What We Learned – Western Sydney Wanderers 2 Adelaide United 1

What We Learned – Western Sydney Wanderers 2 Adelaide United 1 [VIDEO]

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Adelaide United’s aspirations of securing an A-League top two finish this season are over, after suffering a disastrous 2-1 loss to Western Sydney Wanderers yesterday afternoon.

The Reds opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time courtesy of Sergio Cirio’s curling effort. The goal was the Spaniard’s first away from home this campaign, following a surging run from Tarek Elrich into the box, who assisted the 30-year-old.

However, in the 62nd minute the visitors were reduced to 10 men, after Nigel Boogard’s blatant foul on Mark Bridge inside the penalty area enabled Tomi Juric to restore parity from the spot kick. Juric then turned provider 10 minutes later, lobbing the ball over the Adelaide defence to play in Bridge who emphatically finished past Eugene Galekovic in what was his 200th A-League appearance.

Adelaide’s top two aspirations abolished

The Reds knew they had to win its remaining three games of the season if they were to have any hope of securing a top two berth. A lacklustre performance against Brisbane Roar the week before where they succumbed 3-2 at home, compounded by Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix winning its respective games a day earlier meant nothing other than maximum points would be sufficient.

After taking a well-deserved lead through Cirio the Reds appeared to have rested on its laurels and invited WSW into the match. Consequently, the affair turned on its head and ultimately the hosts illustrated more determination, guile and hunger to beat a potential A-League contender. The loss connotes Adelaide will have to defeat Melbourne City to have any chance of guaranteeing third place, but only if the Nix lose against the Sky Blues next weekend. Incidentally, no team has won the competition finishing outside the top two, a negative omen for Josep Gombau’s men who are desperate to win an elusive A-League title.

https://youtu.be/ZCdzgNAvheI

A perfect night for Mark Bridge

The 29-year-old’s 200th outing in the competition could not have gone any better, as he not only won the penalty to get his side level, but also scored the match winner. The player looked lively throughout proceedings and was rewarded for his high work-rate when he was tackled by Boogard in the penalty box, allowing Juric to expertly convert the ensuing spot kick. However, that was just the start and in the 73rd, Bridge latched onto a Juric through-ball to sumptuously blast his attempt past the helpless Galekovic and put the home side in the driver’s seat. A fairy tale written script as his goal proved the decider, capping off a stunning night.

Reds winless streak continues for another season at Pirtek Stadium

United’s setback in the heart of Western Sydney perpetuates its dreadful run at the Wanderers’ ground, as they are yet to taste a victory there since the club’s inception in 2012. The Reds have suffered three defeats and a draw in four meetings at the venue and it is something that must be addressed if they are striving to be the best team in the league. A 6-1 hiding in the 2012/13 season, followed by two 2-1 losses either side of a 0-0 draw is all Adelaide have registered during the pairs’ encounters in Wanderland.

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Bruce Djite’s goalless run endures

Another game, another game without a goal. That appears to be the storyline of Bruce Djite’s campaign. The striker has now failed to score in his previous eight matches, which is a major cause for concern heading into the finals. Despite nearly netting a forceful header during the first-half, he never really tested Ante Covic in the opposition goal. In his defence, the Reds were down to 10 men and struggled to get the ball forward in attacking areas, meaning the striker was starved of service. Nevertheless, the team and Gombau will require its main man to fire on all cylinders if they are to be competitive come May.

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