Sydney FC will have a fresh face in their starting line-up when they face Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Saturday, with Head Coach Frank Farina announcing that 19 year old Themba Muata-Marlow will make his first team debut.
Sydney FC will have a fresh face in their starting line-up when they face Newcastle Jets at Hunter Stadium on Saturday, with Head Coach Frank Farina announcing that 19 year old Themba Muata-Marlow will make his first team debut.
Themba has played a pivotal role in the Sky Blues Foxtel National Youth League title winning squad this season, playing all but two games, and was on the bench for the Sky Blues victory over Perth Glory at the weekend.
“Young Themba will start this week,” Farina said.
“He-s been playing stopper for the youth team and has done a very, very good job this year. He-s quick, he-s mobile, good in the air, and strong for a young player so he will start at right back.
“They-ve [the youth players] performed exceptionally well in the youth league and they train with us regularly and the pleasing thing with the young players is they don-t have fear.
“They come in and do their best, it-s good to see, and you only know if you give them a shot.”
Farina confirmed that Terry Antonis, match-winner from the Perth game, would also continue his midfield role and he said he was proud of how the Sky Blues carried themselves in their important win against the Glory.
“Terry has pulled up really well,” said Farina.
“It wasn-t ideal to give him 90 minutes but he got through it alright, again we nursed him throughout the week, but he-ll start.
“I was very impressed [with the performance last week]. It was an enormous pressure, people say it was a must win game, we had to win, it was as simple as that.
“I was very proud of how the boys handled that pressure, particularly at home, and we-ve got to do that week in, week out. We-ve got to fight and we-ve got to chase results.”
The Sky Blues have defeated the Jets twice already this season and hold a strong record at Hunter Stadium (P:13 W:6 D:4 L:3) and Farina is targeting another victory with the Sky Blues only two points off third place.
“It-s another big game [for us],” Farina said.
“When you look at the league itself, I think everyone-s got big games this week but if we can manage to get three points it-d be a great boost.
“Our focus purely and simply is Newcastle this week and we-re in a decent position.”
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