It’s A-League draw week time and as the excitement builds for the announcement we caught up with Sydney FC Head Coach Steve Corica to find out what he looks for once it’s revealed.
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Q. Steve, what is it that you look for once the draw is revealed?
“I always look for the first game, which is the most important for us to prepare for, and then you look for the big derby games against Wanderers, Melbourne Victory and I think the exciting one this year is with the new team, Macarthur FC.
“You also look to see where your home games are and compare them against the away games to see how the boys will cope with the travelling from a fitness point of view.
“I’ve heard there are going to be a lot of games in the first month, so we have got to prepare for that.”
Q. Are there any fixtures you are looking forward to this season?
“I just like the big derby games, the Grand Final replay against Melbourne City will be an exciting game, and I’m looking forward to the new team Macarthur FC coming in and playing against them.
“Early on in the season it’s about seeing who the new players are that the teams have brought in this year and what they are about.
“I’m looking at how the new boys fit into their system, and then by the end of the season you pretty much know the teams and how they play, and it’s about getting into the final and winning again.”
Q. What do you hope for in terms of days and kick off times?
“I like the later kick offs, 7.30pm is a good time for us. It’s a little bit cooler, better conditions for the players and that’s the best standard to play in. The day of the week doesn’t bother me.”
Q. More midweek fixtures this season, how are you preparing for that?
“This tournament [AFC Champions League] is going to prepare us for the midweek fixtures, so I think we’ll go into the season looking fit and strong.
“The other teams may have difficulties playing friendly games because of the coronavirus situation at the moment and the state league teams not playing as much.
“So I think we’ll be in a good position for the congested start to the season.”
Q. From a coaching point of view is it good to have a congested period of games and be playing a lot?
“It’s always better to recover and get the players prepared for a game, but they like playing as many games as possible. It’s better than training for them and more fun and exciting.
“As coaches we need to prepare, and when it’s coming every three days it’s pretty tough to make sure you are prepared.
“We do a lot of work each week into each fixture to do that with the short turnaround, but it is what it is and we’ll just deal with it.”
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