Adelaide United has eight matches remaining in a season which has produced contrasts in attack and defence
Adelaide United has been blazing in attack, but average in defence to currently sit fifth on the A-League ladder as the point end of the season approaches. Is it a recipe for success, or disaster?
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Adelaide United’s season is now into its final third with eight matches remaining to round off the 26 matches in the 11-team league.
Adelaide faces six clubs three times and four clubs twice in the season, which raises questions if the competition is really judging which team is best.
Would Adelaide be in a better position if they had to face Wellington Phoenix, Western Sydney Wanderers, Perth Glory and Western United three times like the other clubs?
Adelaide this season retained 19 players from the core squad which won the 2018 FFA Cup and was just a penalty kick away from the grand final under former boss Marco Kurz.
With 18 games down, Adelaide has never drawn – has nine wins and nine losses.
No A-League of national soccer league side has completed a season without a draw.
That’s 43 years.
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ATTACKING IS VERBEEK’S PHILOSOPHY
The Dutchman cannot understand why some coaches want to play defensive football in the A-League.
“The two teams with the most points are Sydney and Perth and they are the most defensive in the league, they play defensive football and I don’t like that,’’ he said.
Sydney has scored 37 goals and Perth 32 goals, equal with Verbeek’s Adelaide, which has done without a prolific goal-scoring striker.
Sydney has Adam Le Fondre (15 goals) and Glory Bruno Fornaroli (11 goals).
However, goal machines could be coming in the way of Toure brothers Al Hassan, 19, and Mohamed, 15.
Adelaide has scored six more goals than Kurz’s side at the same 18 games point last season, but is three points less and one spot down the ladder compared to 2019.
Attacking midfielder Riley McGree is the club’s leading goalscorer with nine and Ben Halloran has seven – their best tallies as professionals.
Departed Craig Goodwin scored 10 goals last season with five assists and the next best was Nikola Mileusnic with five goals – the same tally he has now.
The club owned the league’s second worst overall attack last season.
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WHAT ABOUT DEFENDING?
The side has conceded 32 goals after it had the league’s third best defence last season when it conceded a total of 32 in 27 matches.
This season, Adelaide has the competition’s third worst defence to date.
It has recorded just three clean sheets.
Curacao international Michael Maria is the only addition to the back four since last season.
The loss of ex-skipper Isaias to Qatari football is the obvious reason.
Verbeek said he was told when he landed the job that he would build a team around Isaias and Goodwin, but he never got a chance.
Louis D’Arrigo has done a remarkable job as the holding midfielder, but he is just 18 and has played 217 games less than Isaias.
To the Dutchman’s credit, he has unveiled a plethora of gems by force as the club’s massive injury toll where a combination of soft tissue and impact injuries have cost the side players.
WHERE TO NOW?
Adelaide has a 100 percent win record against Western United, Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets and a win/loss record against Brisbane Roar and Melbourne City.
However, the Reds have been unable to beat Sydney, Glory and Phoenix – they have taken 12 points away.
City and Roar are the only sides in the top six the Reds have beaten thus far.
Second spot is within reach, but dropping out of the six isn’t out of the equation either.
THE RUN HOME
February 29: v Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium
March 7: v Western United at Coopers Stadium
March 15: v Newcastle Jets at Coopers Stadium
March 27: v Melbourne City at AAMI Park
April 5: v Wellington Phoenix at Sky Stadium
April 11: v Sydney FC at Coopers Stadium
April 17: v Perth Glory at Coopers Stadium
April 25: v Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium