They may currently hold up the Hyundai A-League table but Reds captain Eugene Galekovic is fully aware of the threat Melbourne Heart will pose at AAMI Park tomorrow.
They may currently hold up the Hyundai A-League table but Reds captain Eugene Galekovic is fully aware of the threat Melbourne Heart will pose at AAMI Park tomorrow.
As the adage goes, ‘beware the wounded bull-, and with the Heart and Coach John Aloisi increasingly under siege without a win yet this season, Galekovic knows the Reds must match, if not better the Heart-s level of intensity and desperation.
Similarly to the Reds, who themselves have had their critics in an opening seven rounds that has yielded just one victory, Galekovic says the Heart are better than their current position suggests.
“On paper they-re a very good team,” Galekovic said of the Heart.
“We know they-re very dangerous going forward, very quick, and we have to be careful of that.”
“It-s a dangerous game for both teams – they want to get off the bottom and we want to get some results.”
“They-ve sat off on some teams and tried to get on the counter attack, which they-re very dangerous at…so we-re aware of that but we-ll go there with our own game plan and try to win.”
The Reds are aiming to bounce back after last weekend-s disappointment at Etihad Stadium, and tomorrow gives Galekovic and co the chance to do just that. After 22 attempts at goal against the Victory without reward, Coach Josep Gombau will be hoping for a better return from his charges against the league-s other Victorian club.
But just as importantly as making it count in the attacking third of the pitch, Gombau will also be determined to see his side learn from the mistakes that gifted the Victory three goals a week ago.
“Training this week has been pretty good,” Galekovic said.
“After the game against Melbourne Victory we were gutted for a couple of days but Josep-s message was that we need to move on, we watched the video and have tried to fix our mistakes and look ahead to Melbourne Heart.”
The game will be the Reds- third away game in succession and their fifth encounter on the road from their past six. While admitting it has been a tough period, Galekovic does not see it as an excuse for not having more points in their keeping.
“It does a little bit but in saying that we lost to Newcastle at home as well. You have to win your home games and get results away from home and our aim is to go to Melbourne and get the three points,” Galekovic said.
Finally, the Reds will face Melbourne Heart without its captain Harry Kewell, who after initially being regarded a strong chance to return from an ankle injury, will sit out another week.
Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season – Round 8
Melbourne Heart v Adelaide United FC
Sunday, 1 December 2013
AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 5:00pm local (4:30pm ACDT)
Referee: Strebre Delovski
TV: Live and exclusive broadcast on FOX Sports 1HD
Radio: Live coverage on Coverage on 891 ABC Adelaide, 774 ABC Melbourne, ABC SA, Grandstand Digital and online at www.abc.net.au/grandstand
Twitter: twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash-tag #MHTvADL)
Adelaide United squad: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk) (c), 3.Nigel BOOGAARD, 5.Osama MALIK, 7.JERONIMO, 8.ISAIAS, 9.Sergio CIRIO, 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA, 11.Bruce DJITE, 12.Antony GOLEC, 13.Steven LUSTICA, 17.Awer MABIL, 18.Michael ZULLO, 19.Jake BARKER-DAISH, 21.Tarek ELRICH, 22.Fabio FERREIRA, 23.Jordan ELSEY, 30.John HALL (gk)
***One to be omitted***
Ins: 12.Antony GOLEC (promoted), 19.Jake BARKER-DAISH (promoted)
Outs: 6.CASSIO (hamstring tendon – TBC)
Unavailable: 4.Jon McKAIN (illness – 1 week), 16.Daniel BOWLES (ankle – 2 weeks), 20.Paul IZZO (go) (adductor – 2 weeks)
Melbourne Heart FC squad: 1.Andrew REDMAYNE (gk), 2.Jeremy WALKER, 3.Robbie WIELAERT, 6.Patrick GERHARDT, 7.Iain RAMSAY, 8.Massimo MURDOCCA, 11.Michael MIFSUD, 14.Golgol MEBRAHTU, 15.David WILLIAMS, 16.Aziz BEHICH, 17.Jason HOFFMAN, 20.Tando VELAPHI (gk), 21.Stefan MAUK, 22.Nick KALMAR, 23.Mate DUGANDZIC, 24.Patrick KISNORBO, 25.Andrea MIGLIORINI, 28.Paulo RETRE
***One to be omitted***
Ins: 17.Jason HOFFMAN (returns from injury)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 4.Orlando ENGELAAR (fractured tibia – long-term), 9.Dylan MACALLISTER (hamstring – 2-3 weeks), 10.Harry Kewell (ankle – 1 week), 13.Jonatan GERMANO (hamstring – 1 week)
Adelaide United FC vs. Melbourne Heart – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record:
Played 9 – 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses
11-Mar-2013… W 2-0… 2012/13 Wk 24 (AAMI Park)
18-Jan-2013… L 0-2… 2012/13 Wk 17 (AAMI Park)
17-Nov-2012… W 1-0… 2012/13 Wk 7 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
23-Mar-2012… D 1-1… 2011/12 Wk 25 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
4-Jan-2012… W 3-1… 2011/12 Marathon (AAMI Park)
4-Nov-2011… D 1-1… 2011/12 Wk 5 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
17-Dec-2010… L 1-2… 2010/11 Wk 19 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
19-Nov-2010… W 2-0… 2010/11 Wk 15 (AAMI Park)
20-Aug-2010… W 3-2… 2010/11 Wk 3 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
At Hindmarsh Stadium
Played 5; Adelaide United 2, Melbourne Heart 1, Draws 2
At AAMI Park
Played 4; Adelaide United 3, Melbourne Heart 1, Draws 0
Last time they met
11-Mar-2013 Week 24, Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season at AAMI Park
Melbourne Heart 0
Adelaide United FC 2 (Vidosic 40- (pen), Ramsay 53-)
