With over 40,000 fans set to fill Allianz Stadium for Saturday’s Sydney Derby, Sky Blues midfielder Brandon O’Neill has praised the atmosphere generated by the Sky Blues fans as he gears up for his second encounter against the Wanderers.
O’Neill said the noise inside the stadium is deafening as he revealed instinct plays an integral role in matches as big as the derby.
“It’s mental [the atmosphere],” he said
“You can’t even hear your team mates or your coaches talking to you it’s that good. You have to mainly rely on instinct when you’re out there.
“If you ask any player, they want to play in matches where it’s a full stadium, a full atmosphere and they don’t want to hear anything but the crowd and the chants and that’s what we’ll have this Saturday night.
“These are the games you want to play. It’s another sell out at Allianz and that’s credit to our fans who make such a good atmosphere.
“I can’t wait to get out there in front of another packed Allianz Stadium and get the three points.”
O’Neill has fond memories of the previous Sydney Derby at Allianz Stadium, in which he set up Milos Ninkovic’s winner, as the Perth born midfielder said he was approaching Saturday’s with more confidence following a stand out season to date.
“It was a proud moment to set up the winner, I was lucky enough that Ninko had a good touch and good finish, to score the winner, and make my ball look ok,” O’Neill said.
“I’m just happy to be involved and happy to be at a club where the fans are passionate and love their football and we’ll see that Saturday night when we walk out and see a sea of Sky Blue.
“I’ve played a few more games now and I know what the A-League is about and how to approach an A-League game.
“In saying that though the Derby is a different game all together, it’s a one off game, 90 minutes and it divides Sydney literally down the centre.
“You have to bring your a-game and if not, you don’t win these sorts of games. We’ve been training hard, we know what we have to do and when it comes to Saturday we have to do it,” he continued.
“We have to turn up and deliver what we’ve been practising in training and all I can see, if that happens, if we turn up with the right mentality and focus, there’s no reason why we can’t get out there and get the three points.”
Sydney FC take on the Western Sydney Wanderers in the third Sydney Derby of the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season on Saturday night (kick off 7:30pm). Catch the game live on Fox Sports 4, listen live on ABC Grandstand or follow @SydneyFC for updates.
