Adelaide United face Brisbane Roar in the next round of the Westfield FFA Cup at Coopers Stadium.
Ahead of his side’s highly anticipated Westfield FFA Cup match against reigning Hyundai A-League champions Brisbane Roar on Tuesday night, Josep Gombau has stressed the importance of being ambitious in both cup and domestic competitions.
“The game is very important for us and for the club,” said Gombau.
“At the end of the day these are two different competitions and we have to try and be competitive in both.
“We want to win and I want the players to be preparing for it like it is the final.”
But Gombau has said he and his team are not feeling any pressure prior to facing Roar, as he expects a tough, but fair challenge at Coopers Stadium.
“We have a lot of respect for them, but we are playing at home, we know what we need to do, and it’s a great chance to show our fans that we are ready for the season.
“Although we have a lot of players unable to play, the important thing is the players who can.
“I am satisfied with the team that I have for Tuesday and I know they are all ready to play.
Gombau said that the strength of his team doesn’t finish with the starting 11, with those waiting as substitutes all capable of making an impact and being competitive if and when they are needed.
Central defender, Nigel Boogaard, has echoed his coach’s call and believes he and his teammates have prepared well enough to adapt to any situation regardless of the circumstances.
“Like Josep said, we want to be very competitive and push towards the title and as a player you want to achieve and win things,” he said.
“Being able to adapt during games and even during the season – depending on the players we have available – is something we have to be ready for.
“The squad that we have is strong and all the boys are ready for it. Our experience at this level is great enough to know that we’re up against a good Brisbane team that are going to challenge us.
“But if we concentrate on what our roles are I think we’ll be able to get the result.”
Westfield FFA Cup – Round of 16
Adelaide United FC v Brisbane Roar
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Coopers Stadium, Hindmarsh (SA)
Kick-off: 7:00pm local (7:30pm EST)
Referee: Shaun Evans
Assistant Referee 1: Paul Cetrangolo
Assistant Referee 2: Matthew Cream
Fourth Official: Daniel Goodwin
AAR 1: Rick Schneider
AAR 2: Daniel Elder
Tickets: Tickets from Ticketek or available to purchase at the venue
Coverage details: LIVE updates on FOX SPORTS 3 and 3HD
Twitter: http://twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash-tag #ADLvBRI)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/adelaideunitedfc
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aufc (hash-tag #ADLvBRI)
Adelaide United FC Squad: 1.Eugene GALKOVIC (GK), 3.Nigel BOOGAARD, 4.Dylan McGOWAN, 7.PABLO SANCHEZ, 8.ISAIAS, 9.Sergio CIRIO, 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA, 11.Bruce DJITE, 12.Mark OCHIENG, 15.Ben WARLAND, 17.Awer MABIL, 18.Jimmy JEGGO, 20.Paul IZZO (GK), 21.Tarek ELRICH, 24.Bruce KAMAU, 32.Nathan KONSTANDOPOULOS, 40.Sergio SERRET (GK) **one to be omitted**
Unavailable: Michael MARRONE (Ankle – 3 weeks), CASSIO (Test), Cameron WATSON (Toe – 3-4 weeks), Fabio FERREIRA (Ankle – 3-4 weeks), Osama MALIK (Calf – 2 weeks), 23.Jordan ELSEY (Wrist – 6 weeks), John HALL (Knee – 2 weeks), Craig GOODWIN (Cup tied)
Brisbane Roar Squad: 2.Matt SMITH (c), 5.Corey BROWN, 7.Mensur KURTISHI, 8.Steven LUSTICA, 10.HENRIQUE, 11.Liam MILLER, 12.Jean Carlos SOLORZANO, 13.Jade NORTH, 14.Daniel BOWLES, 15.James DONACHIE, 18.Luke BRATTAN, 19.Jack HINGERT, 21.Jamie YOUNG (GK), 22.Thomas BROICH, 23.Dimitri PETRATOS
