Sydney FC’s Tiago Quintal has expressed that he isn’t worried about the team’s record against Auckland FC ahead of this weekend’s Anzac Tribute clash, in spite of the fact the team has never won a competitive game against the side.
The Sky Blues head into their final match of the regular season needing a win by three or more goals and for Adelaide United to drop points to finish second place on the table.
“I knew that,” he said. “But I don’t really think about it. Of course, we want to win. This game for us is a big game and if we can win, that’ll be great.
“It’s such a huge game for us, for a home elimination final, maybe even finishing second.
“We know they’re a good team. They’re a strong side, very direct footballers [and] a pretty physical team.
“Playing well will give us good footing for the finals. So we’re just worrying about us and this game [for now].”
Quintal, who made his Sydney FC debut in November 2024, has also celebrated the team’s recent form whilst addressing the need to keep on pushing to return to the Isuzu-UTE A-League Finals after a one-year hiatus.
“I think we’ve been playing really well,” he continued.
“Defensively we’ve been good all year. We’ve got a really strong back line and H [Harrison Devenish-Meares] has been doing really well in goal.
“It’s just [about] getting that cohesiveness between the group, that final decision, that final pass, making sure that you make the right decision and really focusing on that, not taking things too easy.”
The upcoming finals series brings a significant milestone for the attacking midfielder, who’ll be making his first career appearance in the Isuzu-UTE A-League Finals; however, Quintal insists it won’t change a thing.
“I’m so excited, I can’t wait,” he said.
“[It’s] just business as usual, just another game. I’m going to do what I can do every single game, [and] I don’t think the occasion really changes that.”
Sydney FC’s final match of the Isuzu-UTE A-League regular season takes place at 3PM this Sunday at Allianz Stadium where the side can finish anywhere from 2nd to 6th position depending on results from around the league.
