Midfielder Terry Antonis during Sydney FC training at Macquarie University sports fields, North Ryde. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia
AS throwaway lines go, it doesn’t get more demeaning than calling your bitter rivals “little brothers”.
Maybe Sydney FC’s extrovert striker Corey Gameiro would opt for a better choice of words if given the chance, but there is little doubt his comment about the Wanderers earlier this week hasn’t gone down too well out in the western suburbs.
During an interview on Tuesday, Gameiro offered this when asked about the success of Western Sydney in the A-League and the Asian Champions League.
“All the success they’ve had in the Champions League is good for the country,” Gameiro said.
“But to us from Sydney, they are our little brothers and we want to make sure that we’re the club that comes out on top.”
One could tell in the facial expressions of Wanderers’ veteran goalkeeper Ante Covic and coach Tony Popovic that Gameiro’s comments have added an extra bit of spice ahead of tonight’s sold-out match at Allianz Stadium.
Mind you, Popovic and Covic, were mindful of not giving the Sky Blues any ammunition and preferred to brush aside the comments.
Covic smiled and put it down to inexperience.
“Yeah. It’s funny how the youth throw out simple comments like that,” Covic said. “Little brothers — OK, yeah, good on him.”
Popovic was more straightforward when asked if it was part of the banter between the two clubs.
“I don’t really care what his comment was meant, to be honest,” he said sternly.
And neither was Popovic going to buy into the dramas of last season when all hell broke loose late in a game on March 8 after Sydney FC’s Ali Abbas accused Wanderers striker Brendon Santalab of racially and religiously vilifying him.
After weeks of bad publicity, Santalab was found to have no case to answer, although tensions are still simmering beneath the surface.
“No,” was all Popovic would say when asked if he was concerned tonight’s match could be overshadowed by the events of last season.
It was the same reply when he was asked whether he would issue instructions to his players about managing things if something like that happened again.
For all the negativity about the dramas and controversies, it is just part of what makes this game one of the highlights of the A-League season.
In just two seasons the derby has been sold out at both home grounds.
It has given the A-League much to crow about, even to the extent of some media putting the boot into the NRL and pointing out rugby league was unable to sell out its big Sydney games during the season.
Covic and Popovic were not buying into that argument either, both suggesting soccer is not competing with the NRL or AFL.
“I am not worried about the other codes, they have their business,” Covic said. “We play in their off season and they have their place.
“We just want our game to grow.”
Popovic says the A-League now has the respect of all codes, but does not believe there is a fear factor on their part.
“I don’t think it is fear, I think they respect us,” he said.
“We have our own place in the sporting landscape in Australia.
“The derby has grown very quickly and it is great to see what it has done for the A-League.”
Popovic was being coy when asked whether captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley would start tonight. The defender arrived back in Sydney only on Thursday after playing for the Socceroos against Qatar.
Given the Wanderers’ 4-1 loss to Melbourne Victory last week while he was absent, there seems every chance Topor-Stanley will start.
Over at Sydney, coach Graham Arnold is also mulling over whether his two international players — Bernie Ibini (Socceroos) and Ali Abbas (Iraq) — will start.
Marquee striker Mark Janko will certainly make his debut upfront for the Sky Blues.
Austrian Janko scored a goal for his nation in an international last week.
source: theaustralian.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 