Will Sydney watch Sydney now?

Before yesterday there are some pretty good reasons to go out and watch Sydney FC in Hyundai A League Season 3. A new coach that demands a more tasteful approach to football in Branko Culina. World class defenders in Tony Popovic, young up and comers like Mark Milligan and Alex Brosque, and war horses like Steve Corica.

But yesterday, Sydney was gifted Juninho Paulista by Frank Lowy (to be recouped in part by a Carney transfer fee no doubt). To most of us he is a name on the roll of players that got rattled out as Brazil slowly geared up into the World Cup 2002 and, right under everyones noses pulled off yet another World Champions trophy.

And Juninho Paulista was integral. You don't just play 50 times for Brazil's national team and play 5 out of 7 games in a World Cup finals campaign because there is no one else around to take your spot. Brazilians demand blood. This guy was good.

That alone is a reason to pack the stadium at the first home game. The fans deserve better than what they were given last season, and the club now deserves the fans to come back, because they have delivered on a true marquee player. Other clubs may boast a marquee who is a name in Australian football and perhaps known to a a few overseas - Stan Lazaridis for Perth, Craig Moore for Queensland and....Ante Covic for Newcastle(?). But Sydney have taken the notion of what a marquee player is meant to be and stepped it up a notch. As frustrating a wait as it has been, they have got their million dollar man.

Whether he will perform on the field is another matter. The signs are good . He looks fit and trim, and he has a distinctive lack of ego about him.

The chance to see a truly world class player, to swing to the samba rhythms provided by the Sydney Brazilians who will undoubtedly show up with their drums, whistles, and dancing girls and boys, and the promise of an attractive passing style of football encouraged by Culina should be reason enough to get off the couch and get to the games.

Attendance Stats for Sydney FC in the Hyundai A-league

2005/06 Sydney FC Average Crowd 19,647
2006/07 Sydney FC Average Crowd 17,449
2007/08 Sydney FC Average Crowd ?????

Ole!