The former Ajax captain scored from a perfectly executed free-kick and laid on a goal for Trent Buhagiar with a well judged pass, in the 3-0 semi-final away win over Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday.

,After starting just four games for Ajax last season, 29-year-old midfield-attacker de Jong enjoyed the opportunity to play 83 minutes of a meaningful match.

'I haven't played a lot of these games lately, and for the confidence it's always good to score and be important for the team," de Jong said.

"That's why I arrived here as well, to play games and I'm happy. These kind of games are always special, a semi-final in a derby.

"The last ten minutes I felt (it in) my legs and I need to get more of these games in to improve."

With his compatriot Jop van der Linden sound in defence and Englishman Adam Le Fondre and former Central Coast attacker Trent Buhagiar each scoring regularly through the the pre-season, Sydney's latest recruitment drive is paying early dividends.

Sydney have enjoyed plenty of success in recent seasons with their attacking imports, with Alessandro Del Piero, Marc Janko , Adrian Mierzejewski and Bobo all making a considerable impact

"The recruitment that Sydney FC do is I think the best in the league," said Sky Blues' goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne.

"You look at the boys we''ve brought in and they will just continue to get better and better once they learn from each other and when the squad as a collective, we learn the movements and the passes they like."

Saturday's win kept Sydney on course to become the first team to win back-to-back FFA Cups and propelled them into a final away to Adelaide United on October 30.

"Everyone plays their best against Sydney, they always want to knock us off and that's the target we put on our back and we relish that." Redmayne said.

"We want to have that pressure and we want to be the best."

Australian Associated Press