After beginning their National Youth League title defence with two good wins at home, the top-of-the-table Junior Sky Blues will face their first test on the road this weekend, on Saturday against the Brisbane Roar.
After beginning their National Youth League title defence with two good wins at home, the top-of-the-table Junior Sky Blues will face their first test on the road this weekend, on Saturday against the Brisbane Roar.
For most of the players in the new look Sydney side this will be their first experience of an NYL away trip, and hint of what it-s like to play full-time football.
“I-m pretty excited,” said midfielder, Hussein Akil. “It-s the first time I get to travel with my team and play in another state.”
Defender Zach Cairncross has been through the experience before. Along with his captain, Sam Munro, he is one of only two surviving players from the squad that won the competition in the inaugural season.
“Travelling (with the team) actually makes it feel like you-re playing professional football, even though you-re (still) playing Youth League,” he said. “It-s a great experience and a good challenge.”
With Sydney-s senior team thinned by injury in recent weeks a number of the Youth League players have been training with Coach Vitezslav Lavicka-s squad. According to Akil, the experience has been invaluable, and offered a great insight into what to expect on Saturday.
“They (the senior players) talk to us on the pitch and try to help us as much as possible,” he said. “We know we have to concentrate more on an away game.”
“Brisbane will be tough but a lot of us have been doing extra sessions with the (Hyundai) A-League team and that experience has definitely made us sharper.”
The young Sky Blues look to keep their perfect start to the season intact when they take on the third-placed Roar at Goodwin Park in Brisbane this Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm.
