Sydney FC midfielder Anthony Caceres praises fans for setting new record, opens up on ‘weird’ game

Stylish Sydney FC star Anthony Caceres paid tribute to Sydney FC fans after they added 17,000 members for the first time in their 18-year history.

The new record was set despite the A-League posting its worst attendance rate since a World Cup when the Socceroos’ incredible campaign in Qatar ended last year.

Football fans expected the numbers to rise after the performance of Graham Arnold’s team before the opposite happened, but Sydney’s new benchmark is bucking the trend.

“Thanks to them, they always make their voices heard and provide a great atmosphere,” Cáceres said of the club’s supporters.

‘They’ve been around since the pandemic, we love their passion even when we’re not getting results. We have to go out there and reward them for their loyalty.

Cáceres will take on the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday in what he believes will surely be a ‘weird’ occasion.

Sydney FC star Cáceres praised the club’s fans after they took the team’s membership to new heights, surpassing the 17,000 mark for the first time in history.

The news contrasts with the trend in the rest of the A-League, which had expected an increase in numbers in games after the World Cup, but got the opposite (pictured, empty seats in a Wellington vs Western Sydney match Last December)

Given that the Mariners gave him his A-League start in 2012, it’s easy to see why.

The stylish midfielder, 30, first played for the club’s youth team at Gosford, where he soon caught the eye of then-manager Graham Arnold.

“I will always be grateful to the Mariners, they gave me the opportunity to become a professional footballer,” Cáceres told Daily Mail Australia.

“I enjoyed my time there, it is a region that is very passionate about the game.

“When I was a kid, my family used to vacation on the Central Coast, so I’ve spent quite a bit of time there.”

The Mariners gave Cáceres his A-League start in 2012 when Graham Arnold was in charge at Gosford, and now it’s always ‘rare’ for him to come up against his old team.

Cáceres then moved to Melbourne City, a club affiliated with EPL giants Manchester City, in 2016 before a stint in Dubai with Al Wasl Football Club for two seasons.

When Sky Blues head coach Steve Corica called in 2019, the answer was always going to be yes.

“Sydney FC is the biggest club in the country, it was an easy decision,” he added.

“As it was with the Mariners, it’s a privilege to play the game full time in Australia.”

On Saturday at the renovated Allianz Stadium, Cáceres will be a crucial figure in the home side’s bid to climb the A-League ladder.

Currently, being in eighth place does not sit well with the playing group, and with the Mariners flying high in second place, another potential A-League classic awaits in round 15 action.

Cáceres is also in form against his former employers, scoring a brace in a 3-2 victory at Leichhardt Oval last January, as well as goals in an FFA Cup match in July and the 5-0 win at Gosford last April.

Sydney FC’s Anthony Cáceres (right) and Helen are the first wife and first husband to play for the same club in the A-League and W-League; both were previously on the books of the city of Melbourne.

Cáceres’ form for Sydney FC saw him chosen in the A-League All Stars squad that faced Barcelona last May.

“We need to build on our momentum, we haven’t been consistent,” he said.

“We have shown in patches what we can do, but if we want to continue climbing the ladder, we need wins.

‘The Mariners are energetic and play without fear…we all know that another win will take the pressure off Steve (Corica), which we owe him as a group.

“Personally, a goal would be nice, but if it happens, I won’t celebrate it too much out of respect for the Mariners.”