Docklands
Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Added by Brickski on November 4, 2007

Comments

Brickski

Monday, 5 November 2007

Sydney FC marquee Juninho is set to line up against Melbourne Victory after taking part in the club's first post-Newcastle Jets match training session.

Juninho banged his right shoulder during Sydney FC's 1-0 away win at EnergyAustralia Stadium in Round 11 of the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 Season, with John Kosmina taking the precaution of substituting the FIFA World Cup winner at half time in Newcastle.

"Given the pain he was in on Saturday night I thought he might have found it tough but he wanted to train and he was fine. Certainly in the closed stuff, the tight and small-sided games, there is a lot of body contact and he got through that fine," said Kosmina.

Sydney FC has no suspension concerns for Saturday's game at Telstra Dome - Football Federation Australia has confirmed that Ufuk Talay is free to play having accrued only three cards this term - but Melbourne Victory will be without three defenders through bans - Joseph Keenan, Steve Pantelidis and Rodrigo Vargas.

Kosmina, though, is expecting nothing less than a tough match as Sydney FC goes in search of its third straight success since he became the club's coach.

"Sometimes things like that work actually in reverse for a club, they fire people up and they become a lot more focused because they know it's going to be a bit more difficult. Also there's a psychological feeling with the opposition team. We've got to go there as if their best team is going to be on the park," said Kosmina.

Source: http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=20066

Interested 1