Adelaide United’s Ken Ilso says it’s weird meeting Melbourne City next week given the clubs could meet again in the FFA Cup
THE Reds’ Danish forward Ken Ilso is coming to terms with the Reds lack of diverse “friendly” sparring partners as they prepare to face Melbourne City in another pre-season game.
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ADELAIDE United’s new Danish forward Ken Ilso is coming to terms with the Reds’ lack of diverse “friendly” sparring partners.
As Adelaide prepares to meet Melbourne City behind closed doors again this week, a fortnight after a scoreless draw in a friendly at Hindmarsh Stadium, Ilso finds it baffling.
Although the clash will be played in Melbourne, Ilso, 31, says it’s bizarre given the clubs may meet again in the FFA Cup and they’re guaranteed to clash at least three times in the A-League season with a first league game in Adelaide on December 16.
Adelaide’s next official game is against APIA Leichhardt away in the FFA Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, September 26.
“When you take away the crowd and you take it in, these games become very tactically orientated with lots of specific details,” Ilso said after spending time at the IGA stand at the Royal Adelaide Show last week.
“It’s much easier for the coach and your teammates to see exactly what’s happening, it’s a good preparation.
“But it’s still weird to compete with a team that you’re going to play in the league.
“You want to give some things away but you don’t want to give it all away. You don’t want to show exactly what you’re going to do — they can use that against you during the season.”
Ilso revealed he missed some of the preseason after being injured twice but the Dane says he is regaining full fitness quickly.
He started three of the eight matches in preseason, scoring once with Adelaide scoring 23 goals and conceding only once. The Reds have a 100 per cent preseason record.
Ilso has been in Adelaide for two months and is renting a home at Henley Beach.
After spending about three and a half years playing soccer for clubs in the tropical climates of Singapore and Malaysia, Ilso — despite being born in Denmark where Copenhagen’s average summer temperature is 17C and in winter 0C is average — found Adelaide’s moderate winter challenging.
“I have been playing up in Asia where it has been really hot and now I’m training in 12C,” Ilso said.
“It’s not just the coldness, it’s just different for your muscles, and everything is a bit different and my body has to get used to this.
“I have been very busy for the last two months and I haven’t seen a real lot of Adelaide between lots of training.”