Sunday fun-day
Following City’s 2-0 win over Perth Glory at nib Stadium on Tuesday night, Warren Joyce’s side face another short turn-around as they head to Central Coast Stadium to face the Mariners on Sunday.
Obviously there’s no better place to watch the game than from the stands, but for those of you who can’t make the trip to Gosford, the couch doesn’t sound too bad either. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the game before a severe case of Mondayitis sweeps through.
Sunday’s game will be City’s third match in eight days, before they return to Melbourne to face Adelaide United at AAMI Park on Sunday, 21 January in a blockbuster double header with our Women’s side.
A chance to make it three on the trot
Round 15 saw both Adelaide Untied and Melbourne Victory drop valuable points as City capitalised extending their gap to fourth place by four points.
Sunday’s clash against the Mariners provides City with another chance to make a statement and the opportunity to move to a prized three wins on the trot.
Warren Joyce’s side can’t afford to look ahead to United next week, but instead they must concentrate on producing another impressive performance and returning to Melbourne with all three-points.
Five clean sheets and counting
One of the most pleasing aspects of City’s win over Perth on Tuesday night was their ability to keep a clean sheet, a feat they will be looking to repeat against the Mariners.
City are now outright second in the league for the most clean sheets kept this season with five, second to league leaders Sydney FC (7).
On the counter, Pauk Okon’s side has found the back of the net less than any other side in the competition netting 14 goals.
Dean Bouzanis will be looking to increase City’s season tally to six, as Joyce’s side looks to cement a spot in the top-four.
Air beneath our wings
Daniel Arzani’s ability to beat the opposition’s defenders on the wing before cutting inside and attacking the box over recent weeks has highlighted City’s most potent attacking threat.
Scott Jamieson has been charging down the left-wing all season mounting attacking plays, as newly-promoted youngster Nathaniel Atkinson continues to pose a similar threat.
Similarly, Nick Fitzgerald’s dancing feet and extreme pace has caused the same issues for opposing defensive units, as shown in his second-half stint against Perth.
You could say the same thing about Bruce Kamau and the list goes on. But with pace all over the field, City’s attackers must continue to exploit the pace left by defenders and if they are indeed fouled, there is no doubt that Ross the Boss will be there to finish the good work.
Set-piece specialist comes to the fore
City striker Ross McCormack’s brilliant dead ball strike on the weekend saw that the Scotsman surpass the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Mile Jedinak and Aaron Mooy for the most free-kick goals in a season.
The striker’s match-winning double on Tuesday night increased his season tally to an impressive 12 goals in 14 appearances.
It’s the Scotsman’s second consecutive brace, and third consecutive game that he has hit the scoreboard – netting five goals in three games.
Okon’s side will be wary of conceding any fouls in dangerous areas, as the potent attacker looks to close the gap on Sky Blues striker Bobo for the Golden Boot.
