Adelaide United secured its first win of the A-League season thanks to an entertaining 1-0 victory against Perth Glory in muggy conditions on Sunday night.
The Reds ended a horrendous run of nine domestic games without a win to move off the bottom of the ladder, courtesy of Pablo Sanchez’s decider and earning coach Guillermo Amor his first league triumph with the club.
An audacious lob by Sanchez gave the Reds an early lead as he capitalised on a defensive mix-up to net his third goal of the season.
READ MORE: What We Learned – Adelaide United 1 Perth Glory 0
Chances continued to be created by both sides during the first-half with United’s Marcelo Carrusca and Perth’s Sidnei coming the closest to finding the back of the net.
After the interval, it was Adelaide who dominated possession and missed a catalogue of openings to extend its slim lead, largely attributed to Ante Covic’s brilliance between the sticks.
Equally, the Western Australian’s could have been on level terms had it not been for its profligacy in front of goal – surrendering several guilt-edged opportunities on the counter-attack.
The result sees Adelaide rise to eighth in the league standings with six points, while Perth drop to the foot of the table, consigning more pressure on coach Kenny Lowe.
Team News
Guillermo Amor made two changes to the starting XI that succumbed to a 2-1 defeat the previous week to Melbourne Victory – one forced and one tactical. After featuring from the substitute’s bench in the last three games Carrusca returned at the expense of youngster George Mells, while the suspended Craig Goodwin was replaced by Pablo Sanchez. The Spanish boss again implemented his preferred 4-3-3 formation and appeared to have found the right balance in a side that included the aforementioned Argentine and Sanchez.
As for Perth, Kenny Lowe also utilised a 4-3-3 system and made just the solitary change, welcoming Hungarian international Gyorgy Sandor back to the starting XI forcing a reshuffle. The suspended Aryn Williams meant Michael Thwaite moved into centre-back from defensive midfield with Sandor usurping him as the holding midfielder. Diego Castro experienced a much improved game and was unlucky not have netted in the encounter as did Thwaite in his natural stopper role.
Marcelo Carrusca nearing his best
The Argentine playmaker had been on the bench the previous three weeks after struggling for form. But following an impressive cameo performance against the Victory, Amor opted to restore him to the first XI. The 32-year-old unequivocally delivered and was instrumental in attacking areas for the Reds. According to Squawka, the ex-Galatasaray man had a passing accuracy of 86%, capping off a solid outing which should see his starting position guaranteed for the coming weeks. Carrusca’s ability to spread Perth, as demonstrated by his passing map, contributed to the win as he executed a lot of sideways passes. This caught the opposition out at times and the constant movement signified Perth had to persistently adjust and try to defend the Reds’ quick ball movement. Not only did Carrusca look confident and dangerous when in possession of the ball, he also put in an excellent defensive shift. Tracking runners and doing everything he could to disrupt the Glory’s tempo. Carrusca’s synonymous scintillating form could be imminent.
Covic proves age is just a number
At the age of 40, the league’s oldest player Ante Covic, put in another immense shift. The veteran shot-stopper made a handful of key saves to keep his side in the game and continues to go from strength-to-strength. Although his best years may be slightly behind him, after his endeavours with the Western Sydney Wanderers, Covic still personifies a model of consistency. The ex-Newcastle Jets gloveman was quick off his line to deny Cirio in what seemed a mere formality that the Spaniard would score, after cutting in on his right foot. However, a sharp save to his left limited the early damage as the Reds were unable to put daylight between themselves and the visitors. Another smart parry to restrict Carrusca from making it 2-0 was also a highlight to behold. The Argentine tried to chip the once Socceroo, but expertly dived to tip the ball away for a corner.
Adelaide hungry to recover possession
The Reds’ intensity had been somewhat lacking during the opening weeks of the season, but since that 0-0 draw with Newcastle two weeks ago the squad look like they have turned a corner. Despite, a loss to Melbourne last week did little to convince fans the club’s fortunes were changing – the performance against Lowe’s men proved the wheels are slowly in motion – rewarded for their efforts with that elusive triumph. Like Carrusca, the rest of the United team were extremely eager to regain the ball when they were dispossessed. The pressure being applied by Amor’s men resulted in a high number of turnovers by the Glory. Therefore, it was no surprise the Reds recorded 17 interceptions, forcing Perth into making mistakes. If Adelaide can maintain that intensity and tenacity to retrieve the ball at sheer speed, opposing sides will find it difficult to dictate terms.
Adelaide United conclusion
Amor will be ecstatic to get the monkey off his back, but will know the result will count for precious little if they fail to consolidate on their performance against Sydney FC on Friday. The Reds arguably should have won the game by more, which is another concern in the long-term. However, at the moment, the fact the Reds are off the bottom of the table and creating chances (something which they were not doing at the beginning of the campaign) and registering their inaugural win psychologically is a monumental boost as a huge burden is lifted of the player’s and coaching staff’s shoulders. The South Australians have a short turnaround as they prepare for Friday’s clash with the Sky Blues at Coopers Stadium.
Perth Glory conclusion
Meanwhile, Perth become the new cellar-dwellers of the competition. Kenny Lowe will be disappointed with the result, but not the performance as it was a strong showing for an away team. Injuries have plagued Englishman’s squad, but in the coming weeks he could welcome a host of players back from the sidelines. The Glory entertain fellow strugglers the Central Coast Mariners on Saturday in what is a must-win game and one they should fancy.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
