Adelaide United FC goes into tomorrow’s Rivalry Round match against a winless Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium expecting a charged up Sky Blues outfit.
Adelaide United FC goes into tomorrow-s Rivalry Round match against a winless Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium expecting a charged up Sky Blues outfit.
While Adelaide United FC-s rivalry with Melbourne Victory is arguably the most recognised among United fans, Coach Rini Coolen and attacking midfielder Andy Slory have reaffirmed that the Reds- stoushes with old foe Sydney FC are just as significant.
Coolen and Slory may not have been around in the Hyundai A-League-s early years when Adelaide United and Sydney FC regularly jostled for top spot and tickets for the matches between the two clubs, particularly in Adelaide, were the most highly sought after, but they are both well versed on what it means to beat the team from the harbour city.
When Sydney FC visited Hindmarsh Stadium in the early seasons, crowds of 14-15 thousand were common as they always proved emotion filled matches.
“It-s always a special game against Sydney. I know that games against Melbourne Victory are seen as the most important game for our supporters, but if you look back at the past, Sydney versus Adelaide United have been very important games, so hopefully there are a lot of people at the ground tomorrow and they will see an entertaining football match,” Coolen said.
In his seven Reds appearances to date Slory is yet to face Sydney FC, but the scintillating winger is as qualified as anyone when it comes to big rivalry matches, having featured in a number of them during his playing days in the Eredivisie with Dutch giants Feyenoord.
Although it may be on a grander scale, Slory can see similarities between the big games in Holland and in games like the one against Sydney FC tomorrow.
“Everybody knows how important it is when we play against Melbourne Victory…for me it-s a little bit the same as Feyenoord against Ajax,” Slory said.
“If you lose that game you can-t walk the streets in Holland for a week and that-s not exaggerating, and I hope our supporters here can come every week and give us that same feeling that they gave us last week (against Melbourne) because they helped us a lot. They gave us a massive boost and I love playing I that environment.”
“I-ve heard some stories about Sydney as well and that Adelaide United and Sydney FC were the two best teams in the early years, so we-re going into it like we-re playing Melbourne Victory, but now we-re playing Sydney and we want to win this game and I hope that everyone will be here in the stadium again.”
Sydney FC enter tomorrow-s game without a win or a goal from their opening two matches, but Coolen is not being fooled into any preconceptions that they will be an easy target. On the contrary, Coolen knows that with the likes of marquee man Brett Emerton and a number of quality players, the Reds will need to be at the top of their game to make it a fourth straight win over the Sky Blues.
“I know how it feels if you don-t start the competition the way you want and they-ve got a very good squad with very good players and a very good coach who knows exactly what he-s doing,” Coolen said.
“You need a win in the early weeks to get some confidence but they are still a very good team and they will be looking for a victory, so we will definitely have to focus because it is going to be a difficult game.”
Coolen admitted Ukrainian midfielder Evgeniy Levchenko is in some doubt to be fit because of a calf problem, while the Reds will be without striker Bruce Djite due to a groin injury.
Prior to the match, Adelaide United-s Women-s Team will feature in a curtain raiser against Canberra United in the opening round of the new Westfield W-League season. Gates open at 1.00pm with kick-off for the W-League match at 1.45pm.
Hyundai A-League 2011/12 Season – Week 3
Adelaide United FC v Sydney FC
Saturday 22 October 2011, Hindmarsh Stadium
Kick-Off: 5.00pm ACDT (5.30pm AEDT)
Referee: Gerard Parsons
Tickets: Available through Ticketek
TV: Live and exclusive on FOX Sports 1
Radio: ABC Radio (891 ABC Adelaide, ABC SA, Grandstand Digital, online at abc.net.au/adelaide)
Adelaide United: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk), 2.Osama MALIK, 4.Jon McKAIN, 5.Daniel MULLEN, 6.CASSIO, 7.Zenon CARAVELLA, 8.Evgeniy LEVCHENKO, 9.Sergio VAN DIJK, 10.Dario VIDOSIC, 14.Cameron WATSON, 16.Spase DILEVSKI, 17.Iain RAMSAY, 20.Mark BIRIGHITTI (gk), 21.Francisco USUCAR, 22.Milan SUSAK, 23.Andy SLORY
*one to be omitted*
In: Daniel MULLEN (returns from injury), Cameron WATSON (promoted)
Out: Bruce DJITE (groin – 2 weeks)
Unavailable: Nigel BOOGAARD (ankle – 3 weeks)
Sydney FC squad: 2.Sebastian RYALL, 3.Jamie COYNE, 4.Pascal BOSSCHAART, 5.Michael BEAUCHAMP, 6.Hirofumi MORIYASU, 7.Brett EMERTON, 8.Karol KISEL, 9.Bruno CAZARINE, 10.Nick CARLE, 11.Dimi PETRATOS, 15.Terry McFLYNN (c), 17.Terry ANTONIS, 20.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 21.Scott JAMIESON, 23.Rhyan GRANT
In: Hirofumi MORIYASU (promoted)
Out: Liam REDDY (gk) (groin – 1 week)
Unavailable: Juho MAKELA (quad – 4 weeks), Shannon COLE (calf – 1 week), Mark BRIDGE (suspended – 1 match)
Adelaide United vs. Sydney FC – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record
Played 20 – Adelaide United FC 9 wins, 2 draws, 9 losses
29-Dec-2010… W 2-0… 2010/11 Midweek (Adelaide Oval)
4-Oct-2010… W 2-1… 2010/11 Wk 9 (Sydney Football Stadium)
4-Sep-2010… W 3-1… 2010/11 Wk 5 (Sydney Football Stadium)
27-Dec-2009… L 0-1… 2009/10 Rd 21 (Sydney Football Stadium)
16-Oct-2009… W 2-1… 2009/10 Rd 11 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
16-Aug-2009… L 0-1… 2009/10 Rd 2 (Sydney Football Stadium)
3-Jan-2009… W 2-0… 2008/09 Rd 18 (Adelaide Oval)
22-Nov-2008… W 2-0… 2008/09 Rd 12 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
20-Sep-2008… L 0-3… 2008/09 Rd5 (Sydney Football Stadium)
28-Dec-2007… L 1-3… 2007/08 Rd18 (Adelaide Oval)
20-Oct-2007… W 1-0… 2007/08 Rd9 (Sydney Football Stadium)
1-Sep-2007… D 2-2… 2007/08 Rd2 (Sydney Football Stadium)
14-Jan-2007… W 1-0… 2006/07 Rd20 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
19-Nov-2006… L 1-2… 2006/07 Rd13 (Sydney Football Stadium)
2-Oct-2006… L 1-4… 2006/07 Rd6 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
19-Feb-2006… L 1-2… 2005/06 Semi Final 2nd Leg (Sydney Football Stadium)
12-Feb-2006… D 2-2… 2005/06 Semi Final 1st Leg (Hindmarsh Stadium)
3-Feb-2006… L 1-2… 2005/06 (Sydney Football Stadium)
27-Nov-2005… W 3-2… 2005/06 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
9-Oct-2005… L 1-2… 2005/06 (Sydney Football Stadium)
At Hindmarsh Stadium
Played 6; Adelaide United 4, Sydney FC 1, Draws 1
Last time they met
29-Dec-2010 Midweek fixture, Hyundai A-League 2010/11 Season at Adelaide Oval
Adelaide United 2 (van Dijk 35-, Foxe 58- (og))
Sydney FC 0
Adelaide United last two results
Wk 2. 14-10-2011… W 1-0… vs. Melbourne Victory (Hindmarsh Stadium)
Wk 1. 9-10-2011… L 0-1… vs. Perth Glory (nib Stadium)
