History of Sydney FC facts for kids

Sydney FC is a professional soccer club based in Sydney, Australia. They play in Australia's top league, the A-League.

How Sydney FC Started

The idea for Sydney FC began in April 2004. Soccer New South Wales wanted to create a team for Australia's new national soccer competition. They hoped the team would play at Parramatta Stadium.

A group called "Sydney Blues" also wanted to start a team, but they later pulled out. This left Sydney FC as the only choice for Sydney's spot in the league.

Sydney FC officially joined the new 8-team A-League on November 1, 2004. Soccer NSW owned a part of the club at first, but later decided to leave. This was because they disagreed with some decisions, like choosing Sydney Football Stadium as the home ground instead of Parramatta Stadium.

By February 2005, Sydney FC had signed many talented players. These included Australian national team players like Clint Bolton, Steve Corica, and David Zdrilic. They also signed German coach Pierre Littbarski.

Sydney FC played their first ever game on March 25, 2005, winning 6–1 against Manly United FC. They then traveled to the United Arab Emirates and won all their games there. While in Dubai, Sydney FC announced a big signing: former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke would join as their "marquee player". A marquee player is a special player whose salary doesn't count towards the team's total player payment limit.

Early Games and First Big Win

Sydney FC's first official competition match was against Brisbane Roar. This was part of a tournament to qualify for the 2005 Oceania Club Championship. Sydney won this match 3–0. They then beat Perth Glory and the Central Coast Mariners to win their first trophy! This win also meant they qualified for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.

The 2005 Pre-Season Cup was Sydney FC's first game at Sydney Football Stadium. Dwight Yorke played his first game for the club and scored a goal in a 3–1 win. This made their unbeaten run 9 competitive matches long!

Winning the First A-League Championship (2005–2006)

Ticket for Sydney FC's first league game.

Sydney FC was a strong favorite to win the first A-League season. Their first league game was against Melbourne Victory on August 28, 2005. A huge crowd of over 35,000 fans came to watch, setting a new record! So many people showed up that the stadium gates had to be opened for free entry after the game started.

The season had mixed results for Sydney. They had a big 5–0 loss to Melbourne in October, but then a huge 5–1 win over Central Coast Mariners a month later. Sydney FC played well towards the end of the season, losing only one of their last seven games. This helped them finish second in the league.

They faced Adelaide United in the semi-finals and won 4–3 over two games. This meant they would host the Grand Final at their home stadium. On March 5, 2006, Sydney FC played against Central Coast Mariners in the very first A-League Grand Final. Sydney won the match 1–0! Dwight Yorke set up Steve Corica for the winning goal, making Sydney FC the first A-League Champions.

After this big win, coach Pierre Littbarski left the club. He was replaced by former England player Terry Butcher.

Challenges and New Beginnings

A Tough Second Season (2006–2007)

The second season was tough for Sydney FC. The club had spent a lot of money, so they had to make budget cuts. This included selling their star player, Dwight Yorke. The team had some good moments but also many disappointing games. They didn't really challenge for the top spot.

The club also faced challenges off the field. There were disagreements among the club's leaders and problems within the team. Sydney FC was also fined and lost points because of an issue with player payments. The team also had many injuries, which made it hard to have enough fit players.

Despite these challenges, Sydney FC made it to the finals series. They played against the Newcastle Jets. Sydney won the first game 2–1 at home but lost the second game 0–2 away, so they were knocked out.

Playing in Asia (2007 Asian Champions League)

Sydney FC also played in the 2007 Asian Champions League that year. They did well, finishing second in their group behind a strong Japanese team, Urawa Red Diamonds. Sydney beat Shanghai Shenhua 2–1 in their first game. They also had an exciting 2–2 draw against Urawa Red Diamonds at home. Even though they didn't make it to the next round, it was a good experience playing against top Asian teams.

Changes and Excitement (2007–2008)

For the third A-League season, Sydney FC made some big changes to their team. Player David Carney moved to an English club. New players included former Australian national team player Tony Popovic and Brazilian international Juninho Paulista, who became the team's marquee player.

After some difficult results, coach Branko Culina was replaced by John Kosmina. Under Kosmina, Sydney FC started playing much better. They had an exciting 3–2 win against Central Coast Mariners and a 1–0 away win against Newcastle Jets.

In November 2007, Sydney FC played a special friendly match against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Stadium Australia. Over 80,000 fans watched as Sydney FC won 5–3. David Beckham scored a goal for LA Galaxy from a free kick.

The season continued with thrilling games, including a 5–4 win against Central Coast Mariners, which many called the best A-League game ever. Sydney FC finished 3rd in the league. They made it to the semi-finals but were defeated by Queensland Roar.

Playing in Hawaii (2008 Pan-Pacific Championship)

Sydney FC also played in the 2008 Pan-Pacific Championship in Hawaii. They lost both their games against American teams, Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles Galaxy.

Building for the Future (2008–2009)

Sydney FC signed many new players for the fourth season, including Australian stars John Aloisi and Simon Colosimo. They started the season well, winning games and drawing with rivals. Veteran player Steve Corica became the club's highest-ever goal scorer.

However, the team's performance dropped in the second half of the season. They finished 5th, missing out on the finals for the first time. Coach John Kosmina was replaced.

Return to Glory

Double Winners (2009–2010)

The fifth season was a huge success for Sydney FC! Vitezslav Lavicka became the new coach, and the club worked hard to improve. They started the season strong and stayed in the top 4 teams all year. They had impressive wins, including a 3–0 victory against rivals Melbourne Victory. Sydney FC finished first in the league, winning the Premiership!

Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets, November 2009

Sydney FC played Melbourne Victory in the semi-finals. Melbourne won the first game 2–1, and the second game was a 2–2 draw, so Melbourne went through to the Grand Final. Sydney then beat Wellington Phoenix 4–2 to also reach the final.

The Grand Final was held on March 20, 2010, against Melbourne Victory. The game was a thrilling 1–1 draw after extra time, so it went to a penalty shootout. Sydney FC won the shootout 4–2! Goalkeeper Clint Bolton made a great save, and South Korean player Byun Sung-Hwan scored the winning penalty. This gave Sydney FC their second A-League Championship!

A Challenging Season (2010–2011)

After winning the "double" (Premiership and Championship) last season, Sydney FC had a tough start to the next season. It took them 10 games to get their first win. They finished 9th in the league. However, coach Vitezslav Lavicka re-signed with the club.

Another Asian Adventure (2011 Asian Champions League)

Sydney FC played in the 2011 Asian Champions League. They struggled against strong Japanese and Korean teams. They finished 3rd in their group and didn't make it to the next round.

New Stars and Close Calls (2011–2012 & 2012–2013)

The 2011–12 season saw the big signing of Australian national team player Brett Emerton from Blackburn Rovers in England. Sydney FC just made it into the finals series. Coach Lavicka's contract was not renewed.

The 2012–13 season was very exciting. The club signed international superstar Alessandro Del Piero, who became the highest-paid soccer player in A-League history! However, coach Ian Crook resigned after only six weeks. Frank Farina took over as coach. Despite some new defensive players joining, Sydney FC finished 7th and missed the finals.

European Tour and Fan Concerns (2013–2014)

For the 2013–14 season, Sydney FC became the first A-League club to tour Europe. They played friendly games in Italy. Back home, they struggled at the start of the season, which worried some fans. However, they improved towards the end and made the finals, but lost in the first week. This was the end of Frank Farina's time as coach.

Record-Breaking Season (2014–2015)

Graham Arnold became the new head coach for the 2014–15 season. Sydney FC signed new players like Bernie Ibini-Isei, Shane Smeltz, and Alex Brosque. Their new marquee player was Austrian national team captain Marc Janko. Alex Brosque was named captain.

The season started with an exciting 1–1 draw against Melbourne City FC, where guest star David Villa scored. Sydney FC went on an eight-game unbeaten streak. They broke many club records, including a record home attendance for a Sydney Derby game. Marc Janko also set an A-League record by scoring in seven games in a row.

Sydney FC finished second in the league. They beat Adelaide United 4–1 in the semi-finals. However, they lost the 2015 A-League Grand Final 3–0 to Melbourne Victory.

Another Asian Campaign (2015–2016 & 2016 Asian Champions League)

The 2015–16 season was less successful for Sydney FC, as they finished seventh. However, they did well in the 2016 Asian Champions League. They were in a tough group but surprisingly beat the defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande 2–1. Sydney FC finished first in their group and made it to the knockout stages for the first time! They were eventually knocked out by Chinese team Shandong Luneng.

Double Winners Again! (2016–2017)

Coach Arnold rebuilt the team for the 2016–17 season, signing players like Alex Wilkinson, Michael Zullo, and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic. The biggest signing was Brazilian striker Bobô as their new marquee player.

The season started with a big 4–0 win over rivals Western Sydney Wanderers. They went on a six-game winning streak. The club also reached the 2016 FFA Cup Final for the first time but lost 1–0.

Sydney FC continued their amazing form, going 19 games unbeaten before a loss to Western Sydney. They won the Premier's Plate (finishing first in the league) with four games to spare! They broke many A-League records, including most points, most wins, fewest goals conceded, and best goal difference. Bobô was the top scorer with 15 goals.

They finished the season as "double winners" again! They won the 2017 A-League Grand Final 4–2 on penalties against Melbourne Victory after a 1–1 draw. The winning penalty was scored by Milos Ninkovic, who was also named the league's best player.

FFA Cup Champions and Back-to-Back Premiers (2017–2018)

The Sky Blues had a great run in the 2017 FFA Cup. They had big wins against amateur teams and other A-League clubs. They reached the 2017 FFA Cup Final against Adelaide United. The game went into extra time, and Bobô scored a header in the 111th minute to win the FFA Cup for Sydney FC!

The 2017–18 season was also very successful. Sydney FC became the first club to win back-to-back Premierships in the A-League era!

Coach Graham Arnold left the club to coach the Australian national team after the 2018 World Cup. His last game with Sydney FC was a semi-final loss to Melbourne Victory.

Another Asian Champions League (2018 Asian Champions League)

Sydney FC played in the 2018 Asian Champions League. They finished 3rd in their group and didn't make it to the knockout stage.

Sydney FC W-League (Women's Team)

Sydney FC W-League vs Perth Glory W-League.

Starting Strong (2008–2009)

When the W-League (Australia's women's soccer league) started in 2008, Sydney FC created its own women's team. Led by Australian international Heather Garriock, they finished 4th and made it to the semi-finals, but lost to Brisbane.

Champions! (2009)

The second W-League season was much better! They signed two Danish international players who brought valuable experience. These players helped Sydney FC win the minor premiership (finishing first in the league). They then went on to become Champions, beating Brisbane Roar 3–2 in the Grand Final!

Premiers Again (2010–2011)

Season 3 was another brilliant season for Sydney FC's women's team. They won 8 out of 10 games and scored 29 goals, finishing as Premiers again! They won their semi-final match 5–1. However, they lost the Grand Final to Brisbane Roar 2–1.

Youth League

First Season Success (2008–2009)

The first Youth League season was a huge success for Sydney FC's youth team. They finished at the top of the ladder, losing only 3 out of 18 games. They also won the Championship, easily beating Adelaide United 2–0 in the final. Many players from this team went on to play for Sydney FC or other A-League clubs, including Kofi Danning, Chris Payne, and Rhyan Grant.

Learning and Growing (2009–2010 & 2010–2011)

The next two seasons were not as successful for the youth team in terms of results. They missed out on the finals in 2009–10 and finished last in 2010–11. However, many players gained valuable experience and some were selected for the Australian Under 21 team. A few players, like Matthew Jurman and Terry Antonis, also made their way into the senior Sydney FC team.