Brisbane Roar have concluded a whirlwind of community and fan engagement opportunities in Cairns and today put the focus firmly on tomorrow’s Hyundai A-League Round 10 clash against Wellington Phoenix at Cazalys Stadium.
The Roar lost their Round 3 clash against the Phoenix 3-2 in Wellington with defensive lapses presenting goal-scoring opportunities to the home side’s speedy strikers.
Brisbane has worked hard on its defensive structures since and has posted several clean sheets.
The Roar’s international marquee Thomas Broich has described the Phoenix’s pacey attack as “absolutely lethal” and says his side must control the game from the outset.
The forecast for Cairns on Saturday is hot but not extreme. A maximum of 31 is expected with partly cloudy conditions and a strong breeze. The match kicks off at 4.15pm.
The humidity is expected to be around 60 per cent which is lower than it often can be in Cairns at this time of the year.
Roar captain Matt McKay says the majority of his squad have experience in playing in similar conditions and the weather is not an issue among the players.
Head Coach John Aloisi says he has no intention of changing his preparations or on-field structures because of the venue or the opponents.
“We’re not mixing up anything. We prepare the same every week,” he said.
Although the Roar’s five-match unbeaten run came to an end last week with an unlucky 2-1 loss to Western Sydney, Aloisi was happy with the way his side played.
“We are improving every game and if we stick to the way we want to play, the results will come. I have no doubts about that,” he said.
Roar players have signed hundreds of autographs for North Queensland fans in recent days.
Their program has included a meet-and-greet, in-store appearances at Telstra and Rebel Sports, kickarounds with local children on The Esplanade and last night’s hugely successful official dinner.
They capped their fan engagement with an open training session for the public this morning while Luke DeVere joined Santa Claus in a special helicopter arrival at Cazalys Stadium today in support of the Salvation Army.
Wellington arrived in Cairns at lunchtime today and are scheduled to have a one-hour session on the lush Cazalys pitch this evening.
After the Phoenix, the Roar are away to Central Coast then return to Suncorp Stadium to play Melbourne City on Sunday, 27 December (6pm kick off) and Perth Glory on Saturday, 2 January (4.15pm kick off).
Tickets to the holiday period home games are available now by clicking here.
