The best-laid plans of the A-League Men often go awry. A grand final filled with the romance of one, perhaps even two, perennial underachievers capping their resurgence by reaching the decider was all but written in the stars this year. But Sydney FC and Auckland FC flipped the script against the premiers Newcastle Jets and regular season runners-up Adelaide United. Rather than a finale between two sides packed with bright young things who have helped give an embattled league a lift, Saturday’s grand final will instead be a meeting between the most successful club in the history of the competition and upstarts from across the ditch.
There is cause to celebrate with a title decider to be held in New Zealand for the first time, after Auckland reached the grand final from third place and ahead of Sydney’s regular season finish in fifth. It is hard to argue the Black Knights do not deserve their spot after marching through with a commanding win in Adelaide. The Sky Blues also earned admiration when extending their flawless record in league shootouts to end the Jets’ dreams of a fairytale in dramatic fashion.
