There’s always two sides to a fixture pile-up.
When Melbourne Victory began its Asian Champions League campaign what seems an eternity ago in mid-February with a final qualifying tie against Thai club Muangthong, it heralded a sequence of 14 matches in eight weeks: not draconian by European standards, perhaps, but a huge ask for an A-League team that only plays 27 matches in a regular season.
Much was made of the demands on the players, how the quality would be tested and the depth stretched to breaking point, that surely something would snap and Victory would founder in one, if not both, competitions.
That hasn’t happened. Victory has taken succour from its scheduling and the demands place upon it - as have the other Australian teams involved in the ACL, Central Coast and Western Sydney Wanderers.
Rather than stretch them beyond the tipping point, the arduous fixture list and the punishing travel regime seems to have inspired all three teams.
Victory hosts Sydney in the first of the sudden-death A-League finals on Friday night, and by virtue of its position, fourth as opposed to fifth, and the advantage playing at home gives it, will go in as favourites.
The Mariners will occupy a similar position on Saturday, having finished third on the table after the home-and-away season and hosting sixth-placed Adelaide in the second sudden-death playoff.
Western Sydney will travel the following week to take on Premiers Plate winner Brisbane with plenty of confidence, partly because of its second place regular-season finish, but also because of its ACL exploits. It is top of its group and a win at home against bottom-placed Chinese side Guizhou Renhe in its final match will see it through to the knockout phase in its first attempt at the competition.
Victory coach Kevin Muscat believes the tough program has worked well for his team, especially as it is hitting top form at just the right time, having walloped Wellington in New Zealand last weekend and then defeated defending Asian Champions League champion Guangzhou Evergrande 2-0 on Tuesday night in Melbourne.
''They would prefer playing in games than me shouting at them on the training pitch,'' he said about his players as they came through an enthusiastic Thursday session at Gosch’s Paddock that should leave them cherry-ripe for the test that Sydney will provide.
''You can embrace what’s been thrown at you and get some positive results and performances. It's galvanised the group. The training this morning was that sharp, everyone wants to play in the team ... it's brought the group closer together. You have seen that this morning, there was no fatigue or tiredness. There is a real determination, everyone wants to play. That session was as bright as it's been for a long time.''
But, Muscat warned, nothing could be taken for granted.
''We have not achieved anything yet. We got a good performance and a result [against Guangzhou], it was a step in the right direction to achieving some goals in that competition and giving confidence for the domestic competition.''
It's clear that the mood around the club has been lifted by the win over the Asian powerhouse, so much so that a pumped-up Muscat declared he was feeling so good that he would like to play in the game.
Sydney will be grateful that he isn’t, although it will be looking to a man almost as old as the Victory coach, Alessandro Del Piero, to provide it with the inspiration needed to overcome its traditional rivals.
While Del Piero is now old and slow, he still has the capacity to influence games - as he did to remarkable effect on Australia Day, when Sydney won 5-0 against Victory at Etihad Stadium, the scene of Friday’s game, a result that was, to this point of the campaign, a zenith for Sydney and a nadir for Victory.
''You have got to respect his ability,'' Muscat said of Del Piero. "We have analysed them enough to know we can take advantage of certain things, but he has still got immense ability. Apart from the second game [the 5-0 rout], we have handled that quite well.
''It's a big occasion for us. The Victory fans won’t be disappointed. We are really going for the jugular and to put them under as much pressure as possible in the final third [of the pitch].
"The amount of chances we have created in recent times and goals we have scored suggests when we get it right we are pretty dangerous. I feel like I could play as well.
''If I was coming up against us tomorrow night I would be a bit paranoid about the way we attack and the relentlessness of the past few weeks. Just a real determination to go out and attack and score goals. We will put anyone under pressure defensively.''
Former captain Adrian Leijer, who was injured in the win over Guangzhou, will be an absentee against Sydney, and his place will be taken by Nick Ansell.
"Leijer is definitely out ... it's a bad knock to the top of his foot, but the group will rally around him,'' Muscat said.
Midfielder Tomas Rogic will also not play. The Socceroo is still battling injury, but Muscat was quick to play down suggestions that he was suffering from osteitis pubis.
''Rogic? Not for tomorrow,'' he said rapidly when asked about his availability. ''He is making progress and working very hard to get back as quickly as he can. It's got nothing to do with his previous injuries, he’s well on the way to recovery. I am more than optimistic that he will play for this club before the season is out.''
Pablo Contreras, another veteran, had come through Tuesday’s game well, Muscat insisted. "Pablo is fine. Enough has gone into his loads and what he needs to get up for the game, he’s certainly available for the game. He was immense on Tuesday, he was brilliant.''
Muscat said no deal to tie Gui Finkler to the club for next season had been agreed. "There’s no hurry in getting it done, no pressure being put on either party. I have got a great relationship with Gui and my prioirty is to get him performing as he did in Wellington, where he was very good.''
*Possible Victory line-up: Coe; Geria, Ansell, Contreras, Traore; Broxham, Milligan; Finkler, Troisi; Barbarouses, Thompson.
