Relieved Brosque to keep building slowly

Oct 22, 2016 - 5:10 AM Alex Brosque isn't so much confident as he is relieved to have played 90 minutes of football unscathed.

There was a lot riding on the Sydney FC captain's first full game back in Wednesday's FFA Cup semi-final win over Canberra Olympic - not just for him but also the A-League team he leads.

Brosque hadn't completed a match since February, after having his hamstring operated on.

The recovered 33-year-old has already started this campaign with a bang, coming off the bench to score against both Western Sydney and Central Coast.

Yet 20-minute cameos are far different to a full game, and Brosque's nerves were palpable as he walked onto the field at Viking Park.

"It was relief more than anything to get through it," Brosque said.

"I was a bit worried and started feeling a few things here and there during the match.

"Just normal things that you feel in the back end of a game, but having not played 90 minutes for a long time it was a little bit worrying.

"The good thing is the hammies feel great and there's no issues whatsoever."

Brosque's return will continue to be managed closely, with coach Graham Arnold signalling the former Socceroo will return to the bench against Wellington on Sunday and likely used only sparingly.

The skipper says the club prepares well for a difficult trip across the ditch

"Because of how hard it is you tend to focus and plan a little bit harder than you normally do for matches," Brosque said.

"We have a good record there in the last couple of years for that reason.

The Phoenix are last on zero points after two rounds and are the only side yet to register a goal, while Sydney have scored eight times.

But the Sky Blues have the competition's lowest possession share of 41 per cent.

Brosque put it down to Sydney's direct playing style.

"Every time we get the ball we have the intent to go forward quick and score," he said.

"So while we love to maintain possession and control games, that will come as the team builds more cohesion."

Source: AAP