The engine of our midfield, Isaías, today declared that our Grand Final match will be the biggest game of his career.
The 29-year-old Spaniard earned his stripes at Barcelona’s famous La Masia Football Academy, which has produced the likes of Lionel Messi and Cesc Fàbregas, but his most fond football moment will be the Championship match on Sunday.
“I’m expecting a hard, tough game, but also a beautiful one, because this will be the biggest moment in my career,” he said.
“It’ll be nice for us, for them, and also the fans.”
The Wanderers have their own Spanish link in assistant coach Andrés Carrasco, but Isaías was convinced that the game would be fiercely contested either way.
“It doesn’t matter who I know or where I’ve played in football, it will be a hard game and we will fight 100 per cent,” he said.
“Although, the Spanish link may help because we speak the same language – it might be easier for me (laughs).”
Further, Isaías did not think that the extra half an hour played by the Wanderers would be an advantage on the day.
“It’s true that they played extra time but they have 7 days to recover so I don’t think they will have problem with that,” he said.
“Instead, we have been focusing on our own bodies and we will speak with the coach about tactics closer to game day.”
And as the day looms closer, Isaías remains humble and weary of the threat the Wanderers pose.
“Normally this kind of game is very, very hard because it is an intense type of football, and we’re not going to be losing anything playing at Adelaide Oval,” he said.
“It’s just that every game in football is different, and even though they conceded those goals in the last match, they are still defensively very good and anything can happen.”
Adelaide United will face Western Sydney Wanderers in the 2016 Hyundai A-League Grand Final on Sunday, 1 May at Adelaide Oval. Kick-off is at 3.30pm ACST.
