This Sunday the Central Coast Mariners will face Adelaide United, a club where Ferreira spent two and a half seasons but the Portuguese flyer says that it’s business as usual for him.
After bagging his first goal of the season with a cheeky ‘panenka’ in the Mariners 2-0 win over Perth Glory, the 27-year-old says that a goal fills him with confidence and the team is in great spirits.
“I’m very happy with the goal,” Ferreira said. “I’ve really wanted to score for a long time so I’m very glad that I’ve scored on the weekend – I admit I was a bit nervous knowing that I missed the last penalty very badly but I was confident at the same time, you cannot be scared so I just forgot about everything and concentrated on the penalty.
“Everyone here is feeling good, the boys played very well on the weekend so hopefully we can take the same performance and the same energy to Sunday’s game.
“We did very well against Perth, we created a lot of chances and I believe that’s what we can do to any team so hopefully we can keep doing this until the end of the season and we can get a few more points,” Ferreira said.
This Sunday the Central Coast Mariners face Adelaide United, a club that Fabio signed with in 2012 but the former Chelsea attacker says that playing a former team will not contribute to his performance.
“Playing Adelaide is like any other match, you cannot think just because you’ve played somewhere it’s going to change the circumstances, you still want to win just like playing against any other club,” Ferreira said. “You just concentrate on doing your best, there’s no thinking about friends or anything else you just want to win and finish the game with three points,” Ferreira said.
The Mariners sit just seven points out of the top six and Ferreira says there is full belief in the squad that finals football isn’t out of reach.
“This season there are some results that we should have picked up that we haven’t but we have to think now about the present and the games in front of us,” Ferreira said. “If we go to Canberra and play the same way we played against Perth then I am very confident that we can take another three points and win the game.
“We will play until the final match of the season and everything is still possible.
“Yes we’re the two last teams on the table but this match is important for both teams, both teams want to win.
“Making a run for the finals is possible, it’s hard, but it’s certainly possible and I think that if we can just take it one game at a time – Sunday is a win-able game for us so we just need to go there and get three points,” Ferreira said.
Okon has experimented with Ferreira on both wings this season, as well as a number 10 but regardless of position the Sporting Lisbon junior is confident that he can do the job.
“Hopefully on Sunday I can score another goal against my old club which would be even better,” Ferreira said. “I am a winger but I’ve been playing 10 but I will play wherever the coach wants me to play and I will just do my best.
“I will do what I can, last game I felt very comfortable in that number 10 role with two wingers up and wide so wherever I play I will just have to do my best,” Ferreira said.
Central Coast Mariners Squad: 1.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 2.Storm ROUX, 3.Scott GALLOWAY, 4.Jacob POSCOLIERO, 5.Harry ASCROFT, 6.Blake POWELL, 7.Fabio FERREIRA, 8.Nick MONTGOMERY (c), 9.Roy O’DONOVAN, 11.Connor PAIN, 12.Trent BUHAGIAR, 13.Kwabena APPIAH, 14.Adam BERRY, 16.Liam ROSE, 17.Josh BINGHAM, 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 22.Jake McGING
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 5.Harry ASCROFT (promoted), 9.Roy O’DONOVAN (return from suspension), 21.Michael NEILL (promoted)
Outs: 26.Steve WHYTE (not selected)
Unavailable: 10.Mickael TAVARES (ankle injury – indefinite), 19.Jacques FATY (hamstring – 1 week), 23.Jake ADELSON (ACL – indefinite)
Adelaide United squad: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk) (c), 2.Michael MARRONE, 3.Iacopo LA ROCCA, 4.Dylan McGOWAN, 5.Taylor REGAN, 8.ISAÍAS, 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA, 11.Sergio CIRIO, 12.Mark OCHIENG, 13.Marc MARINO, 14.George MELLS, 16.Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 17.Nikola MILEUSNIC, 18.Riley McGREE, 19.Ben GARUCCIO, 20.John HALL (gk), 21.Tarek ELRICH, 24.Jordan O’DOHERTY
**two to be omitted**
Ins: 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA (returns from injury), 12.Mark OCHIENG (promoted), 16.Jesse MAKAROUNAS (promoted), 24.Jordan O’DOHERTY (promoted)
Outs: 7.HENRIQUE (not selected), 22.Ryan KITTO (hamstring – 6-7 weeks)
Unavailable: 23.Jordan ELSEY (knee – season)
Match Details
Hyundai A-League 2016/17 – Round 18
Sunday 5 February 2017
Central Coast Mariners vs. Adelaide United
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Tickets: CLICK HERE
kick-off: 5:00pm (AEDT)
Official hash-tags: #CCMvADL & #CCMFC
TV Broadcast: Fox Sports 505
Radio Broadcast: 96.3 Coast FM & 92.5 ABC Central Coast
The Westfield W-League Semi-Final will be played before the Hyundai A-League action at GIO Stadium. Details are as follows:
Match Details
Westfield W-League Semi Final 2016/17
Sunday 5 February 2017
Canberra United vs. Melbourne City Women
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Tickets: CLICK HERE
kick-off: 2:00pm (AEDT)
Official hash-tags: #CBRvMCY
TV Broadcast: Fox Sports 505
