Tomi Juric is confident Western Sydney Wanderers FC will be ready to kick-start their Hyundai A-League season against Wellington Phoenix on Friday night after a whirlwind week for the well-traveled red and black.
With an ACL title in the bag after last weekend’s heroics in Saudi Arabia, and the team’s extraordinary reception on their return home to Sydney airport on Monday night, the Wanderers squad have had to quickly re-focus on the domestic competition.
Tony Popovic’s side are currently last on the Hyundai A-League ladder having lost their first two matches before their historic Champions League triumph.
While they have enjoyed reflecting on their achievements in the couple of days after Sunday morning’s (AEDT) win, the Phoenix are firmly on the side’s radar for the clash at Westpac Stadium in the New Zealand capital tomorrow night.
“Hopefully we can prepare right and we’ve got to get focus back onto the A-League now,” Juric told www.a-league.com.au
“I’m sure the boys will be ready for it.”
It will be interesting to see what Popovic does with his travel-weary squad, who had a 26,000-kilometre round trip to Riyadh before heading to Wellington.
The squad will then have to cross the Nullarbor the following week for a clash with Perth Glory before a mid-week game with Central Coast Mariners four days later.
It’s a hectic schedule before the side flies out again to Morocco in December for the Club World Cup, where they will face Mexican club Cruz Azul, with the winner getting a shot at tackling European heavyweights Real Madrid.
“Not yet. I’m still trying to focus on what’s happened,” Juric said when asked if he has thought about facing the Spanish giants.
“We’ll have some time to reflect on the last couple of days then try and get focused for the Wellington game as soon as possible.”
