Match Preview: Bula FC vs South Island United

South Island United coach Rob Sherman will come up against many familiar faces when his team takes on Bula FC in their second match of the OFC Pro League in Auckland on Tuesday.

Sherman was the national team coach in Fiji for the past two years and worked closely with many of the current Bula FC players and staff.

“I am really looking forward to taking on many of my old players tomorrow,” says Sherman, whose team is determined to bounce back after a 3-0 loss to Auckland FC in their opening match.

“I have a deep affinity with Fiji and the Fijian players. I know most of the lads, so this is a great opportunity to play against those familiar faces,” says Sherman, who was in the stands to watch Bula FC give up a lead in the final minutes of their 2-2 draw against Vanuatu United.

“I saw the match, but we also had our analysts provide us with a detailed report, so we have a good insight in our next opponents.”

Despite the disappointing scoreline against Auckland FC, Sherman says the match provided a good platform to build on.

“It was a tough game and it was our first ever match, and there were plenty of areas to improve on but also plenty of positives,” says Sherman, who added that the opening match was played at a higher intensity than some players would have been used to.

“Even though we lost our first match, we competed well for large sections of the match,  and I hope the players will take some confidence from the first match,” says Sherman, who explains that the rapid match schedule does not allow too much time to dwell on the past and players are keen to get points on the board against Bula FC.

Central defender Josh Rogerson had to come off in the first match with a head wound and was diagnosed with a concussion, so will likely miss the next four matches.

Sherman says the tight match schedule will require careful player management, recovery and rotation, but aside from Rogerson, the rest of the squad is available for selection.

Bula FC vs South Island United

Kick-off Tuesday 3pm, QBE Stadium