It was a good start to the Hyundai A League season last night with 16,079 turning up on a cold, windy evening in Newcastle where visitors Central Coast Mariners and hosts the Jets both had important players missing, but put on a decent show.
There may have been 10,000 empty seats at Energy Australia Stadium but many intending travellers from the south could well have turned back when they discovered that the F3 freeway was blocked for over an hour, just north of Gosford and found the road held up further back as well.
That so many managed to make it showed how a live game mattered more to those who persevered than the ones who turned around and went home to watch it on television.
The football was highly competitive between two teams known to love a tussle. That not one caution was handed out – or needed – was a healthy sign.
Matthew Breeze had a good match as referee and the action was lively and positive in every sense.
As Jets’ captain for the night, Joel Griffiths said things went pretty well.
"I had to ask which sleeve to put the captain’s armband on before the game, as I’ve not done that job before, but the best part was that I could take the penalty and not need to ask anyone!" he chuckled.
"Yes", agreed his coach Gary van Egmond, "this season only one player in any team is allowed to discuss matters with the referee on the field and it’s the captain, so that suits Joel!"
Griffiths has been known to express his feelings to officials, during games, so he should make the most of the new opportunity, while many will hope the added responsibility will give the former Parramatta Power striker a greater degree of maturity.
"Joel will be captain until (regular captain) Jade North is available and if Jade does take up a contract overseas we certainly won’t be rotating captains, Joel will have the job for the season," said van Egmond.
16 year old Ben Kantarovski shone at the heart of the Newcastle defence.
"He's really a midfielder, but he slotted in perfectly in central defence, as if he has always played there," said the Newcastle coach.
"Its frightening how talented he is really. He’s done it at training so we knew what he was capable of, but like all young players we won’t want to over-expose him".
"He's so young", said Griffiths, "he still enjoys lining up for Harry Potter movies!" the 28 year old perhaps suggesting that the schoolboy fictional character is of little interest to any of the older players in the team.
Kantarovski was not the only youngster thrilled to be playing in the opening game of the season.
Mariners Olyroo newcomer, the former Central Coast Lightning NSW Super League striker, Matt Simon, had a dream return to the A League, scoring his first goal for the club, off the bench.
"I only got back into Sydney around 2 pm", said the blond youngster, "and came straight up here".
"Getting my first goal for the club in an official game was great. It all went right for me on the night".
Lawrie McKinna, coach of the Mariners, agreed. "Matty almost scored with his first shot that took a deflection away for a corner and then (Predrag) Bojic headed a great ball back across for Matty to knock it in" (with another header). We probably did not deserve to score at that stage but I was looking at three points and when we let the Jets back in a couple of minutes later it was two points that slipped from our grasp, though overall a draw was probably a fair result".
The A League is back and while we might have enjoyed a few more goals we had plenty of other things to delight in, including the first outing for exciting 25 year old Ecuadorian striker, Edmundo Zura.
We don’t know if he reads Harry Potter but we do know he likes to impress and to score goals.
His touches were good, though at times he wanted to dazzle on his own.
"He was keen to score and it will take a while for him to develop an understanding with the players around him," said Van Egmond.
Korean midfielder, Jin Hyung Song, just turned 21, showed up very well too. His dead ball skills and passing were of a high order.
Since Newcastle were without North, new signing Kaz Patafta and three others and the Mariners had to do without Andre Gumprecht. Dean Heffernan, Dylan Macallister, Greg Owens, Nigel Boogaard and Mile Jedinak this surely means there will be huge improvement in both teams over coming weeks.
"I had to be happy with that", said McKinna, "considering who was not able to play".
"Pedg (Bojic) played very well and Brad Porter was unfortunate to give away the penalty right at the end as he had a good game otherwise. The whole team performed well, so I had to be happy to come away with a point after that", McKinna added.