Sky Blues feed on frustration as grudge match looms
SYDNEY FC are still red from their last big blue.
Even so Sky Blues coach Steve Corica has allowed revenge to fester ahead of his team’s first encounter against Melbourne Victory this season.
Sydney FC’s march towards back- to- back titles was brought to a sudden halt in a controversial extra- time epic by the Victory in April’s semifinal.
Having won the premiers’ plate by a mammoth 14 points, their campaign ended in uproar when coaches and players cleared their bench in a postmatch melee.
Corica concedes the pain of defeat would resonate in the build- up to tomorrow’s rematch.
“We haven’t spoke about it to the players but I’m sure that’s in the back of their minds at the end of the day,” Corica said.
“It really hurt us not going into the grand final last year. We were the best team. We finished first by a lot of points and obviously it’s disappointing.”
Seven players who were part of that losing team will start against Melbourne tomorrow.
However, coach Graham Arnold is gone, while Sydney have been forced to adopt three new homes as Allianz Stadium undergoes reconstruction.
The match will be the first at Jubilee Oval, which is expected to be a sellout.
“( I haven’t brought last year up) because I didn’t think it’s important. It’s a new season. People have changed, players have gone from both teams,” Corica said.
The contest is the first between Corica and former onfield foe Kevin Muscat, both of whom were prominent figures in the early days of the big city rivalry.