Sydney FC midfielder Milos Ninkovic believes the physical tone to the Westfield FFA Cup Final worked against them, forcing the Sky Blues into a physical "fight" with Melbourne City.
Speaking after the 1-0 loss to Melbourne City on Wednesday night, a bitterly disappointed Ninkovic said it wasn’t the Sydney FC he was used to.
City crowned Westfield FFA Cup 2016 winners
“Like I said many times, when we don’t keep the ball it is difficult to play football,” he told www.theffacup.com.au.
“I think we played like Melbourne City [tonight].
"Fights, too much running, fight.”
In the first couple of minutes Luke Brattan set the tone when he crunched Sydney FC defender Michael Zullo. It sparked heated scenes and Ninkovic believed this set the tone of the game.
“The first 15 minutes was just a fight, not football. Then we don’t play our game.
“You saw against Adelaide last week, it was the same.”
City got to Sydney in ten days to face the Sky Blues in the Hyundai A-League. It’s sure to be a feisty encounter with revenge on the mind of the beaten Cup finalists.
Though the Serbian midfielder hopes the Sky Blues return to their football ways and not get dragged into a fight.
“It’s not about Melbourne City, it’s more about us. Because if we play our football we can beat everyone.
"But tonight, we didn’t play like we can and that’s why we lost.”
