APIA Leichhardt delivered a statement performance at Lambert Park, powering to a commanding 4–1 victory over Sydney Olympic to reclaim second place on the ladder, with a display full of attacking flair, clinical finishing, and moments of genuine quality.
Despite the final scoreline, it was Olympic who came flying out of the blocks and very nearly stunned the home crowd inside the opening moments. A long ball forward found Marco Arambasic, who brought it down superbly before a slip from Eijin Kishimoto presented him with a golden opportunity one-on-one with Oliver Kalac.
However, the APIA goalkeeper stood tall, producing a crucial early save to deny what would have been a shock opener.
That moment proved pivotal, as APIA gradually took control of proceedings. The opening 20 minutes were largely played in the hosts’ attacking half, though clear-cut chances were initially hard to come by against a disciplined Olympic outfit that showed flashes of promise on the ball.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 23rd minute. Oscar Gonzalez drew contact from Ziggy Gordon near the edge of the area to win a penalty, and Jack Stewart made no mistake from the spot, calmly side-footing his effort past Josip Orlovic to give APIA a deserved lead.
From there, the hosts began to find their rhythm—and their cutting edge. Just seven minutes later, they doubled their advantage with a stunning counter-attacking move. After Thema Muata-Marlow regained possession, Fabian Monge linked play before Stewart showcased quick footwork to create space and release Cameron Fong on the overlap.
What followed was a moment of brilliance. Driving forward from deep, the right-back surged into the box before unleashing a superb strike on his left foot, picking out the bottom corner with precision to score his first goal of the 2026 campaign and leave Orlovic with no chance.
APIA carried that momentum into the second half and effectively put the game beyond doubt in the 57th minute. A high press saw Michael Kouta win possession before Seiya Kambayashi threaded a clever pass through to Gonzalez, who unselfishly squared for Monge to calmly guide the ball into the far corner and make it 3–0.
To their credit, Olympic refused to fade and began to create opportunities of their own. Ben Giason slipped a neat ball through to Yuto Fujita, whose curling effort was well saved by Kalac, while Arambasic was later sent through on goal following a sharp counterattack, only to lift his attempted chip over the crossbar with Kalac once again applying pressure.
Those missed chances proved costly, as APIA remained ruthless in front of goal. The fourth arrived through Gonzalez, who capped off a fine attacking move after Alex Denmead regained possession and Rory Jordan drove at a retreating defence before threading a perfectly weighted pass into the striker’s path. Gonzalez did the rest, hammering a powerful finish into the top corner.
Olympic did manage a late consolation in the 86th minute following a well-worked counterattack. Brooklyn Mallia showed strength and determination to break forward from midfield before his pass found Giorgos Louca, who rounded Kalac and finished neatly to reduce the deficit.
However, the result was never in doubt, as APIA’s attacking quality and efficiency proved decisive across the 90 minutes.
Post-match, APIA head coach Franco Parisi was full of praise for his side’s performance and the brand of football on display.
“Some exciting football, some real sexy football—if you look at some of the moments we had in the final third, it’s very exciting,” he said.
“We had a great crowd today, playing after the women’s game, and those that saw it will definitely be coming back because it was great to watch.”
With this emphatic victory, APIA not only strengthened their position near the top of the table but also sent a clear message about their attacking capabilities and growing momentum as the season progresses while it was yet another dark day for Olympic who still sit in last position on the NPL Men’s NSW competition ladder after eleven rounds.
Source: NPL NSW.
