Sydney FC defender Ben Garuccio says the Sky Blues can’t afford to relax in their bid for the A-League premiership despite having two games in hand on competition leaders Auckland FC.
The Sydneysiders have played two fewer matches than the Kiwi outfit heading into their clash against another New Zealand club, Wellington Phoenix, at Allianz Stadium on Sunday night.
A win over the Phoenix in the Sky Blues’ long-awaited return to the their repaired home ground will lift them into top spot after Auckland’s 2-1 loss to champions Melbourne City on Friday night.
“I was very happy with that result but we can’t look at other teams too much,” Garuccio said on Saturday.
“We’ve got to focus on ourselves. If we win those games (in hand) we know we’ll be top of the league, but it’s up to us now to actually win those games.
“Games in hand are always great until you’ve played the games in hand because if you don’t win those games, then all of a sudden, you’re still behind.
“We’ve got a lot of home games left and it’s going to be really positive for us, but I want to finish top of the league, so I’m hoping that we can win all the games.”
Sydney FC pair Ben Garuccio (left) and Alexandar Popovic celebrate a goal. Picture: Ayush Kumar/Getty Images
Garuccio is part of a Sydney defensive unit that has only conceded seven goals in 11 matches this season.
“We’ve got to keep that going. A good defence gives you a good chance to win a championship,” he said.
Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano said Sydney was “really good defensively, if not the best”.
“They’re hard to break down,” Italiano said.
“I’m (also) a big fan of their midfield. They’ll punish you if you give them an opportunity, so we’ve got to be focused for 90 minutes and stick to the game plan.”
Meanwhile, Saturday night’s scheduled clash between Central Coast Mariners and Macarthur FC in Gosford was postponed due to torrential rain.
It will now be played on Sunday at 2pm (AEDT).