Forget about EPL giants Liverpool and Manchester City, it’s a tiny club from the Northern Territory which is the focus for Adelaide United boss Josep Gombau.
The Reds are back in training for the new season ahead of two blockbuster friendlies against both Liverpool and City.
But it’s the Westfield FFA Cup tie against little Darwin Olympic which is drawing the most attention for the Adelaide coach.
“In the end they’re (Liverpool and Man City) both preseason games,” Gombau told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re going to play our style in pre-season because we want to be ready to play the FFA Cup game in August.
“Of course we want a result but more importantly for us we want to be ready for the season.”
Roar and Reds edge closer to Liverpool clashes
That doesn’t mean the Reds aren’t going to give it their all against the likes of David Silva, Yaya Toure, Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge.
Gombau has no doubt his side will give a good account of themselves and feels this is an opportunity for his players to showcase their wares to the world.
“I think we have a chance to win, of course,” he said.
“But more important is to show that we are a team that knows what we are doing. We want to play the way that we play and try to be competitive.
“The Liverpool game will be on live around the world and we want to show everyone what we can do.”
Midfield hardman Iacopa La Rocca is relishing being a part of the upcoming fixtures after his move to the Reds from Western Sydney Wanderers FC.
Asked about the differences between the two clubs, the Italian said: “It’s just been two days that I’ve been here [in Adelaide] and I’ve already seen that we play completely different to [Wanderers].
“I can see all the players respect all the coaching staff and this is very important.
“I spoke with Tarek [Elrich] before I came here and he told me only good things about the coach, about the trainings, about the style and it’s a different Tarek that I’m seeing here than at Wanderers.
“Tarek told me about the change room and the other boys and I’ve seen just a little bit, but it’s enough to know the team is very [unified], which they show through how they played last season.”
