Sydney FC's press can push Central Coast into rushed first passes, but the Mariners have a direct route into the space it leaves. The chances each side creates are easier to see than repeated clean finishes. In Daegu, Samsung and KT both have hitters who can put runners on for the middle of the order. Their starting pitchers and the first relief handoffs should shape how those chances turn into runs.
Sydney want to defend from the front and move quickly through Quintal, Akon or Sekine to Toure and Sunday. Central Coast can circulate through Donnell and Eames, then use Auglah's forward pass to find Lavale; Mauragis also gives them a delivery from the left. Sydney's wide supply was productive against Adelaide, but the attack managed only one shot on target against the Wanderers and two against Melbourne City. The Mariners' open-play scoring record is also thinner than the Victory game suggests, because Victory played most of it with ten.
Walatee and Hollman remain unavailable for Sydney, and the current attack has already played without them. Farrell and Hoefsloot are back in the extended squad after missing the City game, though their minutes are unconfirmed. Central Coast are still without Sainsbury, as they were in their recent matches. Sydney can win the ball high and lead, while Auglah and Lavale can provide a direct reply; the evidence for several accurate finishes from either side is less convincing. That's why I'm siding with a restrained scoring finish in Sydney FC–Central Coast Mariners.
KT's best route starts with Choi Won-jun reaching base ahead of An Hyun-min, Sam Hilliard and Kim Hyun-soo. Hilliard and Kim have already done damage against Ariel Jurado, even though Jurado has pitched well in his recent playoff starts against KIA. So Hyeong-jun, meanwhile, held Samsung's lineup quiet in his two latest official meetings with it. Samsung can answer through Kim Ji-chan and Kim Sung-yun setting up Koo Ja-wook, Choi Hyoung-woo and Lewin Diaz, as its heavy contact in the previous game showed.
Koo and Kang Min-ho both played the previous game, while KT's Kim Hyun-soo and Kim Min-hyeok also appeared; the new batting orders are not yet confirmed. Samsung's regular closer Kim Jae-yoon remains out, and Won Tae-in is being held for a later start after pitching in the previous game. KT still needs a bridge from So to Park Young-hyun, with Kim Jeong-un among the demonstrated options. I expect So to give KT a chance to reach that handoff with its middle order having tested Jurado, and I'm backing KT Wiz Suwon to win.
