The sun has not yet set on 2018/19, with one final match still to play for 2019 Hyundai A-League Champions Sydney FC in the AFC Champions League.

he sun has not yet set on 2018/19, with one final match still to play for 2019 Hyundai A-League Champions Sydney FC in the AFC Champions League.

Off the back of a gruelling 120 minutes of ultimately successful Grand Final football on Sunday, Sydney FC need to go again against Japanese outfit Kawasaki Frontale on Tuesday evening.

Sydney FC v Kawasaki Frontale

Tuesday 21 May, 8pm (AEST), Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

Head Coach Steve Corica’s men will need to ice up after a gruelling Grand Final in Western Australia on Sunday night.

Although the Sky Blues only trail Shanghai SIPG by three points in Group H, AFC tie-breaking rules mean the head-to-head record takes precedence ahead of goal difference. Therefore, Sydney are already eliminated before a ball is kicked in Matchday 6.

Three points for Corica’s troops in Kogarah will mean they avoid the group wooden spoon. Kawasaki Frontale are only one point behind the second-placed Shanghai, so an away win will give the J-League outfit every opportunity of progressing to the knockout rounds.

Whether Corica will send out a full-strength team remains to be seen, although it seems unlikely given the energy expended by his first-choice XI in Perth.

If he does, it could be a final swansong for Sky Blues icon Alex Brosque before his boots are permanently hung up.

Frontale took bragging rights in the reverse leg in Japan with a 1-0 win thanks to a late goal from winger Manabu Saito.

How it stands