Robbie Mak reckons Sydney FC have hit peak form at the perfect time.
The frontman’s strike helped set up Saturday’s famous 2-1 Elimination Final win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
That victory ensures the Sky Blues go into the two-legged Semi-Final against Premiers Melbourne City on the back of a six match unbeaten run.
After a sketchy start to the season, the Slovakian winger believes Sydney FC are now showing their true form.
“At the start, everyone was saying this team cannot achieve anything but now people realise that this team has character, has the big players and is still one of the biggest teams in Australia.
“What we showed on Saturday is that we are still one of the best teams and we want to continue that into the Semi-Finals,” Mak said.
“The whole team has been good, not just the experienced players or young guys.
“The timing of this run in the last four or five games is really good.
“We are playing really good football, we are scoring goals and we are defending well, so we are confident at this moment,” he continued.
“I think all the fans at the club can be happy because we showed them that we have the character, even though the season wasn’t the best for us.
“But now we’re in the big games and these are the ones you want to be in, showing that character.”
Mak believes the turning point came on Good Friday in Adelaide when Sydney FC secured a 1-1 draw against a Reds side that were the league’s form team.
“When we played Adelaide, the second half was unbelievable and from that moment I felt like, yeah this is the right moment to do it,” he added.
“From that game we have been performing really well.
“But we are not finished. The season is not over. We want to play the Semi-Finals and play in the Grand Final.”
The task in front of them is tough. Steve Corica’s men must dispatch the Champions to get to the big dance. But the wideman believes a continuation of the performance that saw off Wanderers will be enough to take a lead to the second leg at AAMI Park on Friday 19th May.
“We must do the same as the last game and go out there and perform well.
“You must do your job for 90 minutes and what will happen, you never know in football,” Mak said.
“Anything can happen, but we will go in with the same motivation and our motivation is wanting to win the Finals.”
The Slovakian currently sits second on the goalscoring charts for the club, reaching double figures for the season and netting three goals in his last four games.
And he believes that goals often equal better performances on the pitch.
“When you score goals, you feel confident. As a player, if you are scoring goals, you are performing well.
“It’s much easier to play on the pitch as you have this confidence and since I have come back from Slovakia, I have scored in almost every game,” the winger said.
“I think I have found form in the right moment, and this is good for me and the team.”
The first leg of the Semi-Final will kick off on Friday night and it promises to be action packed as Allianz Stadium hosts its final match of the season.
Match Details
Sydney FC v Melbourne City
Isuzu UTE A-League Semi Final First Leg
Friday 12th May 2023
Allianz Stadium, Sydney, NSW
Kick Off: 7:45pm AEST
Gates Open: 6:45pm AEST
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ & 10Bold
Tickets: Click Here
