Reds captain Eugene Galekovic declared the Reds are ‘hungry’ to secure the upper hand over Bunyodkor in Wednesday night’s ACL Quarter Final 1st Leg.
Adelaide United FC captain Eugene Galekovic has summed up just how much he and his team mates cannot wait for tomorrow night-s kick-off to the AFC Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg against Bunyodkor, declaring the Reds ‘hungry- to secure the upper hand over the powerhouse Uzbek club.
Following a thorough pre season and a host of trial matches, the Reds are now finally on the eve of the clash they have been building up for and Galekovic is more than eager for it to start.
Facing a Bunyodkor team well entrenched in its domestic season with ample match fitness under its belt, the Reds- enthusiasm and excitement for the contest is something that Galekovic believes will hold them in good stead.
“I think the boys are hungry. We-ve had a long pre season and I think the only difference is they (Bunyodkor) have played 20 games in their season and they-re match hardened,” Galekovic said.
“We-ve played four or five practise games, even though they-ve been good,they-re still practise games, (but) the boys will be hungry, it-s our home ground, we want to win and we want to keep a clean sheet.”
“We-re here to get a result and make it hard for them at their ground. We-re here to win the game and not concede, and if we do that then we-ll be right up there.”
Although Bunyodkor only arrived from Tashkent yesterday morning, Galekovic does not expect them to sit back and absorb what the Reds throw at them, as tomorrow night-s result will have a massive bearing on the October 3 return leg in Tashkent.
“I don-t think they will play too defensive, obviously they-ll be nice and compact like we-ll try to be,” Galekovic said.
“They-re a good football side and we respect them, they-ll be here to get a result and make it hard for us but we-re ready and the last two results against Brisbane and the Central Coast show that the belief is really high.”
Eyeing off the official ACL trophy, which is currently in Adelaide, there was a steely resolve about Galekovic, who knows from his experience in 2008 the effort required to make it even further into the competition.
Positively, midfielder Dario Vidosic, who has been in doubt with a hamstring injury, completed the Reds- training session this morning and is considered a strong chance of lining up tomorrow night.
“He-s ready,” Adelaide United-s registered ACL Head Coach Michael Valkanis said of Vidosic.
“He did well at training today and he even did a little bit more than what we expected as well so he-s ready to go.”
“When the medicos said that he could train today and the player is 100 per cent sure that he-s right to go, Dario has been around long enough, he-s an experienced player and was quite confident at training today.”
Argentine striker Jeronimo Neumann has also overcome a groin issue to take up a place on the bench, however the news is not as good for defender Jon McKain, who has been ruled out with a knee strain.
With the AFC Champions League now down to the final eight clubs, tomorrow night-s 1st Leg is certain to be yet another absorbing chapter in ACL encounters at Hindmarsh Stadium, Galekovic calling on the South Australian sporting public to come out in their droves to give the Reds that valuable edge that could well make the difference come the final whistle.
Gates open at 6.00pm with kick-off at 7.30pm.
AFC Champions League 2012 – Quarter Final 1st Leg
ADELAIDE UNITED FC (Australia) vs BUNYODKOR (Uzbekistan)
Wednesday 19 September 2012, Hindmarsh Stadium
Kick-Off: 7.30PM (ACST)
Referee: Al Hilali Abdullah Mohamed Masoud (Oman)
Tickets: Available through Ticketek (call 132 849, online at www.ticketek.com.au)
TV: Live & Exclusive Fox Sports 1 www.foxsports.com.au
Radio: ABC Radio 891AM, Grandstand Digital and online www.abc.net.au/news/sport
Twitter: twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash tag #REDSvBUNY)
Adelaide United FC squad: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 2.Osama MALIK, 3.Nigel BOOGAARD, 6.CASSIO, 9.Sergio VAN DIJK, 10.Dario VIDOSIC, 11.Bruce DJITE, 12.Antony GOLEC, 14.Cameron WATSON, 15.Jacob MELLING, 16.Daniel BOWLES, 17.Iain RAMSAY, 18.Fabian BARBIERO, 19.Jake BARKER-DAISH, 21.Jeronimo NEUMANN, 22.Iain FYFE, 23.Evan KOSTOPOULOS, 27.Jordan ELSEY, 30.Paul IZZO (gk)
Bunyodkor squad: 1.Ignatiy NESTEROV (gk), 2.Akmal SHORAKHMEDOV, 4.Hayrulla KARIMOV, 6.Anvar GAFUROV, 8.Jovlon IBROKHIMOV, 9.Ilkhom SHOMURODOV, 10.Shavkat SALOMOV, 13.Lutfulla TURAEV, 16.Artyom FILIPOSYAN, 17.Kamoliddin MURZOEV, 18.Slavoljub DJORDJEVIC, 19.Jasur KHASANOV, 20.Anvarjon SOLIEV, 22.Victor KARPENKO (c), 23.Sakhob JURAEV, 24.Bahodir PARDAEV, 28.Ruslan MELZIDDINOV, 33.Jan KOZAK, 45.Akbar TURAEV (gk)
