[6] When the FFA announced that the usual A-League pre-season cup wouldn't be held due to financial reasons, it meant that teams would have to organise their own friendlies in the months before the start of the season.

[15] Coach Vitezslav Lavicka signed his last player of the season, Stephan Keller, on a one-year contract,[16] who had recently been released by then Eredivisie club De Graafschap after they had been relegated.

Just after 4 minutes, marquee man John Aloisi put last season's troubles behind him, opening the score on the back of a counter-attack that came off a saved Robbie Fowler free kick down the other end of the field.

Sydney would double that lead to 2-0 20 minutes later through Kofi Danning, before North Queensland managed to get back into the game shortly before half time with a headed goal through a corner.

It seemed like it would end a draw, but with 17 minutes remaining John Aloisi slotted a ball straight into the box, and a chasing Alex Brosque was tripped by a beaten Paul Henderson.

After almost conceding minutes from time, Sydney managed to escape with a narrow victory and move into second on the ladder behind Gold Coast United with two wins from as many games.

Sydney's main striker and marquee player John Aloisi came close to scoring on 76 minutes, denied by the fingertips and reflexes of the Mariners keeper Danny Vukovic.

However, the sky blues custodian Clint Bolton went one better pulling off a wonder penalty-save after John Hutchinson was brought down in a clattering tackle by Simon Colosimo and Byun Sung-Hwan.

Joel Porter made a promising start to the game for the home team but in the 19th minute he was forced to be substituted due to a calf injury and was replaced by Brazilian import Robson.

Matt Osman's free kick was directed towards Shane Smeltz, whose header gave goalkeeper Clint Bolton little chance as the ball looped into the corner of the net.

Dutch striker Serginho van Dijk managed to get one past Bolton on Brisbane's third consecutive corner, giving his fourth goal against Sydney FC in two meetings.

He got his return debut off to a flying start in the 21st minute, when Stuart Musialik held the ball outside the box, to put in a pinpoint accurate cross, which Terry Slammed into the top right hand corner.

For the remaining half Sydney looked the dominant team, Terry McFlynn unlucky not to score minutes later, and Steve Corica going centimetres wide of the post from a spectacular scissor-kick.

The Second half would remain the same sort of story, the Mariners threw everything at the defence, but couldn't break the strong wall of Stephan Keller, Shannon Cole, Sebastian Ryall and Simon Colosimo.

Over 30,000 packed into Melbourne's Etihad Stadium to see the clash, both sides were at full strength, aside from Sydney FC missing Swiss defender Stephan Keller with a knee injury he had picked up the week before.

Adelaide lost Defensive Midfielder Fabien Barbiero in the opening 10 minutes after he pulled down Mark Bridge as he made a break and was bound to score from a 1-on-1 with goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic.

Under previous administrations the Phoenix had been the "bogey" team for Sydney FC, but went into the game with some confidence, boasting a strong squad and the knowledge, they had already beaten them 2-0 earlier that season at the same venue.

Shortly before the half-time interval Alex Brosque put the final icing on the cake, making a marvelous run down the far wing, outpacing the Wellington defence, setting Bridge up for his 2nd.

Alex Brosque, and John Aloisi both came agonisingly close in the second half but the match finished 3–1 and Sydney scooted to a short 4-point lead before Melbourne beat Perth Glory 2–1.

The fans fell silent for the first time all day, and would be stunned to their seats minutes later when Newcastle club captain and new Melbourne Heart recruit Matt Thompson knocked in a third to make it 3–0 to the visitors.

Sydney managed to pull back a consolation goal through some good tough attacking play by Marquee player John Aloisi who put in a cross to Alex Brosque who knocked it in, but it was a case of too little, too late for the Sky blues, leaving them languishing in second place, 5 points behind rivals Melbourne Victory and only one point clear of Gold Coast United and Central Coast Mariners, as well as reeling from their third straight loss, and in the midst of a form slump.

However Melbourne started the game the stronger but Sydney FC's waterproof defence held its nerve once more and refused to give in, despite some shots going off the cross bar from Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernández.

Now lacking depth in the defence, Vitezslav Lavicka quickly signed former Socceroo Hayden Foxe on a short-term deal until the end of the season, and promoted Sam Gallagher from Sydney's youth squad.

Despite a good performance from John Aloisi Sydney failed to hit the straps and shoot, and succumbed, dropping one place to second on the ladder, with Gold Coast snatching the top spot by 1 point.

However Sydney would retake the lead through marquee man John Aloisi when his mistimed kick appeared to have been cleared, however the ball controversially went through a hole in the side netting, with referee Chris Beath ruling no goal.

It looked like the game would finish a tie, however Swiss import Stephan Keller launched a cross which found a leaping John Aloisi who headed the ball powerfully past the keeper into the back of the net to give Sydney a 3–2 win, and ultimately put the decider against Melbourne Victory next the next week.

However it would be Melbourne who would strike first Robbie Kruse turned his defender from 25 years and fired in a shot that slammed into the top corner, inching past the fingertips of a flying Clint Bolton, it looked possibly over for the harbourside team.

Melbourne's hopes took a massive blow early on in the game when start striker and marquee player Archie Thompson suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, scans later revealing this, meaning he would not play for at least 12 months.

However, if there was any pressure, the Sydney players were not showing it, Hayden Foxe nearly ripped the net off with his penalty, whilst Clint Bolton pulled off a wonderful save from Melbourne's Costa Rican international Marvin Angulo.

Leigh Broxham would give Melbourne a faint glimmer of hope, when he scored to make it 3–2, however Sydney FC's Korean import Byun Sung-Hwan stepped up to take the final penalty.