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Big is beautiful to van't Schip

1st May, 2015
2

Melbourne City coach John van `t Schip isn’t allowing the prospect of a Melbourne derby A-League final to enter the minds of his players ahead of their do-or-die clash in Wellington.

City play the Phoenix on Sunday in an elimination final and are just two wins away from a maiden grand final berth.

Aftering finishing fifth, a semi-final in Melbourne must be a tantalising prospect for City after they previously consigned themselves to an all-away route to a grand final.

But van `t Schip has put the foot down on any players thinking ahead of their meeting with Wellington.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate or a good way to approach it,” he said.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen, you have to just make sure you get through to the next round and every game will be a big game.”

Indeed, the task at hand is bigger than anything the club has encountered in their five-year history.

The club’s fifth-placed finish is the best that City or Heart have achieved before, with van `t Schip saying the Manchester City connection meant higher stakes.

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“This is the first year with the new ownership so it’s the biggest game,” he said.

City have made the finals just once before, losing to Perth 3-0 in a 2012 elimination final.

The importance attached to their trip means there is also more pressure for both City’s coaches and players, but the Dutch coach hopes it is “good pressure”.

“That’s only what you’re playing for, you play to play finals games,” he said.

“The big games are, in my opinion, the most beautiful ones and the best ones.

“The pressure is there to build and get to a very good performance.”

Both sides take less than impressive form lines into the match.

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Wellington have lost three of their last four home matches, while City ended the season with two heavy away defeats.

“Wellington has a poor home record … we don’t have to hide away from that,” said van `t Schip.

“They can say the same of us, we have a poor away record.

“I know they are maybe favourite but it’s not important to us … everything can happen.”

With Mate Dugandzic unlikely to travel, Jonatan Germano is likely to be the only player to have played in both of the club’s A-League finals.

Kew Jaliens is suspended while Jack Clisby remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Van `t Schip will take a squad of 17 to Wellington early on Saturday.

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