Sydney FC midfielder Josh Brillante isn’t fazed by Shanghai Shenhua and the names their squad boasts, saying the Sky Blues’ will more than match their Chinese opponents in Wednesday’s Group H AFC Champions League clash (kick off 11pm AEDT).
The Sky Blues star admits there are no easy games in the competition, but lining up against the likes of Obafemi Martins, Fredy Guarin and Giovanni Moreno isn’t a daunting prospect, with Brillante confident of securing the three points.
“We’re in the Asian Champions League, every team is going to be tough, we’re expecting them to be tough and for them to come out at home in front of their fans, Brillante said.
“We’ve got to concentrate on our performance and keep the intensity high. We’re definitely going out to win the game.
“Weve got to be focussed and show the intensity that we do in the A-League. The Asian sides play a little differently; they sit back, so we have to concentrate on our performance.
“We’ll shut them [the foreigners] out of the game if we play the way we want to play,” he continued.
“We’re not focussing on individual players, individual players don’t make a team, but I believe we’ll deal with them really well.
“We’re really confident, we know that there won’t be any easy games and we’re focussing on getting the win here.”
With temperatures in Shanghai rarely reaching double digits currently Brillante said the colder climate was a welcome change from Sydney’s summer for the squad, although it wouldn’t be a determining factor in their on-field performance.
“It’s a lot colder than Sydney at the moment,” Brillante said.
“It’s a bit of change and I think a lot of the players are enjoying it.
“You can never use the weather as the main thing to judge a team’s performance though,” he continued.
“Obviously, being a bit colder though, it might not be as draining as the heat which could play in our favour.”
Sydney FC take on Shanghai Shenhua in Matchday Two of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday night (kick off 11pm AEDT). Catch the match live on Fox Sports 501 or get down to the Sky Blues’ Official Home Away from Home at The Star, Sydney and join like-minded Sydney FC fans.
