Ahead of the Sky Blues’ clash against the Jets at home at Jubilee Stadium, we caught up with Sydney FC Legend and Hall of Fame Member Clint Bolton to get his thoughts on the encounter, including where the match will be won and the key matchups for Saturday’s encounter at Kogarah.
Where do you think this Saturday’s game against Newcastle Jets will be won?
I’m very confident Sydney FC will score a couple of goals, so the key will be that defensively they can keep out a very threatening and dangerous Newcastle attack. The Jets have been very dangerous at the front end but really poor at the back end, so I’m confident Sydney FC will score a few goals.
Where do you think the Sky Blues will need to improve this weekend from recent games against Perth and Adelaide?
It’s a common theme among most teams this season that there are a lot of soft goals being conceded and I think during this really busy period, fatigue is certainly playing a part in that happening. Ensuring the squad is fresh and recovers well will be a key factor for Bimbi [Head Coach Steve Corica] this weekend.
The last couple of seasons when Sydney FC have been so dominant the focus always goes to the attacking end where records have been broken and goals are being scored frequently, but it was really built on a strong foundation in defence that was miles above and didn’t concede many goals. If their defence can continue as it did against Adelaide United, that will go a long way towards them challenging for the title again.
Who would you say on the other side are some key players for Sydney FC and perhaps some key matchups this Saturday?
As has been the case more often than not, the two that sit in front of the back four in Josh Brillante and Brandon O’Neill will be important and will have to close down that space and ensure that players like Vargas and Petratos aren’t allowed too much time on the ball or facing forward allowing them to play balls through the line.
Those two guys have been a big part of the success over the last two years, and will definitely be key to this matchup as well if Sydney FC are going to come away with a win.
