Sydney FC face a ‘do or die’ derby clash against fierce rivals Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday as the race for the W-League finals goes right down to the wire.
Sydney FC face a ‘do or die’ derby clash against fierce rivals Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday as the race for the W-League finals goes right down to the wire.
With one game to play in the regular season, the Sky Blues occupy fifth spot on the ladder, one point behind reigning Premiers Canberra United. Should Canberra lose or draw to first-placed Brisbane Roar, a derby win would put Sydney into the finals.
Talismanic midfielder Teresa Polias is not lacking confidence that the Sky Blues can force their way into the playoffs.
“We’re fired up. Our season is on the line and it’s a huge rivalry between us,” said Polias.
“We’ve had a few ups and downs but our confidence is still there as always.
“We can only hope that their game goes our way. We can only focus on what we can control and that’s our game and winning our game.”
With so much on the line, and the possibility of beating the Wanderers on their home turf, the team are hoping the fans will head out to Campbelltown Stadium (kick off 10am) to show their support.
With 12 teenagers, Sydney have one of the youngest squads in the league and have impressed coach Alen Stajcic with their ability to get results against big clubs like Canberra and Brisbane.
“We’ve really improved as the year has progressed. I think we’ve shown that we are good enough to beat anyone on any day,” said Stajcic.
“If we can keep the core of this group together in the next three or four years I think we’ll have a championship winning team for the future.”
As for the weekend’s game, Stajcic is happy to let the players motivate themselves.
“It’s a massive game,” he said.
“Obviously we have to think about the Canberra game a little bit, but we’re focused enough on our own game to know what we have to do.”
The match will kick off at a new time of 10am at Campbelltown Stadium.
Sydney FC’s next A-League home game will be a Finals Series six-pointer against the Melbourne Heart this Sunday, January 13th. Tickets are available from Ticketek starting at just $25 for adults. Kick off is at 5pm. It should be an occasion to bring all the family.
