Brisbane Roar were edged out Sydney FC 3-2 in a thrilling 2024/25 Isuzu UTE A-League home opener at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.
Goals from Thomas Waddingham and Rafael Struick saw Roar claw their way back after going behind to strikes from Patryk Klimala and Leo Sena before Jaiden Kucharski popped up with a 90th minute winner in a frantic second half.
After a deadlocked opening stanza Klimala opened the scoring in the 50th minute when he was picked out by a Jordan Courtney-Perkins flick before finishing one-on-one past Macklin Freke.
Waddingham, who’d earlier rattled the woodwork, levelled the scores in the 67th minute when he got in behind the Sydney defence and fired a finish past Andrew Redmayne at the near post.
Sydney reclaimed the lead just three minutes later through Sena ,who poked home a clinical finish from the top of the box.
Struick, who’d entered the contest in the 70th minute didn’t need much time to mark his home debut with his first goal for the club, sliding home a first time finish after being played in by Waddingham in the 78th minute.
Despite a valiant fightback it wasn’t to be for Roar with Kucharski rocketing a strike into the back of the net from distance in the 90th minute to seal all three points for the visitors.
Next up for Roar is a trip to take on Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Saturday, November 9.
MATCH DETAILS
Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2024/25 – Round 3: Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC
Suncorp Stadium, Milton
Friday, 1 November
Brisbane Roar – 2 (Thomas WADDINGHAM 67’, Rafael STRUICK 78’)
Sydney FC – 3 (Patryk KLIMALA 50’, Leo SENA 71’, Jaiden KUCHARSKI 90’)
