Sydney FC defender Michael Zullo says the Sky Blues are feeling refreshed and ready for retribution this Friday night against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium (kick off 7:50pm AEDT).
The second placed Sky Blues have eyes only for three points, as they bid to further the gap between them and Melbourne Victory, who sit just one point behind them heading into the Finals Series.
Zullo knows how excited the Sky Blues are to get back on the field after a well-deserved break and stake their claim for a record fourth Hyundai A-League title.
“It’s been a really good week off for us and it came at a really good time because we’ve been doing a lot of travelling and played quite a few games in a short period,” he said.
“The break certainly helped us to freshen up and has allowed us focus on a few things that we needed to work on.
“We’ve had a really good week of training and all the boys are feeling fit, fresh and ready to go.”
This Friday will be a homecoming for Zullo, who made 53 appearances for the Roar between 2007 and 2010.
While he loves any opportunity to play in his home city, this fixture is no different than any other in Zullo’s mind and he knows they cannot underestimate their opponents despite their position on the table.
“Suncorp is a great stadium and I’m lucky enough to have a lot of family and friends come and watch when we play there,” Zullo said.
“I’m a Sydney FC player now though and I want to win in Brisbane just as much as any other game leading into the finals.
“Last time we played there was an unfortunate result for us but I think we played well but took our foot off the gas in the second half.
“Even though they’ve had a tough season they’re all still professional footballers and are fully capable of a strong performance, so we will need to go there with 100% focus and get the job done.”
The Sky Blues are likely to welcome back midfielders Danny De Silva and Siem de Jong for the clash, and they will both add plenty of quality and X-factor in the coming weeks.
The 30-year old is excited to have players the calibre of de Jong and De Silva back and knows what they can provide for the squad both on and off the field.
“They’ve both been going really well at training and them returning gives us a couple more good options in the midfield,” he said.
“Siem provides so much quality for us as well as his experience with everything he’s done in his career, and to have him back in the squad is a massive boost.
“Danny is also a great young talent and I know he will provide some quality and class, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the team gel with them back in the fold.”
The Sky Blues take on Brisbane Roar on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium with kick-off at 7.50pm, before a massive clash with Melbourne Victory the following Saturday at the SCG.
