Adelaide United FC will look to bring in the New Year in celebratory fashion when it hosts Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium on the final day of 2012.
Adelaide United FC will look to bring in the New Year in celebratory fashion with the chance of possibly finishing the calendar year at the top of the Hyundai A-League table when it hosts Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium on the final day of 2012.
As the curtain comes down on 2012, the Reds will be out to arrest a slide of two straight defeats when the Sky Blues come to Adelaide.
The match at Hindmarsh follows the league leading Central Coast Mariners hosting Perth Glory in Gosford, with the result from that match to have a bearing on whether the Reds could possibly find themselves at the top of the tree.
Adelaide United currently sits two points behind the Mariners meaning if Perth take maximum points in Gosford, the Reds can go top by beating Sydney FC.
But while there is that extra carrot dangling in front of the Reds, Coach John Kosmina-s thoughts are just with what the Reds will need to do to get back on the winners list.
Kosmina is wary of a rejuvenated Sydney FC outfit, who under new coach Frank Farina, climbed off the bottom of the table with victory over the Mariners in their last outing.
“They (Sydney FC) are a better team than they were when we played them five or six weeks ago,” Kosmina said as he remembered back to the Reds- 2-1 win at Allianz Stadium back in November.
“(Against the Mariners) they moved the ball around and kept it better than they have at any other stage this season.”
In toppling the Mariners, many believed the Sky Blues did their best to try and intimidate and unsettle the league leaders, an approach Kosmina would not be surprised if they adopted again against his side tomorrow night. However, when it comes to any talk of giving it back, Kosmina says the Reds will let their football do the talking.
“It-s not about getting into fights with the opposition, it-s about trying to outplay them,” Kosmina said.
Coming up for a third game in 11 days, Kosmina believes there is no problem with his squad-s physical state but that it is what is between the ears that will tell him if they are u for the challenge of finding a response from their past two losses.
“Is it more mental fatigue than it is physical? We-ve got a number of players coming back from injury now, Zenon (Caravella) is on the bench tomorrow night…so fatigue could be a factor but is it mental or physical,” Kosmina said.
“I think the last couple of weeks will draw their focus back in and it-s probably a better assessment of where we are as a group as well with how things have panned out the last couple of weeks.”
“The season was almost going too well and maybe we needed a kick up the backside.”
In selection news, Kosmina is set to recall Iain Ramsay back into the starting eleven, while he I also expected to rest Osama Malik, giving Cameron Watson a chance in the holding midfield role.
Meanwhile, Sydney FC-s star marquee signing Alessandro Del Piero will not make the trip to Adelaide after being ruled out with calf and achilles soreness.
Gates open at 6.00pm with kick-off at 7.30pm. Tickets for the match are available through Ticketek.
Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season – Week 14
ADELAIDE UNITED FC v SYDNEY FC
Monday 31 December 2012, Hindmarsh Stadium
Kick-Off: 7.30pm ACDT
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Tickets: Available through Ticketek (call 132849, online at www.ticketek.com.au)
TV: LIVE & Exclusive on Fox Sports 1
Radio: Live coverage on 891 ABC Adelaide, ABC Local Radio across SA, Grandstand Digital and streaming online
Twitter: twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash tag #REDSvSYD)
Adelaide United squad: 1.Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 3.Nigel Boogaard, 5.Iain Fyfe, 6.Cassio, 7.Zenon Caravella, 8.Marcelo Carrusca, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 14.Cameron Watson, 16.Daniel Bowles, 17.Iain Ramsay, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 20.Paul Izzo (gk), 21.Jeronimo Neumann, 22.Fabio Ferreira, 23.Evan Kostopoulos
*one to be omitted
In: Zenon Caravella (promoted), Iain Ramsay (promoted)
Out: Osama Malik (omitted)
Unavailable: Nil
Sydney FC squad: 2.Sebastian Ryall, 5.Nathan Sherlock, 7.Brett Emerton, 8.Adam Griffiths, 12.Blake Powell, 15.Terry McFlynn, 17.Terry Antonis, 18.Trent McClenahan, 20.Vedran Janjetovic (gk), 21.Yairo Yau, 23.Rhyan Grant, 24.Hagi Gligor, 25.Daniel Petkovski, 26.Peter Triantis, 27.Alec Urocevski, 33.Matthew Nash (gk)
*one to be omitted
In: Terry McFylnn (returns from injury), Hagi Gligor (promoted), Daniel Petkovski (promoted)
Out: Ali Abbas (suspended – 1 week) , Alessandro Del Piero (calf/Achilles)
Unavailable: Pascal Bosschaart (calf – 2 weeks), Ivan Necevski (ankle – 4 weeks), Paul Reid (adductor – 1 week), Fabio (ankle – 1 week), Jason Culina (knee – 1 week)
Adelaide United vs. Sydney FC – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record
Played 24 – Adelaide United FC 10 wins, 3 draws, 11 losses
At Hindmarsh Stadium
Played 8; Adelaide United 4, Sydney FC 3, Draws 1
Last time they met
23-Nov-2012 Week 8, Hyundai A-League 2012/13 Season at Allianz Stadium
Sydney FC 1 (Yau 57-)
Adelaide United FC 2 (Ferreira 21-, Vidosic 88-)
