Marcelo Carrusca and Dario Vidosic have both been included in Adelaide United FC’s team for tomorrow night’s home blockbuster against Melbourne Victory.
Playmakers Marcelo Carrusca and Dario Vidosic have both been included in Adelaide United FC-s team for tomorrow night-s home blockbuster against Melbourne Victory.
The duo is set to line up in the highly anticipated encounter having both been declared fit after missing last weekend-s trip to face the Central Coast Mariners because of injury. Carrusca is over a calf injury while Vidosic has overcome a knee problem.
Coach John Kosmina favoured Carrusca and Vidosic to try and end Melbourne-s five game unbeaten streak as he continues with his formation of playing two ‘tens-, or attacking midfielders, behind a lone striker.
“Both have been passed medically fit. Dario was probably ok last week but he felt a bit of pain so it wasn-t worth the risk…Marcelo has declared himself fit and available so he-s been around, he-s professional, so I-ll take his word for it,” Kosmina said.
“Our depth is subjective, we-ve got different types of players, so I looked at having Dario and Marcelo available and I think they can do a job for us.”
“They got through a full week of training and I was happy with the way they went.”
Kosmina indicated that part of the reason behind his decision to bring Carrusca and Vidosic straight back into the fold is because of the threat they posed to Sydney FC the last time they played a fortnight ago.
“Marcelo has got that little bit of flair, Dario was outstanding in that role against Sydney as he has been for most of the season, it-s a role that suits him, and he-s hungry to play, so I suppose it gives us that little bit more dynamism because of the types of players that they are,” Kosmina said.
But when players return there is also the hard luck story of the players who need to make way. Considering the luxury of having the wealth and quality of depth that he has in his squad, on the flipside Kosmina admits it is tough having to leave players out.
Asked if it is difficult to keep players happy, Kosmina agreed.
“It is but they-re the things you-ve got to deal with. Take Zenon (Caravella) for example. He got injured during pre season so he missed out on a lot of the preparation, and if anyone is probably more hard done by than Zenon it-s Fabian (Barbiero),” Kosmina said.
“He played all of the pre season, the Champions League…and Antony Golec is another one…he did a good job for us until he got that cork against Brisbane, so he-s going to have to come back through the Youth Team because we-re fairly solid at the back.”
“We-ve got the equal or second best defence in the league and we want to keep it that way, and if it ain-t broke you don-t fix it.”
Positively, one thing tough decisions at the selection table ensures is no chance of complacency, although there is little risk of the players in red not being up for a game that always creates so much hype, which has been enhanced further with former Adelaide United midfielder Marcos Flores returning to Hindmarsh for the first time since he joined Melbourne.
The match will also be the first time Kosmina has come up against the Reds- arch rivals in Adelaide since he took over the coaching reins last season.
Despite the Reds fielding a host of players who have not experienced many of the past Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory tussles, Kosmina believes the rivalry is alive and well, particularly amongst locals on both sides of the South Australia-Victoria border, and goes back further than the infamous incident when Kosmina grabbed the throat of then Victory captain Kevin Muscat in 2006.
“I think there-s enough natural rivalry between the two clubs that has built up even before that happened,” Kosmina said.
“It was from day one of the A-League and that gets back to the ‘kick a Vic- mentality that South Australians adopted a number of years ago in the footy State of Origins.”
“It-s maybe diluted a bit now because we-ve got a lot of players here who probably wouldn-t understand it, but for the locals and our supporters it-s important.”
Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season – Week 10
ADELAIDE UNITED FC v MELBOURNE VICTORY
Friday 7 December 2012, Hindmarsh Stadium
Kick-Off: 7.00pm ACDT (7.30pm AEDT)
Referee: Chris Beath
Tickets: Available through Ticketek (call 132849, online at www.ticketek.com.au)
TV: LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports 1
Radio: LIVE on 891 ABC Adelaide, ABC Local Radio across SA, Grandstand Digital and online
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash tag #REDSvMV)
Adelaide United squad: 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard, 5.Iain Fyfe, 6.Cassio (c), 7.Zenon Caravella, 8.Marcelo Carrusca, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 14.Cameron Watson, 17.Iain Ramsay, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 20.Paul Izzo (gk), 21.Jeronimo Neumann, 22.Fabio Ferreira, 23.Evan Kostopoulos, 30.John Hall (gk)
*One to be omitted
Ins: Marcelo Carrusca (returns from injury), Dario Vidosic (returns from injury)
Outs: Sergio van Dijk (omitted)
Unavailable: Eugene Galekovic (gk) (International duty – Qantas Socceroos), Jon McKain (leg – under review), Jake Barker-Daish (groin – 1 week)
Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Tando Velaphi (gk), 3.Adama Traore, 4.Petar Franjic, 6.Leigh Broxham, 7.Gui Finkler, 8.Jonathan Bru, 9.Marcos Flores, 11.Marco Rojas, 13.Diogo Ferreira, 14.Billy Celeski, 15.Sam Gallagher, 17.Jimmy Jeggo, 19.Isaka Cernak, 21.Spase Dilevski, 23.Adrian Leijer (c), 26.Andrew Nabbout, 39.Nathan Coe (gk)
*Two to be omitted
Ins: Sam Gallagher (returns from suspension), Spase Dilevski (returns from injury), Isaka Cernak (promoted)
Outs: Theo Markelis (suspended)
Unavailable: Archie Thompson (International duty – Qantas Socceroos), Mark Milligan (International duty – Qantas Socceroos)
Adelaide United vs. Melbourne Victory – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record
Played 28 – 8 wins, 5 draws, 15 losses
At Hindmarsh Stadium
Played 10; Adelaide United 4, Melbourne Victory 4, Draws 2
Last time they met
19-Oct-2012 Week 3, Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season at Etihad Stadium
Melbourne Victory 2 (Milligan 52-, Rojas 67-)
Adelaide United FC 1 (Vidosic 50- (pen))
