From the Jets' web site.
2008 Grand Final: Jets 1 - 0 MarinersSunday, 24 February 2008The Newcastle Jets are the 2008 Hyundai A-League Champions! The Jets defeated the Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in front of over 36,000 fans at the Sydney Football Stadium today.
The opening period, and indeed the majority of the game, was dominated by the team from the Hunter, as their astute passing game troubled the Mariners no end.
Nerves were also dominant in the first 15 minutes, with neither side wanting to slip up. The first shot in anger came from Matt Thompson in the 17th minute, after Adam D’Apuzzo whipped in a delightful cross for Thompson to volley. Unfortunately his shot sailed over the bar.
2 minutes later and striker Mark Bridge nearly opened the scoring with a stinging right-footed strike on the edge of the area. Bridge played a neat one-two with Korean, Jin-Hyung Song, and hit his shot first-time from 20 yards, but that ball went agonisingly wide.
Central Coast’s first shot came through Greg Owens in the 28th minute, but his strike went harmlessly wide.
The two sides went in 0-all at halftime, as tension mounted inside the SFS. The Jets appeared to have the better of the play, but had yet to take their chance.
Socceroo striker John Aloisi then had the opportunity to make the Jets pay in the 49th minute, but pushed his open header wide of Ante Covic’s goal. Aloisi’s strike partner, Sasho Petrovski, then tried an audacious chip from 35 yards as the Mariners began to try their luck.
3 minutes later and left-wingback, D’Apuzzo had a great chance after some excellent lead-up work by Stuart Musialik and Joel Griffiths. D’Apuzzo, however, sprayed his shot wide, but the space he was afforded was a worrying sign for the Mariners.
Then came the moment that all football fans in Northern NSW had been dreaming of; Bridge scored from a cracking strike to give the Jets a deserved lead. After a slip-up at the back, Bridge pounced and went on a solo run toward goal. After cutting inside his defender, Bridge then hit a curling shot beyond his good friend, Danny Vukovic, and into the back of the net.
The Mariners then pressed hard to gain the equalizer, but in the end were frustrated by the Jets’ miserly defence. Owens hit hopeful shot that went well wide on the 68 minutes mark. And substitute, Matt Simon, pushed his shot-on-the-turn wide of the mark moments later.
As the game was winding down drama unfolded, with Vukovic being sent from the field after a melee broke out when he came forward for a corner in the dying minutes.
The Jets would go on to secure a historic win, and clinch their first piece of silverware. The trophy was no less than the travelling faithful deserved, and the Jets players and coaching staff have bathed the region in glory for some time to come. No doubt the celebrations in the Hunter will go on for some time.
With that said, let's move on to the action locally. First off, how about those Dirtbags! They go on a win streak, taking the series from Rice 1-0 and 3-2, respectively, and Danny Boy struck again! Danny Espinosa from Santa Ana Mater Dei set one ball into liftoff yesterday, and new assistant Jon Strauss and Andy Rojo have made an impressive showing thus far. Weather permitting, the series concludes at 1:00 today. Let's see if Jake "The Snake" Thompson can keep the momentum going.
The Masters of LSV flexed it up against THE Ohio State University, winning in 4 and 3 at the St. John Areana in Columbus. Paul "The Chopman" Lotman has 32 kills-count 'em, 32 kills-in the Friday showdown, and also has 20 in the Saturday sweep. The three-pronged attack of Lotman, Dean Bittner, and Dan Alexander capitalized in 13 service errors and zero aces from the Buckeyes yesterday, too. They head home this Friday for a chance at ending a streak of futility against Northridge. And I'll be there to see it happen.
The women's basketball team will be playing in Anaheim to to wrap up the year. They edged by Northridge, 49-48. The women's water polo team blased UCSB in a goal festival, 14-11, after falling to Hawaii, 10-6. And the golf team continues its quest for improvement, finishing 13th out of a field of 21 at the John Burns Invitational. The women's tennis team ripped apart UC Riverside, 7-0.
Low points go to the ice hockey team and the men's basketball team; more so for the hockey team. I mean, how the hell do you give up a three-goal lead in the 3rd period, and let San Jose State get away in overtime? No doubt, the season has become a bust for the Beach, and any hopes of them getting the Long Beach Arena for themselves just died Friday night. Eric Raimondo, you'd better paint your house...now that you have the time!
And please. The 49er men's basketball team must have sniffed the wrong hormone if they thought they had a shot against New Mexico State. 80-48 blowout. Ouch.
Finally, how about the Los Angeles Galaxy! After being 1-0'd by eventual Pan Pacific champ Gamba Osaka, they get payback for their demise against Sydney FC late last year in a 2-1 win under new manager Ruud Gullit to secure third place.
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