy of Gabriel Popovic, Sandro Tonali, Al Hassan Toure, and Andy Robertson were all well-struck with the sides going tit-for-tat, until Joe Lacey hit the post for Sydney after sending Dubravka the wrong way. Donley then had the chance to all but seal it, but instead struck his shot without quite enough power and at a savable height as Hoefsloot made a good save.
Dubravka, however, followed this up with an even better save against Alexandar Popovic, diving to his right a reaching up to a well-struck shot and palming over the bar. Dane Scarlett then stepped up for the final penalty, calmly finishing to the left as Hoefsloot dove the wrong way and securing the result for Spurs 2-4 on penalties.
Reactions
- Hi Alasdair Gold!
- Another solid preseason hit-out for Spurs, with a lot to like.
- What’s not to like though is largely up front: Spurs managed to create a number of half-chances from very good play through the middle to get into good positions, but were then absolutely profligate in the final third. There is definitely a need for some better attackers.
- Gallagher appeared to be very key to the Spurs press. He tired visibly in the second half, and with it, the Spurs press dropped off, with Sydney regaining some control. Once he was replaced, Spurs once more appeared to regain the ascendancy. He’s very useful off the ball, but he should have been much better with it.
- Kyerematen had a very impressive outing for a youngster. He made a number of excellent runs and lasted almost 80 minutes. Is he one who could secure a loan this season?
- Tel and Bergvall looked exhausted towards the end of the first half; I’m not surprised they were pulled at half-time.
- Tel though has looked sharp so far in preseason; it’ll be interesting to see what he can do against better opposition on Saturday. Williams-Barnett and Donley were other notable bright sparks.
- Yang. Oh Yang. I worry about him. His movement was very good, often getting into very good areas – but then immediately fluffing his lines. This match would have knocked his confidence.
- That’s it from me for this one; I’ll be following this up with a few more thoughts over the next few days. Next up: Chelsea on Saturday!
- COYS!
