After narrowly going down at McDonald Jones Stadium last weekend, the Jets now turn their attention to the Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium this Sunday, who are backing up from a cagey 0-0 draw against last season’s grand finalists, Sydney FC.
There was plenty to like about the Jets performance last weekend, with the Jets holding a majority of possession and creating enough chances that on another day, could have easily seen them claim all three competition points.
Sam Silvera and Valentino Yuel both started from the bench in last weekend’s match, but arguably turned the tide of momentum back in our favour when they entered the game.
The pair say their instructions were clear from Arthur Papas – get on the pitch and change the game.
“His messages are pretty clear,” Yuel said.
“Anyone that’s on the bench or starting, he wants you to make an impact straight away.
“He wants guys that can change the game and he made that very clear. When he selected the squad, I knew what my job was and I knew what I needed to do on the pitch.”
Speaking on his goal, Yuel said he felt the momentum of the game shift and felt the team were unlucky not to go on with it.
“I felt the energy pick up straight away,” he said.
“We hit the post (just after), and it could have been two goals straight away, so I felt like I did make an impact.
Sam Silvera originally debuting with Central Coast Mariners in 2019 before completing a move to the Portuguese league last year, and then being loaned to the Jets.
The young winger believes that although the result in his club debut was disappointing with the club, the identity of the Jets is starting to form – thanks to the new aggressive play-style spearheaded by Papas.
“Going forward, I think we are showing very positive signs,” Silvera said.
“We showed great signs of what we are trying to do and our identity of a club that we are trying to create. Of course we are going to have moments – we are a new team.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get that next goal to equalise. We hit the post and came very close.
Competition for spots is at an all-time high at the club, with the strong recruitment drive during the off-season bringing in talent from all around the world.
However, Valentino Yuel says he doesn’t care where he gets selected and is just focused on improving as a player and getting results for the the tea,.
“There’s alot of areas I want to improve on coming into this season,” Yuel mentioned. “One of them is being more consistent.
“It doesn’t matter if I start or come off the bench – for me it’s to have that impact, making chances and being more ruthless in front of goals.
“This year there is a lot more competition. Similar players in similar positions – it’s very competitive and I try to put my hand up every single week (to be in the starting XI).”
The Wanderers matchup has become a fixture many fans have circled on the calendar with several players on both teams sharing time on the field for the other.
Yuel says coming up against ex-teammates has its benefits with the Jets knowing the player’s strengths and weaknesses, and will be travelling to CommBank Stadium to claim the win.
“You could call it [the fixture] another derby I guess,” he said.
“We know how they play and we know their strengths, so we are going to prepare the best we can and go out and play our best.
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t go there and take all three points and get our season off to a good start.”
