Brisbane Roar Head Coach John Aloisi today had a clear and direct message for Melbourne Victory ahead of Friday night’s Hyundai A-League Elimination Final at Suncorp Stadium (7.35pm KO) – you’re on our turf now!
Aloisi said his players had fed off the disappointment of last week’s scoreless draw against the Victory at AAMI Park, which cost Brisbane the Premier’s Plate, and were now hungry to step out again on their home-ground fortress and score goals.
He said the overall fitness of the Roar squad would be a match-turning edge.
“We’ve got a team that knows how to handle the pressure, we’ve got a team that especially knows how to run the opposition ragged at Suncorp (Stadium),” he said.
“It is a bigger pitch. The opposition don’t like coming here, we know that. We make that our advantage.
“Our fitness levels are high, we know we can run over teams.”
The Roar completed their preparations for the match today with a 45-minute session that finished with strikers and midfielders smacking shots into the net from all corners of the training pitch (photos above and below).
Striker Jamie Maclaren, who revels in the wide open spaces at Suncorp Stadium and has netted 10 of his 18 goals this season at home, said there would not be a repeat of last weekend’s scoreless 90 minutes and everyone in the Roar squad had sharpened their shooting radars.
“Whoever has their shooting boots on tomorrow night wins,” he said.
“We know now it’s elimination . . . we don’t want our season to finish just now.
“We actually played really well against Victory last week – just one of those nights when the ball didn’t go in the back of the net.
“At Suncorp (Stadium) we’ve played our best attacking stuff so hopefully we can find the net.
“We’ve got big-game players, experienced players in the dressing room who have been there before. They have given us that advice to our young boys and tomorrow we will give it our all.”
Aloisi said his squad had been positive throughout the week and had not changed their tactics or preparation despite knowing the Victory will name a vastly different Starting XI to last week, including Besart Berisha, who mid-week won his appeal against a two-week suspension.
“It doesn’t matter who they’ve got in their side our players are ready,” Aloisi said.
“You can see today they are not nervous even though it is a play-off game (on Friday).
“We’re thinking about the process. If you get the process right you usually will get the result as well.”
Hyundai A-League 2016 Elimination Final 1, Brisbane Roar FC (3) v Melbourne Victory (6), Friday, 15 April 2016, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane (7.35pm KO)
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Michael THEO (gk), 3.Shane STEFANUTTO, 5.Corey BROWN, 7.CORONA, 8.Steven LUSTICA, 9.Jamie MACLAREN, 10.HENRIQUE (pictured above), 13.Jade NORTH, 14.Daniel BOWLES, 15.James DONACHIE, 17.Matt McKAY (c) (pictured below), 18.Javier HERVAS, 19.Jack HINGERT, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Thomas BROICH, 23.Dimitri PETRATOS, 24.Tommy OAR, 28.Brandon BORRELLO. **two to be omitted**
Ins: 3.Shane STEFANUTTO (promoted), 18.Javier HERVAS (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: Nil
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 2.Jason GERIA, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 4.Nick ANSELL, 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Gui FINKLER, 8.Besart BERISHA, 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 13.Oliver BOZANIC, 14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 17.Matthieu DELPIERRE, 19.George HOWARD, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 21.Carl VALERI (c), 22.Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 23.Jai INGHAM. **two to be omitted**
Ins: 4.Nick ANSELL (returns from injury), 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI (promoted), 6.Leigh BROXHAM (promoted), 8.Besart BERISHA (returns from suspension), 9.Kosta BARBAROUSES (promoted), 10.Archie THOMPSON (promoted), 17.Matthieu DELPIERRE (promoted)
Outs: 11.Connor PAIN (omitted), 15.Giancarlo GALLIFUOCO (omitted), 18.Dylan MURNANE (omitted), 24.Thomas DENG (omitted), 32.Stefan NIGRO (omitted)
Unavailable: 16.Rashid MAHAZI (ankle)
Referee: Jarred Gillett; Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Cream; Assistant Referee 2: David Walsh; Fourth Official: Nathan MacDonald; Additional Assistant Referee 1: Ben Williams; Additional Assistant Referee 2: Peter Green
TV: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 7pm, SBS TWO from 8pm and Sky Sport Pop Up (New Zealand)
Radio: 612 ABC Brisbane, Grandstand Digital (Bris) Online & via the ABC Radio Mobile App – A-League Live. Crocmedia A-League Live (www.facebook.com/A-leagueLIVERadio)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #BRIvMVC #ALFinals
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