There is a grand final feel about the season opening Sydney derby.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After months of build-up since the A-League draw was announced, the anticipation for the match has almost reached boiling point.
There is a grand final feel about the season opening Sydney derby.
- Brendon Santalab
It should be a historic night for club football in New South Wales and Australia.
Records are set to be broken.
Early indicators are pointing to a crowd of more than 60,000 people which would make for an atmosphere unseen in club football in this country.
The atmosphere at previously sold out Sydney derbies at Allianz and Parramatta Stadiums have always been sensational, but throwing another 20,000-40,000 vocal fans in the mix at ANZ Stadium will make things all the more electric.
If Sydney can put on a good day weather wise, who knows what the final crowd figure could be?
What a great advertisement it will be for football.
Credit has to go those who made the decision to open the season with the biggest derby in the A-League.
It’s never happened before, but it’s certainly got people talking and excited for the big occasion on Saturday night
It’ll mean the 2016-17 A-League campaign will undoubtedly start with a bang.
For us, it’s a massive occasion too.
After months of pre-season matches and hard work on the training paddock, we are finally able to get going for the new campaign.
And it couldn’t come against a much bigger opponent.
Sydney FC have had our measure in recent times, but we are ready to turn the tables in front of a bumper crowd.
It’s time for us to finally get the monkey off our back after more than 1000 days without a derby day win.
We are feeling confident heading in.
Our revamped squad is a bit more youthful than last season but has come together nicely in the pre-season.
We had a couple of trips away which helped us bond as a group and the new boys gelled with everyone pretty seamlessly.
As a squad, we have high hopes for the year to come on the back of our high finish last season.
We are more determined than ever to go one better this time around and finally deliver the club it’s first A-League Championship to go with our Premiers Plates.
With that in mind, it’s crucial that we start the season on the right note against the Sky Blues.
Three points is the best way to do that.
However, Sydney FC will be just as keen to come away with them particularly after the disappointing performance from the club last season.
There is no question they are under some serious pressure to perform.
The club has gone without a silverware for a couple of seasons now and Graham Arnold is yet to bring Sydney the success they desire.
With a few few strong signings in the off-season, it’s an obvious statement of intent that they want that to change in 2016-17.
I expect they’ll come out all guns blazing this weekend.
It should add to what should be another fiery and intense derby encounter.
Fingers crossed when we look back on it in the weeks to come, we can do so with the three points in the bag.