Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz has his team primed for short turnarounds

As they prepare to travel to Perth for Friday’s semi-final, Adelaide United players can take comfort in their fitness and the fact they haven’t had any trouble bouncing back from a short break this season.

Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz reacts during the A-League Elimination Final match between Adelaide United and Melbourne City at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide, Sunday, May 5, 2019. (AAP Image/Sam Wundke)

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IT’S not uncommon but now with a grand final berth on the line, many A-League watchers are asking why Adelaide United has just five days rest before Friday’s semi-final in Perth.

Adelaide also has a chance to be in the 2020 AFC Champions League if it beats Glory.

Perth has not played an official match since April 28 before hosting Adelaide at HBF Park in Perth on Friday from 8pm SA time. They’ll have a solid 12 days off before facing the Reds.

Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz reacts during the A-League elimination final victory at Hindmarsh Stadium. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

It’s the least they deserve after coach Tony Popovic led Glory to its first A-League Premiers Plate and a 16- point gap over United after 27 matches.

However, Reds’ fans have nothing to fear after Adelaide took 120 minutes to beat Melbourne City 1-0 in an extra-time thriller at Hindmarsh on Sunday night.

Melbourne City – one of the fittest sides in the competition – felt the full brunt of the fresher Reds’ legs in the 119th minute when a Ben Halloran goal stung the Light Blues in the elimination final.

And Adelaide was comfortable when it had games four and five days apart nine times this A-League season. Winning five times, sharing the points three times, including a scoreless draw with Glory away, suggests Marco Kurz’s men are superb athletes.

Adelaide’s only blemish during the short turnarounds was a 2-1 loss to Sydney FC away when the club was in the middle of a huge injury crisis.

This is despite the Reds being forced to train all over Adelaide because of the poor state of its Playford training grounds towards the end of summer.

Kurz is a believer – he says the key to bouncing back strongly is recovery.

He built this team to be resilient and extremely strong.

Critics may again swallow venomous words; it’s his early-season double sessions that makes Kurz confident Adelaide can cause another upset.

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