# 2005–06 Sydney FC season

The 2005-06 season was Sydney FC's first season, formed to compete in the new Australian A-League competition. The club finished second on the table in the regular season, and won the first A-League Grand Final, defeating Central Coast Mariners 1–0. Sydney also represented Oceania at the FIFA Club World Championship 2005 where they were placed fifth.

## Players
### Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | AUS | Clint Bolton |
| 2 | DF | AUS | Iain Fyfe |
| 3 | DF | AUS | Alvin Ceccoli |
| 4 | DF | AUS | Mark Rudan |
| 5 | DF | AUS | Steve Laurie |
| 6 | MF | AUS | Ufuk Talay |
| 7 | MF | AUS | Robbie Middleby |
| 8 | MF | AUS | Matthew Bingley |
| 9 | FW | AUS | David Zdrilic |
| 10 | MF | AUS | Steve Corica |
| 11 | FW | AUS | Sasho Petrovski |
| 12 | MF | AUS | David Carney |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 13 | FW | USA | Alejandro Salazar |
| 14 | MF | AUS | Andrew Packer |
| 15 | MF | NIR | Terry McFlynn |
| 16 | DF | AUS | Mark Milligan |
| 17 | DF | AUS | Jacob Timpano |
| 18 | DF | AUS | Wade Oostendorp |
| 19 | FW | TRI | Dwight Yorke |
| 20 | GK | AUS | Justin Pasfield |
| 21 | FW | JPN | Kazuyoshi Miura (guest player) |
| 22 | FW | AUS | John Buonavoglia (short-term signing) |
| 23 | MF | AUS | Ruben Zadkovich (short-term signing) |
| 24 | FW | AUS | Tolgay Özbey (short-term signing) |

### Transfers in

| Player | From | Fee | Date |
| Clint Bolton | APIA Leichhardt | Free | 17 November 2004 |
| Alvin Ceccoli | Wollongong Wolves | Free | 17 November 2004 |
| Steve Laurie | unattached | – | 17 November 2004 |
| Robbie Middleby | unattached | – | 17 November 2004 |
| Sasho Petrovski | Bankstown City Lions | Free | 17 November 2004 |
| Andrew Packer | Queensland Lions | Free | 17 November 2004 |
| Steve Corica | Walsall | – | 1 December 2004 |
| Mark Milligan | Blacktown City Demons | Free | 4 December 2004 |
| Justin Pasfield | Bray Wanderers | – | 4 December 2004 |
| Jacob Timpano | Wollongong Wolves | Free | 4 December 2004 |
| Wade Oostendorp | AIS | – | 4 December 2004 |
| Mark Rudan | Public Bank | Free | 9 December 2004 |
| Alejandro Salazar | University of Portland | Free | 9 December 2004 |
| David Zdrilic | SV Eintracht Trier | – | 13 December 2004 |
| Ufuk Talay | Mersin Idman Yurdu | – | 5 January 2005 |
| Iain Fyfe | Hamilton Academical | – | 16 February 2005 |
| David Carney | Hamilton Academical | – | 11 March 2005 |
| Terry McFlynn | Morecambe | – | 12 March 2005 |
| Matthew Bingley | Central Coast United | Free | 15 March 2005 |
| Dwight Yorke | Birmingham City | Free | 16 April 2005 |

### Short-term signings

| Player | Transferred from | Type/Fee | Start date | End date |
| Mitchell Blowes | Kemblawarra FC | Loan signing for Oceania Club Championship | 16 May 2005 | 30 June 2005 |
| Mitchell Blowes | Kemblawarra FC | Loan signing for FIFA Club World Championship | 29 November 2005 | 17 December 2005 |
| Todd Brodie | Marconi Stallions | Loan signing for Oceania Club Championship | 16 May 2005 | 30 June 2005 |
| Brendan Renaud | St George Saints | Loan signing for Oceania Club Championship | 16 May 2005 | 30 June 2005 |
| John Buonavoglia | Sydney Olympic | Loan signing for Oceania Club Championship | 16 May 2005 | 30 June 2005 |
| John Buonavoglia | Sydney Olympic | International duty replacement for Sasho Petrovski | 1 September 2005 | 3 September 2005 |
| John Buonavoglia | Sydney Olympic | Injury replacement for Steve Laurie | 4 October 2005 | 4 November 2005 |
| John Buonavoglia | Sydney Olympic | Loan signing for FIFA Club World Championship | 29 November 2005 | 17 December 2005 |
| Kazuyoshi Miura | Yokohama FC | Guest player | 4 November 2005 | 17 December 2005 |
| Dustin Wells | Belconnen Blue Devils | Loan signing for FIFA Club World Championship | 29 November 2005 | 17 December 2005 |
| Ruben Zadkovich | Notts County | Loan signing for FIFA Club World Championship | 29 November 2005 | 17 December 2005 |
| Ruben Zadkovich | Notts County | Injury replacement for Ufuk Talay | 21 January 2006 | 6 March 2006 |
| Tolgay Özbey | Blacktown City Demons | Injury replacement for David Zdrilic | 9 February 2006 | 6 March 2006 |

## Kits

All A-League club kits were supplied by Reebok through a sponsorship deal with the A-League, and all clubs initially had a white change strip, Sydney adopting a light blue trim to their away shirts. The home shirt colour of sky blue adopted the NSW representative colour, contrasted with the navy blue and orange trim.
Shirt sponsorship was secured with health insurance provider Healthe.
| Home | Away | Goalkeeper |

## Competitions
### Overall

| Competition | Started round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
| Oceania Club Championship Qualification | Round 1 | Champions | 7 May 2005 | 15 May 2005 |
| Oceania Club Championship | Group Stage | Champions | 31 May 2005 | 10 June 2005 |
| Pre-Season Challenge Cup | Group Stage | Semi-finals | 23 July 2005 | 12 August 2005 |
| A-League | Round 1 | 2nd | 28 August 2005 | 3 February 2006 |
| FIFA Club World Championship | Quarter-finals | 5th | 12 December 2005 | 16 December 2005 |
| A-League Finals | Semi-finals | Champions | 10 February 2006 | 5 March 2006 |

### Oceania Club Championship
#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sydney FC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | AS Pirae | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Auckland City | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 3 | |
| 4 | Sobou | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 20 | −16 | 0 | |

#### Knockout stage
### 2005 Pre-season Challenge Cup

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Sydney FC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 | Advance to semi-finals |
| 2 | Central Coast Mariners | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 | Advance to semi-finals |
| 3 | Queensland Roar | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 | |
| 4 | New Zealand Knights | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 | |

#### Knockout stage

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 12 August | 12 August |
| Melbourne Victory | 1 |
| Melbourne Victory | 1 | 21 August | 21 August |
| Central Coast Mariners | 3 | 21 August | 21 August |
| Central Coast Mariners | 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 1 |
| 14 August | 14 August | | Central Coast Mariners | 1 |
| 14 August | 14 August | Perth Glory | 0 |
| Sydney FC | 0 | Perth Glory | 0 |
| Perth Glory | 1 | | |

### 2005–06 A-League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Adelaide United | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 43 | Qualification for 2007 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 2 | Sydney FC (C) | 21 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 36 | Qualification for 2007 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series |
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 21 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 32 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 4 | Newcastle Jets | 21 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 31 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 5 | Perth Glory | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 34 | 29 | +5 | 29 | |
| 6 | Queensland Roar | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 28 | |
| 7 | Melbourne Victory | 21 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 26 | |
| 8 | New Zealand Knights | 21 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 15 | 47 | −32 | 6 | |
* ↑ New Zealand Knights cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

#### Finals series
### FIFA World Club Championship
## Appearances and goals

Players with no appearances not included in the list.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | A-League | A-League | CWC Qualifying | CWC Qualifying | Pre-Season Cup | Pre-Season Cup | OFC Club Championship | OFC Club Championship | Club World Championship | Club World Championship | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | | Clint Bolton | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | | Iain Fyfe | 20+3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 34+3 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | | Alvin Ceccoli | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 |
| 4 | DF | | Marko Rudan | 10+6 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| 6 | MF | | Ufuk Talay | 15+1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2+1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 7 | MF | | Robbie Middleby | 2+14 | 1 | 0+3 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | | Matthew Bingley | 13+7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 2 |
| 9 | FW | | David Zdrilic | 9+10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 0+2 | 0 | 30 | 10 |
| 10 | MF | | Steve Corica | 21+1 | 5 | 0+3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2+3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 9 |
| 11 | FW | | Sasho Petrovski | 20+2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 18 |
| 12 | MF | | David Carney | 22+2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 6 |
| 14 | MF | | Andrew Packer | 13+7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 34 | 3 |
| 15 | MF | | Terry McFlynn | 16+5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 16 | DF | | Mark Milligan | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | | Jacob Timpano | 18+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | | Wade Oostendorp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | | Dwight Yorke | 19+2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 9 |
| 23 | MF | | Ruben Zadkovich | 4+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |

## End-of-season awards

| Award | Winner |
| Player of the Year | Clint Bolton |
| Member's Player of the Year | David Carney |
| Golden Boot | Sasho Petrovski |
| Defender of the Year | Alvin Ceccoli |
| Midfielder of the Year | David Carney |
| Forward of the Year | Dwight Yorke |
| Chairman's Award | Mark Rudan |
| Finals Player of the Year | Steve Corica |
| Goal of the Year | Alvin Ceccoli |