Melbourne Victory stalwart Archie Thompson says Friday’s match at Simonds Stadium in Geelong will have a big impact on the shape of the Hyundai A-League ladder for the rest of the season.
Kevin Muscat and his Victory side trained at Simonds Stadium in Geelong on Wednesday, making the most of the facilities, which are in perfect condition for Friday’s top of the table clash with Perth Glory.
Perth sit top of the ladder with a four point buffer, so Thompson said three points on Friday night will be important for his Melbourne side in good form.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere on Friday night and it’s a top of the table clash,” Thompson said.
“Obviously we can’t go top, but it puts us one point behind a very good Perth side, so we urge everyone to get down to Geelong because it’s going to be a very good match.”
After suffering their first loss to crosstown rivals City only two weeks ago, Thompson said his teammates had returned to some of their best form in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle.
“We’re back. We know Perth is a quality side. Everyone has written them off, (but) they seem to turn up every week and prove critics wrong.
“We’re not taking this game lightly. We’re excited to play this Perth team. We know they are going to be up for a battle against us.”
Asked about the quality of the Simonds Stadium playing surface, the 36-year-old said the pitch was in perfect conditions.
“If anything it will play in to our hands. We like to play the ball fast and I remember from the last time we played here it was quick. We’ve got some very quick players and we move the ball well.”
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