He may be a proud Queenslander but Sydney FC fullback Michael Zullo won’t be reminiscing when the Sky Blues head north for a crucial Hyundai A-League clash with Brisbane Roar on Friday night.
While the two teams are on opposite ends of the ladder, Sydney’s hopes of finishing in the top two could come under serious strain if they fail to leave Suncorp Stadium with all three points.
Indeed, the Sky Blues will still have February’s shock 2-1 defeat to Darren Davies’ side ringing in their ears for Friday’s 7.50pm (AEDT) kick off.
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It’s a fact not lost on Brisbane-born Zullo, who began his Hyundai A-League in Roar orange back in 2007, and had a stern warning for his teammates ahead of their flight to the Sunshine State.
“Last time we played there it was an unfortunate result for us,” Zullo said.
“But I think we played well in the first half, I just think we took our foot off the gas a little bit in the second half and it cost us in the end.
“At the end of the day, even though they’ve had an average season, they’re still professional footballers and they’re still capable of putting a performance on.
“So we need to go there with 100 percent focus and make sure we do our job.
“I’m a proud Queenslander and I enjoy playing there every time I get the opportunity to.
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“Suncorp is a great stadium and I’m lucky enough to have a lot of family and friends come and watch me play there.
“Great memories but obviously I play for Sydney FC now and I want to win in Brisbane as much as any other game, it’s so important for us in the lead in now to the finals that we get some really good form in.”
The Sky Blues have been in a recent form slump, failing to score in their opening two AFC Champions League matches and falling 2-0 to Melbourne City in Round 22.
With their hopes of replacing Perth Glory atop the pile all but vanished, Sydney will be focusing on ensuring they don’t slip down the rankings.
Zullo said the international break had come at a good time for the side, especially following that shock defeat at home to City a fortnight ago.
“It’s been a really good week off for us,” Zullo revealed.
“I think it came at a good time obviously we’ve been doing a lot of travelling and a few games in a short period with the ACL but we’ve had a really good week of training, I think the boys have freshened up as well so it’s going to be exactly what we needed.”
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