Sydney FC skipper Alessandro Del Piero has warned his finals-chasing side not look past a desperate Wellington if they want to secure their spot in the top six.
Sydney FC skipper Alessandro Del Piero has warned his finals-chasing side not look past a desperate Wellington if they want to secure their spot in the Hyundai A-League top six.
The Sky Blues hold a one-point lead to the Newcastle Jets ahead of their final two games against the Phoenix and last-placed Perth Glory.
With both those fixtures to be played on Sydney’s home turf at Allianz Stadium, many believe Frank Farina’s side will get the job done against two sides in the lower reaches of the table.
But the Italian legend is experienced to know nothing is a certainty in football and wants his side to focus on the first job at hand – the Phoenix.
“We are excited and we know we have a great possibility but we also must know it will be hard,” Del Piero said on Wednesday.
“At the moment the best thing is to think about is only the next game. What happens after that is a different story.
“The next game will be tough because Wellington still have a little possibility to make the last spot of the playoffs.
“That’s why we have to be aware for everything. We lost against them in Wellington and only won in the last minute in dramatic scenes at home. It’s definitely not going to be easy for us.”
“We have to win. At the moment our future is in our hands if we do great work and win the last two games we’re in.”
While he wouldn’t talk about his future beyond this season, Del Piero insists he’s body is feeling good enough to deliver his best form at the right end of the season.
“The last two (games I missed) it was not really because of injury,” the 39-year-old explained.
“The last one came after seven games of 90 minutes straight which is tough. A week of rest is good sometimes.
“At the end there’s no big injury for me. I have a good season and to finish well is the most important. I hope to do my best on Sunday.”
Del Piero was a part of the ticketing launch for next year’s AFC Asian Cup in Australia on Wednesday in Sydney.
The first phase is for venue packs on May 7 for the football family and May 19 for the general public.
The second phase is for individual tickets on June 3 for the football family and June 10 for the general public. Click here for ticketing details.
