Ecstatic Roar must focus
BRISBANE midfield rock Thomas Kristensen said the Roar were in for a rude awakening in Melbourne tonight if they continued to bask in the glory of their shock AFC Champions League playoff win against Shanghai Shenhua.
The Roar squad landed in the Victorian capital yesterday afternoon still on a high after Wednesday night’s 2-0 win in Shanghai.
The victory earned Bris- bane a spot in the Champions League group stages, but they must refocus tonight when they return to A-League action against depleted Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
Despite their hectic playing and travel schedule, thirdplaced Roar will start as favourites tonight, with City missing seven players, including key trio Bruno Fornaroli, Tim Cahill and Luke Brattan, through suspension.
“I reckon they will still have a competitive side but we need to worry about our own team and not who they are going to put in their starting 11,” Kristensen said
“That’s what we did against Shenhua. That’s what we can influence.’’
Kristensen said while Champions League clashes like Wednesday’s were “games you really want to play”, the A-League remained the Roar’s bread and butter.
“Champions League is a bonus,” the Danish international said.
“The A-League is what’s going to get us into the Champions League in the future, so we can’t take City lightly even though they have some issues with suspension.
“We could celebrate after the win on Wednesday, but now we need to switch on.”
Kristensen was the best player on the park in Shanghai, shielding the Roar’s back four with guile and composure and limiting the impact of the world’s highest-paid player, Argentine star Carlos Tevez.
His experience of playing in the UEFA Champions League for Danish team FC Copenhagen was clearly evident.
“You need to play smart in Champions League football,” 33-year-old Kristensen said.
“I think the weather helped me a little bit. The low humidity and a little bit lower temperature was good for my legs.
“I might have had a good game but you can point out every player on our team. The team effort was outstanding.
“What really stood out in the game was that everybody was ready to help the guy next to him.
“When you play against players like Tevez, (Obafemi) Martins and (Giovanni) Moreno, you will get beaten at some point, but there was always players ready to back up and that was really crucial.’’