Sydney FC defender Scott Jamieson says the reigning A-League champs are still holding on to their slight chance of qualifying for this season's playoffs.

The Sky Blues are currently sitting in ninth position with three regular season matches remaining, six points off sixth-placed Wellington Phoenix, who have played the same amount of matches.

With Sydney set to take on the three teams sitting above them (Newcastle Jets, Phoenix and Melbourne Heart) on the table in their final matches, Jamieson says the players will do their utmost to stay alive in the finals race until the season is over.

"If you look at the fixtures and the results in black and white then yes, it is a surprise we're still in the running," he said.

"But from my point of view you also should look at the calibre of our squad and the players we have - in that way it's not a surprise that we still have a chance.

"Frankly there's no point in thinking about anything other than the Newcastle game [on Sunday], because without three points there none of this means anything, and that just adds to the pressure in a game that has always had some rivalry.

"But something seems to have happened in 2011. Maybe we've had that little bit of luck that we didn't have before, and suddenly we're playing well and that breeds confidence and good results."

If Sydney do happen to miss the finals, they will have something up on the other four teams who miss out with them - the Asian Champions League - and Jamieson says at least that can be something to look forward to if a top-six finish is not achieved.

"I think a lot of people expected us to get smashed in the ACL, and after the way we started the year that's fair enough. But I came last [in the A-League] with Adelaide last season yet in the end we were unlucky not to get out of our group in the ACL," he added.

"It gives us a fresh start and the prospect of it has definitely given us some momentum in the A-League."