Adelaide United v Melbourne City Match Day Jamboree!!!©

[EdDog]

Some of those long-balls tonight from Isiais were glorious.

Really wound back the clock with his performance tonight.

Could have been 0-3 after 15 minutes and similarly, we could have put on 2 or 3 more in that 15 minute burst after half time.

Defensively we still look bang average but I love watching us go forward.

What a win!

[otto62]

Exciting game.

We looked dodgy at times at the back in the first 15 and then straight after halftime we were under so much pressure, but scrambled well in defence and worked so hard all half. Wasteful in front of goal first half (as were City) but clinical with our chances in the second half.

We might be the real deal this season. I don’t fear anyone. I know we can score 2 goals in any game.

[sevengoals]

Carl is happy!



Highlights ...

[Bptiger25]

Bog average in the 1st half then came alive , if only we could convert all those chances we would win every game . The defence is still a huge problem .
Clough had his best game so far this year .
Second half came playing like Manchester city but again could not covert those chances then we went to sleep only to wake up and finish like a title team , what a great game , hope we can keep it up to grand final day , go the mighty reds

[EdDog]

Barr was saying in his HT interview that Eugene is the defensive coach.

Great 'keeper but not a defender. Reckon that's the off-field appointment we need next season.

[otto62]

Barr was saying in his HT interview that Eugene is the defensive coach.

Great 'keeper but not a defender. Reckon that's the off-field appointment we need next season.

I thought he said Eugene was the “set pieces” coach, and would be happy after his goal from a planned corner routine.

[RedTide]

What a match - much like the Reds of old, in our championship year. Was it really 7 years ago?

Isa played his best match for us since coming back from the Middle East 2 years ago. We have badly missed his ability to control the midfield. In fact, for the first 15 minutes, it looked like our old problem of having a midfield you could drive a truck through would be our downfall yet again. The captain stood tall, though, started muscling into challenges and then D'Arrigo and Clough picked up on Isa's physicality and started winning balls. Suddenly we had a midfield again and MC Petrodollars no longer had the initiative. Their coach Vidosic admitted as much after the match - that once we stopped them playing their possession game, it became a game of transition, on our terms and we are deadly in transition.

A midfield with a firing Clough and D'Arrigo and a steadfast Isa is suddenly looking 10x better than what we have had all season. Isa had 2 assists, for the Goody goal and the Irankunda goal, but could have had 2 more, if the frontline had finished them. He was my pick for the player of the match.

The defence was shaky at times, as others have noted, but even that is gelling. The constant personnel changes don't help, but Warland is finding his feet and is a ready made replacement for Juande. Speaking of whom, it was great to see him watching from the AUFC box. He won't be back this season of course, but now I hope that he sticks around for at least one more season with us. He and Javi Lopez are the wise heads that guide Popovic and Lachy Barr - who had his best game ever for us.

The only real passenger in the side was Ben Halloran, but such is his ability on the ball that we have to maintain faith in him. His shooting is right off and he has lost all confidence in front of goal, but once one goes in, the confidence will be back and we will start getting crosses in from the right from him, as well as our traditional strength down the left flank (Goody and Kitto). What a front line that will be ...

All in all, I would give us a B+. Our effort cannot be faulted, but out first 15 minutes were dire and at one point it looked like we would be down 3 - 0 by the half. That we came back from that and went on to win 4 - 2 is testament to the character of the side and the strength of the support from the home fans. Coopers proved once again why it is the best football stadium in the country, bar none.

We're away to the Jest next week, so it's not inconceivable, if MC Petrodollars fail again next week - having lost 2 of their past 3 - and we beat the Jest that we could be within one win of the Petrodollars. Interesting times ahead, at the pointy end of the season ...

[red wombat]

We are so lucky to have Goodwin... and Isais (on a good day)
As usual, we struggle to score and struggle to defend. I think we've got the players (except Blackwood - sorry, I don't rate him as A-league standard) but it doesn't always work. Yet last night it did. That second half was well worth watching. And Irukunda is a real discovery (please stay with us, don't chase the money like so many others have done).
It's a pity Hiro went off early and I hope he recovers well. I wondered about him until I I saw some close ups of his play. No, he's not scoring as often as we'd like, but that's because he ties the defense in knots and winds up in positions no-one expects, including our own players unfortunately. If we ever learn to play with him, he'll be a game changer.

AU remains a team that breaks hearts. I love them to death and was at their first match (a few rows above that pyro that wound up in the stands as it happens), but by cripes they can be hard to follow at times. Last night was not such a night. We took it right up to the league leaders and beat them. Can't ask for more than that.

[red wombat]

The only real passenger in the side was Ben Halloran,

I wouldn't pick on Halloran, he's a hard worker and often the player who makes the difference. No, he wasn't at his best last night, but that happens. I'm happy to have him in our team.

[RedTide]

The only real passenger in the side was Ben Halloran,

I wouldn't pick on Halloran, he's a hard worker and often the player who makes the difference. No, he wasn't at his best last night, but that happens. I'm happy to have him in our team.

That is exactly the point that I was trying to make - that we should stick with Ben H. through his form slump. Maybe that did not come out quite clearly enough in the way that I expressed it.

[EdDog]

I thought yesterday was further evidence that we are better without Hiro up front. Smaller, nimble forwards can press higher and somehow, it brings Clough and Goody more into the game.

Special mention to Clough, who I had all but written off in recent weeks.

He's actually become a joy to watch at times. Little shimmies around defenders, pin-point passes. When he has time on the ball he can really make a difference.

Can see now why Carl is persisting with him.

[RedTide]

Something that I should have mentioned earlier too - the only really disappointing thing about the whole match was that MC Petrodollars did not turn up in their hilarious Barnstoneworth strip. That would have made the whole evening close to perfect.

[Bptiger25]

U know what sucks must is if the owners would just give us two class players in areas that we need most we could win the title, we get close nearly every year but a lack of class just holds us back , I wish they the owners could see this instead of sticking there heads in the sand

[red wombat]

U know what sucks must is if the owners would just give us two class players in areas that we need most we could win the title, we get close nearly every year but a lack of class just holds us back , I wish they the owners could see this instead of sticking there heads in the sand

AU's been run on a shoestring ever since the word go. Fortunately, we've been able to develop players and to find quality players in previously overlooked countries.
But as you say, it'd be nice to have owners who actually want to win the league.