Impressive start key to Victory, says Valeri
MELBOURNE Victory captain Carl Valeri says a fast start is a priority in tomorrow night’s semi-final against Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.
But if things don’t go to plan early, the dogged defensive midfielder insists Victory will not panic in its search for a result that will send the club to a fifth A-League grand final.
Valeri said Victory players, refreshed after having elimination final weekend off, are “buzzing” to get on the park again. Indeed, Victory players could be forgiven for having been waiting for this game for some time given the team had all but wrapped up second spot with a month to play in the regular season.
Brisbane has endured an arduous back end to its campaign, juggling Asian Champions League commitments and a hefty injury list in the run-in to the finals. Last Friday it had to play 120 minutes in tough conditions to overcome Western Sydney before several players had to fly to Thailand midweek for an ACL game.
The Roar is also making a habit of starting slowly in finals, having fallen behind in each of its three play-off games under coach John Aloisi.
Valeri said he didn’t expect fatigue to be an issue for Brisbane tomorrow. But he did say his team was determined to get on the front foot early.
“Starting well is one of our main focuses. We know how important it is to start well,” Valeri said. “But that’s not just about creating chances, scor- ing goals, it’s about being mentally ready and being willing to fight for each ball or to sacrifice yourself for the team by playing the right pass or making the right run.”
In winning the 2014-15 championship, Victory dominated both of its finals from start to finish. But Valeri said there are contingency plans in place should the team happen to strike early trouble.
“We’re prepared for anything,” he said. “If things don’t go well for us at the start, we know not to panic because we know that if we stick to what we do best and we get on top of things then we can get the result we need in this final.”