Adelaide United FC captain Travis Dodd believes the time has come for the Reds to silence the critics and put an end to their astonishing losing streak against Melbourne Victory, as the teams prepare to meet at AAMI Park on Sunday.
The Reds- number of consecutive losses to the Victory stands at ten games going back to September 2008. Dodd was absent when the teams did battle earlier this season, but he has played in the previous nine losses and admits it is a record that is impossible to hide from.
However, despite what has happened in the past, Dodd says previous results will be the furthest thing from the Reds- minds when they take the field, the 31 year old stating they must go in with the confidence and approach that reflects their current standing on the Hyundai A-League table.
“I think we all know the record and we-re long overdue,” Dodd said.
“We still need to go over there and play well. They-re a good football side and we need to go there with a good mindset and put those other results to the back of our mind, forget about them and realise that we are second on the table, we deserve to be there and play like we deserve to be there.”
United has scored just four times in the string of negative results, and after failing to create many guilt edged chances against Brisbane Roar last Sunday, Dodd knows this is an area the Reds must improve on if they are to put the luckless streak against the Victory to rest.
“We-ve been getting some close results (against Melbourne) but at the end of the day close is not good enough for us or our supporters, so we need to keep doing the things that we are doing well…and I think on the weekend we need to make sure in front of goals that we-re precise and not wasteful with our chances,” Dodd said.
The Reds- chances of finding the back of the net have been bolstered with Cassio (hamstring) and Marcos Flores (groin) almost certainties to play after they completed the squad-s full training session this morning, although United fans will have to wait until the Reds- next match on January 21 to see explosive new Dutch signing Andy Slory in action.
Slory has been hampered by a thigh injury, however there is no such problem for United-s other new foreign recruit Francisco Usucar, the Uruguayan midfielder ready to rumble at AAMI Park.
Notably, it will be the first time the sides have met at the venue, the Reds having played at AAMI Park just once, which proved to be a happy hunting ground as they defeated Melbourne Heart back in November.
Even though Dodd does not see the venue making a huge difference to United-s chances of securing a win, he confesses it does give the players an added element of self-belief knowing they have had success at AAMI Park before.
“It doesn-t make much of a difference but in saying that, we-ve played at AAMI Park once and it was good to us,” Dodd said.
“It-s a great atmosphere there and it-s a good surface to play on, so hopefully we can get out there, play some good football and get the three points.”
From the first time Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory played off and built one of the Hyundai A-League-s biggest rivalries, Dodd says the hype and appeal of the games continue to be strong despite the Reds- run of poor results.
“Yeah I think it is. We-ve played a lot of games against them now and early on in the A-League we had it over them and at the moment we just can-t get the results,” Dodd said.
“The supporters love the games and we certainly like playing in them, so I-d like to get on the end of a good result and hopefully we can make it happen this weekend.”
Kick-Off is at 2.30pm ACDT.
Hyundai A-League 2010/11 Season – Week 22
Melbourne Victory v Adelaide United FC
Sunday 9 January 2011, AAMI Park
Kick-Off: 3.00pm AEDT (2.30pm ACDT)
Referee: Peter Green
TV: Live and exclusive on FOX Sports 2
Radio: ABC Digital and online at www.abc.net.au/adelaide
Adelaide United: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 2.Robert CORNTHWAITE, 4.Iain FYFE, 6.CASSIO, 7.Lucas PANTELIS, 8.Adam HUGHES, 9.Sergio VAN DIJK, 10.Marcos FLORES, 11.Andy SLORY, 12.Paul REID, 13.Travis DODD (c), 14.Cameron WATSON, 17.Iain RAMSAY, 18.Fabian BARBIERO, 20.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 21.Francisco USUCAR
*one to be omitted*
In: Andy SLORY (new signing), Francisco USUCAR (new signing)
Out: Nigel BOOGAARD (groin – 1 week), Joe KEENAN (broken leg – season)
Unavailable: Daniel MULLEN (knee – season), Mathew LECKIE (knee – 4 weeks), Joe COSTA (knee – season)
Melbourne Victory: 1.Michael PETKOVIC (gk), 2.Kevin MUSCAT, 3.Mate DUGANDZIC, 4.Petar FRANJIC, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Matthew KEMP, 8.Grant BREBNER, 9.RICARDINHO, 11.Marvin ANGULO, 12.Rodrigo VARGAS, 13.Diogo FERRERIA, 14.Billy CELESKI, 15.Tom PONDELJAK, 16.Carlos HERNANDEZ, 17.Matthew FOSCHINI, 18.Danny ALLSOPP, 19.Evan BERGER, 20.Sebastian MATTEI (gk), 22.Geoff KELLAWAY, 23.Adrian LEIJER
*five to be omitted*
In: Kevin MUSCAT, Petar FRANJIC, Matthew FOSCHINI, Geoff KELLAWAY (all promoted)
Out: Nil
Unavailable: Archie THOMPSON (hamstring – 3 weeks), Surat SUKHA (calf – 3 weeks), Robbie KRUSE (international duty – 4 weeks)
Adelaide United vs. Melbourne Victory – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record
Played 22 – 5 wins, 3 draws, 14 losses
29-Oct-2010… L 1-2… 2010/11 Wk 12 (Etihad Stadium)
23-Jan-2010… L 0-2… 2009/10 Rd 24 (Etihad Stadium)
24-Oct-2009… L 1-3… 2009/10 Rd 12 (Etihad Stadium)
18-Sep-2009… L 0-2… 2009/10 Rd 7 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
28-Feb-2009… L 0-1… 2008/09 Grand Final (Etihad Stadium)
14-Feb-2009… L 0-4… 2008/09 Major Semi Final 2nd Leg (Etihad Stadium)
7-Feb-2009… L 0-2… 2008/09 Major Semi Final 1st Leg (Hindmarsh Stadium)
6-Jan-2009… L 0-1… 2008/09 Rd 15 (Etihad Stadium)
31-Oct-2008… L 2-3… 2008/09 Rd 10 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
12-Sep-2008… L 0-1… 2008/09 Rd 4 (Etihad Stadium)
8-Dec-2007… D 2-2… 2007/08 Rd 16 (Etihad Stadium)
12-Oct-2007… W 4-1… 2007/08 Rd 8 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
7-Sep-2007… D 1-1… 2007/08 Rd 3 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
18-Feb-2007… L 0-6… 2006/07 Grand Final (Etihad Stadium)
4-Feb-2007… L 1-2… 2006/07 Semi Final 2nd Leg (Etihad Stadium)
28-Jan-2007… D 0-0… 2006/07 Semi Final 1st Leg (Hindmarsh Stadium)
1-Dec-2006… L 1-3… 2006/07 Rd 15 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
15-Oct-2006… W 1-0… 2006/07 Rd 8 (Etihad Stadium)
25-Aug-2006… L 0-2… 2006/07 Rd 1 (Olympic Park, Melbourne)
5-Jan-2006… W 1-0… 2005/06 R 17 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
28-Oct-2005… W 1-0… 2005/06 Rd 10 (Olympic Park, Melbourne)
9-Sep-2005… W 1-0… 2005/06 Rd 3 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
At AAMI Park
This will be the first time the teams have met at the venue
Adelaide United last three results
Wk 21. 2-1-2011… L 0-1… vs. Brisbane Roar (Hindmarsh Stadium)
MW. 29-12-2010… W 2-0… vs. Sydney FC (Adelaide Oval)
Wk 20. 26-12-2010… L 0-2… vs. Central Coast Mariners (Bluetongue Stadium)
