In the season in which he made his 150th Hyundai A-League appearance for Sydney FC, Sebastian Ryall proved a pivotal figure in the Sky Blues defensive line over the course of season 2015/16.
Initially deployed on the right hand side as a fullback, Ryall featured prominently in the centre of defence and forged a strong partnership with fellow centre half Matthew Jurman during the latter stages of the season.
Playing 23 games for 1974 minutes, Ryall won 41 out of his 48 attempted tackles and proved strong in the air, winning 32 out of 45 aerial duels.
Ryall was required to clear the danger on 39 occasions and was alert to the pass to intercept the ball 72 times in strong defensive showings that saw the Sky Blues number 2 handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Alex Brosque and Shane Smeltz.
Of the 929 passes Ryall attempted, 702 were completed for a passing accuracy of 75.6% as the former Young Socceroo carved out 11 chances when getting in to advanced positions, earning one assist.
In a season of personal milestones, Ryall will be hoping season 2016/17 proves more fruitful on a team level as sights are set on silverware in the new season kicking off in October.
Sydney FC 2016/17 Memberships on sale June. Register your interest by signing up at http://my.sydneyfc.com
