Yep. I was one of those itching to see Benito Carbone after his reported single-handed demolition of Adelaide the week before.
I was itching just to get a look at Sydney, having not been able to see them kick a ball in anger since pre-season.
Daughter Alex was happy: her hero Alvin Ceccoli scored.
But overall it was disappointing. Blame the wind. Blame the referee. Blame the orange ball. Blame the Mogadon in the Sydney players' sports drinks. Whichever: it was disappointing.
Having missed the first ten minutes thanks to very slow service at the canteen — there were more staff than customers — Alex filled me in about the "little guy, number 23" being "very good" and number 21 being "crap".
Apparently Simon Lynch had a good early chance for Queensland and Carbone received (the first of several) hard decisions from referee Matthew Breeze.
I heard the crowd's cries of outrage and was seated in time to see a little bit of Carbone magic in the right corner, as Sydney's new star evaded three players and crossed for Nikolai Topor-Stanley to nod the ball to Queensland goalkeeper Tom Willis.
Judging by comments from fans around me, Sydney had so far been pretty exciting and the referee was an idiot.
In the 15th minute Queensland scored from what first appeared a dubious free kick (Terry McFlynn stretching for a ball and Reinaldo falling over him). Spase Dilevski, who had earlier fluffed a good chance from the right side of the penalty area, was one of three players standing over the ball, 20 metres from goal. He struck low into the Sydney wall and that would have been the end of it had not Matthew Bingley twisted and lifted his foot to let the ball through. No wonder Clint Bolton went spare.
Lynch took on four Sydney players and was making good progress into the Sydney penalty area until Topor-Stanley (in his comfort zone) got in the way.
Lynch's opposite number, David Zdrilic (who had a good game for David Zdrilic), had a free run, chasing the ball into the Queensland penalty area, but the ball beat him to Queensland keeper Tom Willis.
Worryingly, having just acquired our season tickets, we were seated two rows behind The Sydney FC Spandex Bandits (some of whom were proudly sporting their Illawarra Premier League grand final winners' medals). Pale blue spandex body suits, hood included, and some with augmentation in the cod region. Onya Luffy! I got the impression they weren't happy with coach Butcher. Is a muppet a good thing or a bad thing?
In the 24th minute Steve Corica, in the right of the Queensland penalty area, brilliantly chipped over to Zdrilic on the left. Zdrilic's header beat Willis but drifted just wide of the right post.
Two minutes later Carbone went down outside the Queensland box and was yellow carded for diving. Carbone wasn't amused. Butcher wasn't amused. The referee had few friends in the stands. Those in the Cove adjudged him to be a wanker.
Carbone played a lovely ball down the right for the overlapping Iain Fyfe. Fyfe played inside but Ruben Zadkovich was sleeping.
In the 31st minute Josh McCloughan copped a yellow for a foul 25 metres from the Queensland goal. Carbone's kick looked harmless, bouncing in front of Willis. But the keeper flapped at it, almost playing the ball back into his own goal.
Sydney players weren't coping with the wind either. Unless it was their strategy to keep kicking the ball out.
By the 35th minute Queensland were succeeding in pressing Sydney on the ball. Sydney had no ideas in response. Carbone couldn't get return passes from his team mates.
Lynch made a good run to receive the ball in the Sydney penalty area but had no room to turn and shoot.
From a Queensland corner Matthew McKay had a good hit but it went wide to the right of goal. And in the 39th minute Sasa Ognenovski headed a corner to the left of goal.
Lynch robbed a daydreaming Terry McFlynn, typical of a team that looked like it just climbed out of bed. Only Corica and Carbone looked attentive.
Just before half time Torpor-Stanley (deliberate and obvious misspelling) bumbled his reception of a free kick from Corica but managed to play the ball back where Sydney's number 3 lined up a Ceccoli special. Vicious, low and rising into the back of the Queensland goal. Classic.
I'm sure I remember Ruben Zadkovich being an exciting introduction to the Sydney side last year. Today he had the reaction time of … something with a really slow reaction time.
Come on coach! Use your bench. Two obvious substitutions need to be made … and we want Sasho.
By the 55th minute Sydney were on top. Corica was having a blinder. Was he really only in the side because Brosque was camping with the Socceroos?
Bingley, though not one of the prime candidates for replacement, was still having a dog. And Zadkovich remained on another planet.
Finally … in the 59th minute Queensland brought on Dario Vidosic for Ante Milicic and Sydney replaced Topor-Stanley with Ufuk Talay. Now I've not been a great fan of Talay but he made a difference. At least, he ran looking for the ball, could control it and passed it in interesting directions.
Talay opened up Ceccoli on the left and Ceccoli crossed well, forcing Queensland to concede a corner.
Queensland had a free kick 20 metres from the Sydney goal. The ball was headed clear and Talay was fouled on a break.
In the 69th minute Zdrilic dragged the ball across the Queensland box. Corica chested it up and tried to volley. Now, if Petrovski had been in that position the shot might at least have threatened the goal.
Ah, a minute later Petrovski in fact came on for Zdrilic. One more change and Sydney's best (available) team would be on the pitch.
In the 76th minute Sydney had a corner from the right and McFlynn had a shot on target. And then Zadkovich made way for Jeremy Brockie, who almost immediately caused the Queensland defence some consternation, chasing a Corica ball into the visitors' penalty area.
In the 81st minute Carbone again was brought down on the edge of the Queensland penalty area and nothing good came of it for Sydney.
Queensland (with sympathy from the referee) had proven very successful in nullifying Carbone and were clearly content to sit back and defend their point. When the player on the end of their long balls forward was not offside, he was surrounded by five Sydney players.
In the 87th minute Corica was brilliant winning the ball and launching Sydney from the centre of the pitch. The ball went wide to Petrovski on the left. His cross was just overrun by Carbone.
If these are the second and third best sides in the A-League it's no surprise Melbourne is so far ahead of the pack.
And I bet Carbone won't be talking this week about how much he enjoys playing in Australia.