Melbourne City and FC Sydney brought an exciting match in the first leg of the Top 4 match. Both teams created a lot of scoring chances, but from the overall performance, Melbourne City seems to be more satisfied with the result. After all, they were playing at home and could advance to the finals with a win.
But as I've perceived, when people have high hopes for you, pressure comes with it. Add to that the fact that Murray City lost last year's Grand Final unfortunately, and the pressure of this tournament is even more so. Nonetheless, the fact that they have won the regular season title for three consecutive seasons certainly proves that they are the best in the AFL.
I strongly believe that Melbourne will be able to control the tempo of the game and create more scoring chances in this match. Goalkeeper Tang Gohua will play a key role. He showed excellent saves in the first leg, and although he may not be too busy this time around, he will have to be on his toes whenever FC Sydney go on the attack, especially against Fonzie, who has scored in his last 6 matches.
Looking back at last Friday's game, FC Sydney tied the game at 1-1 with a 12-yarder from an England striker, and I'm sure that another England player, Rudy Weir, will be a key part of the team as well. Although he mainly plays as a midfielder, he has been a revelation in the center of the park lately, partnering up with Alex Wigginson.
Given that Melbourne has a number of solid players up front in Jimmy McCarron, Mafeliki and Marco Di Leo, the center pairing of Rudyville and Alex Wijnsen will have to make sure that the defense is solid while looking for Fonzou to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball.
