Adelaide United will be aiming for three wins in a row for the first time this season when it welcomes Newcastle Jets to Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
The Reds responded after three successive defeats with back-to-back 3-2 wins and will be determined to continue its improved form against the Jets.
Newcastle, meanwhile, encountered its first loss in six matches after falling 2-0 at home to Wellington Phoenix.
It will be an intriguing clash with Adelaide looking to consolidate its place in the top six and continue to build on the momentum created recently.
Veart on the morale in the squad…
We’ve had two good results. The confidence is back up where we expect it to be and the boys are really looking forward to playing at home again tomorrow night.
Veart on strong competition for places…
We’re pretty much back to full fitness for everyone other than Nathan. It’s good, that’s where we need to be so players are competing for starting positions.
Veart on the importance of gaining momentum…
It’s something that we’ve been building. We started the season like this and then we had that little break and we struggled to find our feet again. It’s going to take time with the squad that we’ve got and that’s why it’s so important that we need the full squad available and we’ve got that now. So looking forward to having a good run and building on from those two wins that we’ve already had and it’s important that we get another victory tomorrow night.
Veart on Goodwin’s impact…
We all know the quality of Craig and he showed that last week. He showed the quality that he has, he slowed the game down for us at crucial parts. He doesn’t give the ball away and provides a lot of quality and I think our fans will be looking forward to seeing come out tomorrow night and score again.
Team news
Ryan Strain, Michael Jakobsen, and Tomi Juric have all been included in the extended squad while Al Hassan Toure has been promoted. Nathan Konstandopoulos remains the only player on the sidelines with a long-term injury. See the extended squad here.
Head-to-head
Played: 46
Wins: 18
Draws: 14
Losses: 14
Last five meetings
0-3 loss (H)
2-1 win (H)
1-2 win (A)
0-0 draw (A)
1-2 win (A)
Ones to watch
After an impressive performance on his return to the Club last weekend, Craig Goodwin will be determined to have another influential game in front of the home fans. The 29-year-old scored the fourth fastest goal in United’s history and his ability to keep the ball, allowing teammates to get into the right areas is second to none. It made the world of difference against the Western Sydney Wanderers which meant his fellow attackers could focus on making runs instead of worrying about defending because of a turnover.
For Newcastle, Steven Ugarkovic is the metronome for his side. One of the best central midfielders in the competition, the 26-year-old goes about his business with assuredness and leads the league in passes with 655. He sets the tempo for his team links the midfield with the attack so nullifying his involvement will be crucial.
Match details:
Friday, 5 March vs Newcastle Jets
A-League 2020/21 – Matchweek 11
Kick-off 7.05pm ACDT
Gates open 6.05pm ACDT
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Broadcast: Fox Sports
Stream: Kayo Sports, MyFootball Live App
