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Adelaide United arrives too late for Victory

Sep 23, 2015
Victory coach Kevin Muscat had his team execute a ruthless high press against Adelaide.

Victory coach Kevin Muscat had his team execute a ruthless high press against Adelaide.

It took more than an hour for Adelaide United to take a shot at Melbourne Victory’s goal in Tuesday’s FFA Cup quarter final.

It took less than 10 minutes for Osama Malik to nearly be sent off, and for Gui Finkler to score a stunning free kick from the edge of the box.

The first half didn’t get any better from there for the reigning champions.

Despite Adelaide owning the majority of possession, the Victory owned the majority of the game.

Every time Melbourne lost the ball, players swarmed from everywhere to win it back, giving the men in red no time or options.

The high press can prove costly if not done correctly, but Kevin Muscat’s men executed it so ruthlessly that Adelaide rarely left their defensive half.

Melbourne’s physical imposure frustrated the away team, who won 16 free kicks in the first half alone, but were unable to capitalise on them.

United’s insistence on playing ‘beautiful football’ proved ineffective time and time again – there was no ‘plan B’ for the Reds until central defender Iacopo La Rocca was replaced by target man Eli Babalj on the hour mark.

An intercepted pass just before half time saw Melbourne debutant Oliver Bozanic in possession, who started a move that ended in Kosta Barbarouses slotting the ball in at the far post past a stranded Eugene Galekovic.

Babalj’s inclusion in the second half allowed Adelaide to change formation, giving Spanish attacker Sergio Cirio more creative freedom from a slightly deeper position.

Cirio managed to register Adelaide’s first attempt at goal within minutes of the change, the team moving further up the park as a unit.

Adjusting the formation to a 3-4-3 led to a handful of half-chances for the Reds, until Craig Goodwin was fouled in the box by Daniel Georgievski with 12 minutes left on the clock.

Adelaide’s Argentinian playmaker Marcelo Carrusca stepped up to the spot and returned the deficit to just one goal.

Playing with three at the back against the Victory’s pacy attackers was not Reds’ manager Guillermo Amor’s best decision, with the likes of Barbarouses and Fahid Ben Khalfallah constantly finding gaps to run through.

Barbarouses found substitute Archie Thopmson with a perfect pass only minutes after Adelaide’s penalty, Galekovic bringing down the Victory talisman to give the home team a chance to restore their two-goal lead.

The A-League’s Albanian bad boy, Besart Berisha, converted the spot kick to knock the reigning champions out of the cup.

The few Adelaide faithful who travelled to AAMI Park for this cold, blustery night would have left wondering why they bothered, because their team didn’t turn up until it was too late.

Final score:

Melbourne 3 – Adelaide 1

Goals: 

Melbourne G. Finkler (’10), K. Barbarouses (’45), B. Berisha (pen. ’82)

AdelaideM. Carrusca (pen. ’78)

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