Although Adelaide United’s Semi-Final isn’t until Friday, 22 April, Craig Goodwin has said the Reds’ focus is solely on the match and progressing to the Club’s first Grand Final since 2008/09.
After being crowned Premiers in the last round of the regular season, Adelaide United earned a week off in preparation for their Semi-Final at Coopers Stadium on Friday, 22 April.
But United winger, Craig Goodwin, has claimed the week off presents no distraction to him and his teammates, with their focus on progressing through the Semi-Final and into the Grand Final.
“I think we’re still on a bit (of a high from becoming Premiers),” Goodwin said. “It’s nice to win something this season, but the big one is the Grand Final and that’s what we want to win now.
“The boys aren’t dropping their focus and preparing for the Semi-Final. Our focus is fixed on the game in a couple of weeks and everyone wants to be fit and ready, pushing for a starting spot.
“The Grand Final is what’s seen as who’s won the competition. In football, generally, it’s whoever wins the league over the course of the season and then you have other cups during the season.
“It’s nice to be top after 27 rounds, but we still have hard work to do to become Champions.”
When asked how the Reds will be approaching their home Semi-Final, Goodwin said the Club’s Head Coach, Guillermo Amor, has ensured to instil the same mentality into the group that saw them become Premiers after being winless in the opening eight rounds of the season.
“No one has ever made the top six from having no wins after right rounds and being bottom. But we always knew we had a fantastic squad and were too good to be in the position we were in.
“The message from Guillermo has been to keep doing what we’ve been doing from when we hadn’t won at the start of the season, until now. It hasn’t changed.
“It would be massive (for us to become Champions). To do it from where we’ve come from at the start of the season would make it a bit more special too.
“Everyone was writing us off and then if we were to win it, it would be fantastic. But we just have to keep grounded and focus on the Semi-Final first of all and go from there.”
