Adelaide United has fallen out of the top six after it was thumped by Western United 1-5 at home
Adelaide United’s defence was repeatedly torn apart as it was thrashed by Western United 5-1 at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday night.
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Adelaide United was dumped out of the top six, thrashed by Western United 5-1 at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.
That win snuck Western into sixth spot as Adelaide dropped to seventh on goal difference.
The real concern is Adelaide leaking 12 goals in three consecutive losses including a 5-2 away drubbing to Western Sydney more than a fortnight ago.
Western’s Besart Berisha opened the score after Alessandro Diamanti split Adelaide open with a reverse pass to Josh Risdon.
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The Socceroo supplied the assist to the goal machine in the 18th minute.
Riley McGree squared the ledger with a wicked 20m shot seven minutes later when Western’s defence parted before the attacker scored his 10th goal of the season.
Diamanti made it 2-1 seven minutes later when Adelaide’s defence failed to get into shape when the ball was lost inside Western’s half before Risdon was again involved with an assist.
VAR took the fun out of Max Burgess’ goal for Western’s third when again Risdon was the creative assistant before the attacking midfielder nodded the ball home to make it 3-1 in the 39th minute.
The VAR decision took a more than a minute before Western celebrated.
Connor Pain made it 4-1 three minutes after the break when he latched onto a Diamanti pass before once again exposing United’s massive defensive problems.
Berisha scored a second from the Diamanti, Risdon combination to make it 5-1 in the 56th minute.
DIAMANTI IS THE A-LEAGUE’S BEST FRIEND
Inside the first three minutes Diamanti proved Reds coach Gertjan Verbeek right when he said high quality imports cost good money.
The Italian showed in an instant why he is regarded as the most brilliant import this season.
The 36-year-old took the sting out of the Reds relentless press by flicking his marker Louis D’Darrigo, 18, without touching the high bouncing ball.
He positioned his body well, turned, trapped the ball and the momentum swung Western’s way from then.
His no look pass to Risdon led to Western’s first goal by Berisha.
He even gave goalkeeper Paul Izzo some advice to calm down when he lumped the ball upfield as the Reds searched for an equaliser.
Seven minutes later Diamanti beat D’Arrigo again with a clever turn before slotting the ball past Izzo.
It was essentially the Diamanti show.
4-4-2
Verbeek deployed a roving 4-4-2 formation which at times looked mobile, efficient and even daunting as George Blackwood and Nikola Mileusnic played as twin strikers.
Stefan Mauk was at the pointy end of the diamond midfield but also moved wide as James Troisi and McGree gave the Reds many options going forward.
Once again however the Reds looked very vulnerable in defence despite mostly outnumbering Western four and five players to two.
Diamanti and Berisha just continually ripped the home side to shreds.
TRIAL THE PROPOSED CONCUSSION RULING
Western’s gloveman Filip Kurto forced off the park for reserve keeper Ryan Scott with what appeared to be concussion after a heavy fall in the 10th minute could have perhaps been avoided.
Scott – a bricklayer from Victoria’s Bentleigh Greens NPL team as an injury replacement – had a super game.
The A-League should consider adopting a trial next season instigated by the International
Football Association Board- the game’s lawmakers – at the their annual general meeting last weekend.
IFAB have agreed to an extensive trial of concussion temporary substitutes which could have seen Kurto return to action if he was given the all clear by medicos inside three minutes on the sidelines.
A first test is looking likely during the Tokyo Games.
In the curtain raiser, the SA amateur league’s pre-season cup final, the Alex Cichanowski Shield 2019 Saturday division one champion BOSA beat Sunday division one champion Brahma Lodge 5-3.