Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold says he’ll look to combat Adelaide United’s long ball tactics when the two sides meet in the Sky Blue final home clash at Allianz Stadium on Saturday (kick off 7:30pm).
Arnold said his players would have to be up for the fight as the Sky Blues take on the Reds for the fourth time this season including Westfield FFA Cup clashes, with Sydney FC registering one draw and two defeats.
“I’ve analysed their last 5 games and they’re tough,” Arnold said.
“Obviously they [Adelaide] play a very long and direct game. Looking at the Opta stats, they’ve played over 1500 long balls during games, that’s an average of 66 a game which shows their intent to get the ball from back to front as quickly as possible.
“We’ve got to be ready for that, for their aggressive defensive game, their stats also show that they’ve given away the second most amount of fouls in the A-League this year.
“We have to make sure that we’re up for the fight as well,” he continued.
“They’re a fantastic team and they’ve got some wonderful players but I look at the stats side of things often and those stats from Opta don’t lie.”
Aside from the suspended Shane Smeltz, Arnold said he has a full squad to select from as he welcomes Marc Janko and George Blackwood back from international duty and Janko has promised to continue his goal scoring form after striking twice while with Austria.
“Everyone is fine, obviously Smeltzy is out suspended but injury wise Terry Antonis is back,” he said.
“Everyone is fit and ready to go. At this moment we will see how the next two days go and see how Marc is when he gets back and how he recovers from the flight.
“Marc is fine, he came off at half time and already texted me to say he’s fit, he’s excited and he’s looking forward to the game and he’s promised me a goal.”
Sydney FC take on Adelaide United in their final home clash of the season on Saturday night at Allianz Stadium (kick off 7:30pm). Pre-purchase tickets today and cheer on the Sky Blues as they charge towards the Finals Series.
Sydney FC’s next home game is against Adelaide United on Saturday 4th April at Allianz Stadium (kick off 7.30pm). Purchase tickets today or become a Member and ensure you don’t miss a moment of Hyundai A-League action by heading to www.ticketek.com.au/sydneyfc
