Sundowns should make light work of Pirates
Pirates should be worried about that because if it indeed happens, then they'll be reduced to chasing the ball all afternoon long.
The last three weeks have provided very little that suggests I could be wrong with my predictions for the MTN8 semi-finals.
I wrote two weeks ago that Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu will both advance to the final after this weekend, eliminating Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in the process.
Naturally, it is the Sundowns versus Pirates game that I’m looking forward to the most, it being the big game that it is.
The sides played to an engrossing goalless draw at the Orlando Stadium in their first leg, and Sundowns have the advantage going into tomorrow’s return leg in Polokwane.
The game will be played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium owing to Loftus Versfeld’s unsuitability due to it being branded by a rival sponsor.
This brings me to the subject of the venue. I find it to be a rather interesting choice because of the spectacle that is its turf.
That mat looks beautifully green and spongy on TV and I can imagine that it will allow Sundowns to ease into their element. It should help them pass the ball with ease and the accuracy that is their hallmark.
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Pirates should be worried about that because if it indeed happens, then they’ll be reduced to chasing the ball all afternoon long.
Although to be fair, they didn’t do too badly going toe-to-toe with the Brazilians the last time round – an approach that is forbidden at every other club when they face Sundowns.
But I can’t help but think that Sundowns will be better prepared for this game and more eager to take control, knowing that it will be their responsibility as the home team.
That they will go into the match having eased into the African Champions League group stage after crushing La Passé is also an interesting factor.
That’s because their ridiculous 15-1 aggregate win served as timely proof of what I wrote in this column last week about ruthlessness being a mark of great teams.
Pirates, on the other hand, have found scoring rather difficult in the PSL, with their 2-0 win over Golden Arrows on Tuesday being the only exception.
They’ll have to score tomorrow to win the tie. I’m not sure how they’ll do that against a proper defensive structure such as that of Sundowns. Or how they’ll keep out a team that, in fact, scores for fun against anyone on its day.
