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The 2005-06 season was Sydney FC's first season, formed to compete in the new Australian A-League competition. The club finished second on the table in the regular season, and won the first A-League Grand Final, defeating Central Coast Mariners 1-0. Sydney also represented Oceania at the FIFA Club World Championship 2005 where they were placed fifth.
[edit] Preliminary Competitions
[edit] Australian World Club Championship Qualification
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[edit] Results
[edit] 2005 Oceania Club Championship
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[edit] Group Table
[edit] Results
[edit] A-League Season
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[edit] Regular Season
Sydney FC went into the inaugural A-League season as favourites after a successful preseason in which the club lost only one match. Their first home league match was against Melbourne Victory on August 28, 2005. This event drew a record crowd for a regular season match in Australia (the club went on to improve this record to a new high in round 21 of 25,557). The match finished 1-1 with Yorke scoring the opening goal, a diving header just before half time.
Despite an indifferent start to the season (including a 5-0 away loss to rivals Melbourne Victory), Sydney FC reached the top of the table by November. However a 3-2 loss away at Hindmarsh Stadium meant that Adelaide United would end 2005 at the top of the table, with Sydney second.
After returning from the Club World Championship in Japan Sydney FC failed to re-capture their league form and were unable to win in their next three matches, confirming Adelaide United as inaugural premiers. Amid heavy criticism coach Littbarski made several changes, which included returning Mark Rudan to defence and starting short-term signing Ruben Zadkovich, ahead of the Round 20 clash against Perth Glory. Both Rudan and Zadkovich scored in Sydney's 2-1 victory, which prompted a revival of the club's form. After a 2-1 victory over premiers Adelaide in the ultimate round of the regular season, Sydney FC finished in second place.
[edit] Results
[edit] Finals Series
- See also: A-League Grand Final 2006
Having finished in second place in the league, Sydney FC played against premiers Adelaide in the major semi-final. John Kosmina's surprise decision to play the first leg in Adelaide rather than in Sydney did not pay off as the first leg ended in a 2-2 draw, with goals from Steve Corica and Sasho Petrovski giving Sydney an advantage due to the away goals rule. On February 19, 2006, a crowd of over 30,000 watched Sydney FC win the second leg of the semi-final 2-1 to ensuring a home grand final.
A sellout crowd of 41,689 (higher than Aussie Stadium's stated capacity) watched the 2005-06 A-League grand final between local rivals Sydney FC and Central Coast Mariners on March 5, 2006. Although the Mariners dominated much of the first half, Sydney FC eventually succeeded 1-0 after Dwight Yorke set up Steve Corica for the deciding goal in the 62nd minute.
[edit] Results
[edit] Asian Champions League qualification
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As 2005-06 A-League Champions, Sydney will represent Australia alongside premiers Adelaide in the 2007 AFC Champions League with group matches to be played from March to May 2007 and elimination finals matches from September to November.
[edit] World Club Championship
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Sydney competed in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship as Oceania's entry to the tournament following their 2005 Oceania Club Championships success in June. Sydney FC's first match was against Costa Rican team Deportivo Saprissa on December 12, 2005 in front of a crowd of over 28,000 at Japan's Toyota Stadium. A 47th minute Christian Bolaños goal settled an evenly contested match 1-0 in the favour of Saprissa, denying Sydney a semi – final match against then European champion Liverpool. Four days later, Sydney FC defeated the African "Club of the Century" Al-Ahly 2 – 1 to finish the competition in fifth place.
[edit] Results
Players included in a Sydney FC squad during the 2005-06 season:
[edit] Transfers
[edit] Short-term signings
[edit] Team kit
All A-League club kits were supplied by Reebok through a sponsorship deal with the A-League, and all clubs initially had a white change strip, Sydney adopting a light blue trim to their away shirts. The home shirt colour of sky blue adopted the NSW representative colour, contrasted with the navy blue and orange trim.
Shirt sponsorship was secured with health insurance provider Healthe.
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| 2005-06 goalkeeper colours |
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[edit] Season Awards
[edit] Club Awards
[edit] A-League Awards
Steve Laurie
Alejandro Salazar
Kazuyoshi Miura
Notts County F.C. (released)
