After Adelaide United secured the Premier’s Plate for the second time in the club’s history over the weekend, the Reds should fancy themselves to now go all the way and complete an incredible double.
Brisbane Roar’s inability to defeat a depleted Melbourne Victory 24 hours after United’s 2-0 win against Melbourne City, allowed the Reds to lift the minor premiership in what has been the greatest turnaround of fortunes for a team since the A-League’s inception.
Bottom after the first eight rounds and with speculation increasing surrounding the job security of coach Guillermo Amor, the South Australians looked set to reside at the foot of the table for much of the campaign.
.@AdelaideUnited fans.
December 11, 2015 – “We’re gonna win the league.” #YouWereRight #AUFC pic.twitter.com/1DLDFppO0u
— Outside90 (@Outside90) April 10, 2016
However, a club record 14-match unbeaten streak across four months was indicative of the Reds’ remarkable resurgence. Amor’s men seemed to grow in belief as each match passed and are now considered favourites to lift an elusive championship, given they are a home semi-final away from playing in a grand final for the first time since 2009.
READ MORE: Adelaide United: From rock bottom to premiers in a matter of months
Strengths
The resolute defensive structure Adelaide possess is arguably their ultimate asset and the foundation to their success. Dylan McGowan has been an absolute mainstay in the heart of the back-four, playing every minute of the entire season. The formidable partnership he has formed with Italian veteran Iacopo La Rocca over the previous three months has been quite impressive. The Reds conceded the least number of goals and mustered the most clean sheets with 13 – to equal the most shutouts in an A-League season.
Adelaide’s organisation and desire to apply pressure on their opponents in midfield has caused sides a lot of problems. The Reds’ tireless work-rate from the likes of Isaias and Stefan Mauk have been pivotal in quickly retrieving possession for the team and ignite the attacking play with forward passes.
Not only has Adelaide’s stingy defence been admirable, the fact that they have had multiple goal-scorers is also crucial. This term, like many of the side’s preceding years, the goals have once again been evenly shared with 12 different goal scorers finding the back-of-the-net. Striker Bruce Djite finished with nine goals, Pablo Sanchez netted seven, Marcelo Carrusca had 5, Sergio Cirio and Craig Goodwin grabbed four, while Mauk scored three of his seven goal tally with United, after leaving City in January.
Key Player – Isaias
Isaias has been the orchestrator at the base of the midfield for the Reds for three seasons now and continues to excel. The manner in which he screens the defence, snuffing out any potential danger, combined with his supreme distribution means the Spaniard will need to play a pivotal role during the finals series. The 29-year-old acts as the cog in a well-oiled engine unit containing Carrusca and Mauk – linking the defence and the attack. His proficiency in controlling the midfield and dictating the tempo of matches further gives the Reds an advantage over their rivals.
Recent Form
Adelaide’s recent form is imposing and in a broader, yet still relevant sense have lost just once in 19 league matches. However, more recently, since a 1-0 home defeat against the Citizens in March, United are four matches unbeaten and have incidentally won their past three games. They have also kept a domestic record of five consecutive clean sheets on the road – highlighting their steadfastness in defence.
What a moment, what a feeling! pic.twitter.com/k4Ww8q75Pg
— Stefan Mauk (@StefanMauk) April 9, 2016
Finals Prediction
With Adelaide finishing first it has obviously given them the best chance possible to win an inaugural championship. They will now have to cope with the expectation and pressure that comes with being the title favourites as they have a home semi-final in two weeks’ time, before a potential home grand final. Despite having a week off to recover and prepare for their clash, there is always the fear that a break could stifle their momentum and in turn start the semi-final in a sluggish manner.
However, it should not be a problem for the Reds with Amor ensuring his squad is focussed, motivated come kick-off. If they can maintain the current extraordinary form they have been demonstrating, then there is really no reason why they cannot, at the very least, reach the final.
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