The 2011-12 season was Sydney FC's seventh consecutive season in the Hyundai A-League since its foundation season in 2005–2006. The club will not compete in the 2012 AFC Champions League after failing to qualify during the previous season. The 2011–12 season also marks a new chapter in the history of the A-League, with new kit manufacturers for all teams. Reebok had held the rights to jersey manufacturing rights for the first six A-League seasons. Sydney FC announced Adidas as their new kit maker.
2011–12 A-League squad Players included in a Sydney FC squad in the 2010–11 season
Transfers
In Player From Date Fee Karol Kisel Slavia Praha8 February 2011Free Transfer Jamie Coyne Perth Glory20 April 2011Free Transfer Michael Beauchamp Melbourne Heart20 April 2011Free Transfer Joel Chianese Sydney FC (Youth)17 May 2011Free Transfer Nathan Sherlock Sydney FC (Youth)17 May 2011Free Transfer Pascal Bosschaart ADO Den Haag17 June 2011Free Transfer Brett Emerton Blackburn Rovers25 August 2011Free Transfer
Out Player To Date Fee Matthew Jurman Brisbane Roar10 February 2011Free Transfer Byun Sung-Hwan Newcastle Jets11 April 2011Released Stephan Keller Willem II6 July 2011Released Stuart Musialik Central Coast Mariners25 July 2011Released Andrew Durante Wellington Phoenix14 May 2011Loan return David Williams Melbourne Heart22 June 2011Free Transfer Kofi Danning Brisbane Roar27 June 2011Released Brendan Gan Bonnyrigg White Eagles4 July 2011Released Anthony Golec Sydney United30 June 2011Released
Loan in Player From Date Duration
Loan out Player To Date Duration
Events
May 10th: Jamie Coyne signs for Sydney FC from Perth Glory on a 2-year deal. 20th: Former chairman of the National Rugby League club Canterbury Bulldogs, Dirk Melton, is announced as the new CEO of Sydney FC.
June
July 18th: Sydney FC announce that Adidas will be replacing Reebok as their kit supplier, signing a 4-year deal.
August 3rd: Sydney FC play their first pre-season friendly in preparation for the 2011–12 season, and tie 1–1 with NSW Super League club Macarthur Rams at Campbelltown Stadium. 8th: Sydney FC reveal their new kits, as well us unveiling their 2011–12 Membership drive at Martin Place, Sydney CBD. 9th: Former Socceroos goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac is announced as the new Goalkeeping Coach of Sydney FC, replacing John Filan. 10th: Sydney FC win their first pre-season game of the 2011–12 campaign, with a comprehensive 3–0 victory over former NSL club St. George Saints Football Club at Kogarah Oval. 17th: Sydney FC thump NSW Premier League team Parramatta Eagles 6–0 at Parramatta Stadium. 24th: Sydney FC continue their pre-season undefeated run with a 4–2 win over Bankstown City Lions at Jensen Oval. Nick Carle scores a brace, giving him 5 goals in 2 games. 25th: Sydney FC announced Socceroo Brett Emerton as their second Marquee player. The announcement comes days after rival club Melbourne Victory announced they had signed Harry Kewell, whom it was believed Sydney FC was also chasing. 30th: New marquee signing Brett Emerton is unveiled, and presented with the #7 jersey. 30th: Sydney FC are humbled 3–0 by Sutherland Sharks at Seymour Shaw Park, Miranda making it the first loss of the pre-season for Sydney FC.
September 1st: Club stalwart and long time serviceman from season one Terry McFlynn is announced he will retain the captaincy for the upcoming season. 10th: Sydney FC go down to NSW Premier League club Sydney Olympic 1–0. 17th: Sydney FC lose their first pre-season game against A-League opposition going down to Newcastle Jets 1–0 in Cessnock.
October 8th: ROUND 1 v Melbourne Victory at Docklands Stadium finishes in a 0–0 draw. Striker Mark Bridge is sent off in the second half, following an incident with Rodrigo Vargas. 15th: ROUND 2 v Brisbane Roar at the Sydney Football Stadium, results in Sydney FC's first loss of the season, going down 2–0 to defending Premiers & Champions Brisbane. Goals from Besart Berisha and Thomas Broich either side of half time allowed the Roar to win their 30th consecutive game without defeat. 22nd: ROUND 3 v Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium results in Sydney breaking their goal drought, and winning their first game of the season, with a come from behind 2–1 victory. Dario Vidosic put the Reds ahead after a mistake by defender Michael Beauchamp, however second half goals by Jamie Coyne, and Nick Carle allowed Sydney to post their first 3 points of the season. 29th: ROUND 4 v Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park sees Sydney FC salvage a 1–1 draw in the dying seconds of injury time. A scrappy affair played in torrential rain, both sides failed to take their chances. Heart opening the scoring with 5 minutes to play through Brazilian striker Maycon. However Sydney replied through Nick Carle who scored his second goal of the season, right at the death.
November 6th: ROUND 5 v Gold Coast United at the Sydney Football Stadium ends up with Sydney FC taking all 3 points in a miraculous second half comeback. Down 1–0 at half time, which was doubled to 2–0 seconds into the second half, 2 goals in as many minutes saw Bruno Cazarine and Nick Carle claw Sydney back to 2–2, before a penalty kick was awarded to Sydney FC deep into stoppage time. Karol Kisel converted, to give Sydney a 3–2 win. Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg accuses referee Peter Green of match fixing for "the sake of the game". 12th: ROUND 6 v Perth Glory at NIB Stadium sees Sydney win their second game on the trot, with a 1–0 win. Striker Mark Bridge giving the visitors all 3 points after converting a low cross from Nick Carle. The win moves Sydney FC into 2nd position on the ladder, at the time only 2 points behind reigning Premiers & Champions, and currently undefeated in 2011–12 team Brisbane. 19th: ROUND 7 v Central Coast Mariners at the Sydney Football Stadium results in a 3–2 loss to the Sky Blues, ending their 4-game unbeaten streak. The Mariners opened the scoring with a bullet free kick via Dutch import Patrick Zwaanswijk before extending the lead mid way into the 2nd half through New Zealand international Michael McGlinchey. Nick Carle however pulled one back, effectively scoring his 4th goal of the season, and for a short time it looked like a repeat of the 3–2 heroics against the Gold Coast a fortnight earlier, but those hopes were quashed when the Mariners striker Troy Hearfield put a third past Liam Reddy. In the dying minutes, Brett Emerton was fouled near the box, and he skillfully put the free kick up, and around the wall, scoring his first competitive goal in a Sydney FC shirt. 27th: ROUND 8 v Wellington Phoenix at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand results in the second consecutive loss for the Sky Blues, going down 2–1 this time to New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix. Wellington were up 2–0 with goals through Paul Ifill and Tim Brown, before Sydney's Bruno Cazarine picked up his 2nd goal of the season with a consolation goal in the 70th minute. The loss means Sydney drop a further place down in the ladder to fourth, allowing rivals Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory to move into 2nd and 3rd respectively after they won their games.
December 4th: ROUND 9 v Brisbane Roar at Jubilee Oval, Carlton in Sydney's South-East ends with Sydney FC defeating Brisbane 2–0, ending the current defending Premiers & Champions 36-game winning streak, which is a record in Australian sport. An early goal, after just 36 seconds from young striker Dimitri Petratos got Sydney underway. Marquee man Brett Emerton got a flukey second goal from a corner kick midway through the first half, which the wind took and blew into the Brisbane goal, despite the best efforts from Goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos and former Sydney FC defender Matthew Jurman. The loss ends Sydney's 2-game losing streak, and moves them back into 3rd position behind Central Coast Mariners. 7th: Sydney FC were supposed to be playing the Perth Glory at Campbelltown Stadium, Leumeah as part of the A-League's regional round. However, the match was postponed until further notice due to Perth Glory being unable to fly out from Perth Airport due to heavy storm activity in the area which prevented planes from arriving or departing to and from the airport. Due to the long distance between Sydney and Perth, the Glory are unable to fly the next morning. 11th: Round 10 v Gold Coast United at Skilled Park Robina on the Gold Coast ends up with a disappointing 0–0 draw for the Sky Blues, against a Gold Coast United outfit sitting last on the A-League ladder. The game was slightly marred post game, when it was revealed that Sydney FC defender Shannon Cole would be fined by the club, after being found guilty of Diving, breaching the clubs no tolerance policy regarding simulation, which is frowned upon by the world governing body FIFA and fans world wide. 17th: Round 11 v Newcastle Jets at Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle results in a come-from-behind victory against Sydney's Northern New South Wales rivals. The Jets scored first after dominating the first half-hour of the game via a strike from New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie before Sydney FC clawed their way back into the game. Brazilian striker Bruno Cazarine leveled the scoreline, 19 minutes into the second half, after a smart cross from Karol Kisel in front of goal, followed by a simple header from Finnish striker Juho Makela on 84 minutes. The game also marked the debut of youth player Mitchell Mallia who came on as a substitute in the second half. 22nd: Round 12 v Adelaide United at the Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park saw Adelaide arrive in Sydney, having sacked their coach Rini Coolen only days previously. replacing him with Vitezslav Lavickas predecessor John Kosmina, who had also been Adelaide United manager from 2005 until 2007. The game finished 2–2, with Daniel Mullen opening the scoring for the Reds, following a brain explosion from Sydney FC captain Terry McFlynn who miskicked a back-pass which ended in a corner. Bruno Cazarine was brought down in the penalty area. Slovak Karol Kisel fired the ball home. In the second half Dario Vidosic won a penalty for the Reds, which he converted himself, however Sydney youth star Dimitri Petratos gave Sydney a share of the points when he fired home a ball from the edge of the penalty area, and took a glance off the inside of the post, ending the game 2–2. 29th: Round 13 v Melbourne Heart at the Sydney Football Stadium, Moore Park brought Sydney FC's largest crowd of the season thus far for the final game of the year. However, it was not to be a happy time for the Sky Blues, completely dominated from the opening whistle. Despite showing early promise through Brazilian Bruno Cazarine, the Heart opened the scoring through Eli Babalj in the 32nd minute. Heart doubled their advantage right on the stroke of half time, through Mate Dugandzic. The game was all but over for Sydney FC when Jason Hoffman made it 3–0. However Heart's Brazilian striker Alex Terra would have the laugh last in the dying minutes of the game when he made it 4–0 after Sydney FC goalkeeper dropped the ball right in front of him, in his eagerness to get the ball up the field after intercepting the cross, Terra calmly dribbled the ball to the goal line before booting it in the net, ending the rout and a painful 90 minutes for the harbour team. The loss would also see Wellington leapfrog them into 4th, with Sydney dropping into 5th.
January