|
Sydney FC recruit Kosta Barbarouses says it's probably good the Sky Blues aren't playing an A-League home game at the SCG next season. Sydney have been forced to find alternative home venues from 2018-19 onwards, while their traditional base next to the SCG is being rebuilt. In the 2019-20 season draw released on Thursday, Sydney had 10 matches scheduled for Netstrata Jubilee Stadium and three at Leichhardt Oval, but none at the SCG. The Sydney Cricket Ground and Sports Ground on Thursday issued a statement saying the Sky Blues had been unable to schedule games at the SCG in the 2019-20 season because of an unprecedented year of sport at the ground. Sydney were down to play three games at the SCG last season but moved the last one, after the surface was slammed following the game there against Melbourne Victory. Barbarouses scored Victory's goal in their 2-1 loss in that game and Kevin Muscat, who was their coach at the time, labelled the surface as unsafe and dangerous. Asked if he was happy not to be playing at the SCG in the coming season, Barbarouses said "'We don't particularly look at (playing at the SGG) as something to avoid or something that we don't want to do, it's the organisers that work that out," Barbarouses said. "Obviously it (the SCG) wasn't great and probably wasn't the best prepared for us to play there. 'But the players welfare in terms of surface has to come into play, and it's probably a good thing I'd say(we're not playing there)." The 2019-20 draw gives another recruit Alexander Baumjohann a quick opportunity to face his former club Western Sydney Wanderers in an early-season derby at Bankwest Stadium. 'I'm very happy and excited that we can play them already in round three and I'm really looking forward to it," Baumjohann said. Sydney were upset 2-0 by Brisbane on Wednesday in the Roar's first competitive game under new coach and former England striker Robbie Fowler. It was the first time Sydney had fallen in the round of 32, the stage at which A-League clubs enter the competition. Sydney had reached the last three FFA Cup finals but now cannot achieve their annual goal of winning all three domestic trophies. "The FFA Cup is a nice competition for pre-season, but to be honest the most important thing is the league," Baumjohann said.
|
