Adelaide United are through to the A-League semi-finals after seeing off Brisbane Roar in an extremely tight encounter at the Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide took an early lead through a brilliant free kick from Craig Goodwin, but Brisbane struck back after Thomas Broich pounced on a weak defensive pass from Dylan McGowan. The game then looked like it was destined to head to extra time until Awer Mabil was able to latch onto a cutback and force a way past Jamie Young, providing the killer blow to Brisbane’s finals hopes.
Dominance pays off for the Reds
From the outset, Adelaide United were on top. Their speed and agility were too much to handle and the ball retention across the field made for a very solid first half. While Brisbane was able to claw its way back, and had the chances to win the game in the second half, Adelaide always looked the more likely.
Sergio Cirio terrorised Corey Brown on the left wing, while the distribution of James Donachie and Daniel Bowles seemed to be off. That made for a few issues with the defensive distribution that Adelaide was more than welcome to pounce on, forcing Young into multiple saves. With 56% of possession, and 17 shots on goal, compared to Brisbane’s 12, Adelaide was able to turn its dominance into chances.
Thomas Broich still has the x-factor
Broich was back to his imperious best. Back in his favoured position on the left wing, the German was able to run rings around McGowan, purposefully placed in that position in an attempt to negate his impact. His cuts inside, the killer through balls, and forward pressing were on show, highlighting why he still remains the integral cog of this Brisbane team, and why he should at least be retained for one more season, as Brisbane looks to rebuild its squad and make a charge for the title again next year.
The Brisbane Roar goal was a prime example of what Broich brings to the team. McGowan looked like he would safely distribute the ball, however, Broich pressed him three quarters of the way up the field, chasing him like a terrier. McGowan buckled under the pressure and Broich forced an error that led to a goal.
Adelaide exposes the inexperienced Brisbane defensive line
Brisbane was forced to reshuffle its backline thanks to a host of injuries to first team players. Daniel Bowles (23), James Donachie (21) and Corey Brown (21) made up three quarters of a youthful defence. While all three can lay claim to having very positive seasons, this game highlighted many flaws, especially in the distribution department. Their first touch often let them down throughout the first half, with many chances coming from Brisbane’s attempts to pass out of the back. However to their credit they managed to fix these issues progressively, and it can be said that the second half was much improved. The entire defensive unit will benefit from this high pressure game, as all players look towards a bright footballing future.
https://youtu.be/4u9eAVTE05E
Awer Mabil the super sub
Mabil did it again. After coming off the bench against Sydney FC and scoring the winning goal, he made the difference in another massively important game. His positioning was perfect for the goal and his pace at the end of the game, when Brisbane was tiring, was the perfect move by Josep Gombau. He will hope to have forced himself into the starting team for Adelaide’s next game, once again against Sydney FC. However his pace, trickery and all round impact of the bench may see him forced to play the same role, and Adelaide United fans will hope for the same result.
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