Guns of A-League face off in Sydney
FOR a whole season they were peerless as the ALeague’s finest, so inseparable they ended up becoming the joint Johnny Warren medallists as the standout stars of the competition last year.
But Milos Ninkovic (right) and Ulises Davila (below) won’t rest on their laurels, the stylish string-pullers coming head to head on Saturday when Sydney FC hosts Macarthur and each aiming to own the occasion.
Ninkovic’s pedigree is well established – having played in the Champions League numerous times and against Australia at the 2010 World Cup, he won the Johnny Warren Medal previously in 2017 and has provided a constant stream of highlights for the Sky Blues fans over six years.
Even at 36, Ninkovic was highly effective for Sydney in the opening round derby last weekend, and will feature centrally if Sydney is to challenge for the title again.
Now Davila has been signed to give Macarthur a creative spark it lacked on occasions last season and it’s not surprising there are high hopes – given that EPL giant Chelsea fought off competition to sign him after Davila’s star turn at the under-20 2011 World Cup.
Taking on rivals including James Rodriguez, Willian, Oscar and Phillipe Coutinho, Davila drove Mexico to a third-place finish thanks to four goals and some sparkling displays in six games.
A fortnight later he was signing for Chelsea, and though his time there was spent on loan at clubs around Europe, the whole adventure opened Davila’s eyes up to the world.
“When you’re that young, you don’t realise what you are taking part in (at a World Cup) – you just try to enjoy your football,” Davila told News Corp. “But I can see now what a strong team Mexico had, to get to the playoff (for third place) and lose only to Brazil. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
“Chelsea had been following me for the past year because I’d played in a couple of tournaments in Europe, and I was playing in the top league in Mexico.
“But it still changed my life. It’s what any kid would dream of, getting the offer to sign for a club like Chelsea. I felt I’d achieved something, it made my family very happy, which is important for me.
“I was what, 19 or 20, and suddenly I was going to live in Europe. I spoke no English, and straight away Chelsea loaned me to Vitesse Arnham (in Holland) – and I spoke no Dutch either.
“Those first few years were tough, you have to adapt and you have to grow up. I don’t just mean as a footballer, you have to grow up quickly as a person.”