Tim Cahill says Melbourne City will launch holiday raid on A-League leaders Sydney FC

SOCCEROO Tim Cahill admits Sydney FC deserve to be top of the A-League, even as he readies Melbourne City for a seasonal bid to reel in the Sky Blues.

Tim Cahill in enemy territory at Maroubra Beach.

SOCCEROO Tim Cahill admits Sydney FC deserve to be top of the A-League, even as he readies Melbourne City for a seasonal bid to reel in Graham Arnold’s side.

Seven points clear at the summit, Sydney are feeling so confident that captain Alex Brosque claims the chasing pack are being “psychologically affected” by his side’s record this season.

That record includes two bruising and spiteful encounters with Melbourne City, including the FFA Cup final, but Cahill admitted that Sydney held the advantage in terms of the league table, and could afford to be bullish.

City’s defeat in the Melbourne derby on Saturday saw them drop to fourth but Cahill predicted there would be a battle of endurance for the Premier’s Plate and then the Championship.

Tim Cahill in enemy territory at Maroubra Beach.

“Alex is a very down-to-earth guy, and Sydney are out in front, they deserve to be out in front,” Cahill said of Brosque’s comments. “They’ve been resilient. At the moment they’re the team to catch.

“There’s a lot of football left and the second phase (of the season) will be totally focused on picking up a lot of points in the next 10 games.

“We were sitting second until that loss (to Victory), and (with) a piece of really important silverware. I think you’ve got to level it out, and to win the A-League from what I’ve seen in the past you have to win two thirds of the season. So it’s going to be a big second phase for us.

“You’ve just got to measure out the season, it’s going to be a long season for a lot of clubs, especially the ones at the top.”

A-League stars help launch the A-League Summer of Football at Maroubra Beach.

Cahill has been the face of the league’s successful first third of the season, with ratings and crowds rising. As Football Federation Australia launched what it dubbed “a summer of football”, featuring 10 games in 11 days over the Christmas and New Year period, Cahill said it was vital to build on those numbers.

“Everyone talks about how amazing the A-League has been, I think we can all agree it’s been a great start,” he said. “You look at the numbers for viewings, you look at also the excitement of the games.

“Now we’ve just got to jump on the bandwagon in making this one of the top sports in our country. Let’s start transitioning the numbers to the kids that play in grassroots into becoming supporters and filling out stadiums up.”

Originally published as Tim Cahill says Melbourne City will launch holiday raid on A-League leaders Sydney FC