FFA Cup: Sydney FC and Wanderers face off in semi-final

Sydney FC defender Alex Wilkinson is adamant the Sky Blues can improve on their minor premiership-winning effort of last season.

Sydney FC defender Alex Wilkinson. Picture: AAP

Sydney FC central defender Alex Wilkinson is adamant the Sky Blues can improve on their minor premiership-winning effort of last season, despite losing two star imports and a coach.

The doubt was raised by Western Sydney Wanderers captain Brendan Hamill, in the lead-up to today’s FFA Cup semi-final derby.

The tie at Penrith’s Panthers Stadium will be Sydney’s first cup test this season against another A-League side, with the defending champions beating three NPL clubs in earlier rounds.

The Wanderers defeated non-A-League sides in their first two games before a quarter-final away win at Melbourne City.

Hamill on Thursday said his club were better than last season but wasn’t sure if Sydney could say the same. Premiers Plate winners for the past two seasons, Sydney have lost star imports Bobo and Adrian Mierzejewski to overseas clubs and coach Graham Arnold to the Socceroos.

But the club’s new recruits have shown promising signs in the pre-season under new coach Steve Corica, says Wilkinson.

Englishman Adam le Fondre and former Central Coast forward Trent Buhagiar have been among the goals in cup and friendly games, while Dutch duo Siem de Jong and Jop van der Linden, and on-loan Mariners midfielder Daniel De Silva, are all settling in well.

“The team is coming together really well,” Wilkinson said. “Every time we go out and play everyone wants to beat us because of what we’ve done over the last couple of years, so that’s the goal, to improve, and I think we can.

“It’s been a long off-season and we’ve worked really hard under Steve and the transition has been pretty seamless, which is fantastic.

“We’ve managed to keep the core of the squad together and add some quality which is great.

“The goals are to win every trophy and that starts this week in the FFA Cup with the Wanderers.”

While the Wanderers’ pre-season form outside the cup competition has been ordinary, with big losses in friendlies against Central Coast and Newcastle, Hamill has no doubt his side will be up for the challenge today.

“It’s a huge game, a cup semi-final, especially against Sydney in a derby, everyone gets up for the derby,” Hamill said.

Winning through to a final would be a feather in the cap of either Corica or new Wanderers coach Markus Babbel.

“I said to my boys a semi-final is cool but to come in the final is much cooler, so we will give everything,” Babbel said.

AAP