Adelaide United’s Riley McGree will have to sit out the club’s final friendly against Melbourne City before the new season starts
Adelaide United’s Riley McGree will have to sit out the club’s final friendly against Melbourne City after a red card against new club Western United.
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Adelaide United’s Riley McGree must serve a one-match ban when the Reds face Melbourne City in a friendly in Melbourne on Tuesday after a red card prompted some impressive plea-bargaining in Ballarat.
Western United officials said coach Mark Rudan insisted to the local referee that Adelaide should replace McGree with a substitute to ensure 11 v 11 before the nil-all stalemate at Morshead Park on Saturday.
The former Melbourne City midfielder, 20, was expelled in the 37th minute of the clash after a reported verbal exchange and must serve at least one match, a Football Federation Australia official said.
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FFA was waiting for a copy of the referee’s report on the red card incident.
It was McGree’s first known expulsion. He was replaced by teenage Red Lachlan Brook.
“He said something, ‘It was not meant for the referee’ he said to me,’’ Adelaide coach Gertjan Verbeek said.
“So he explained to me ‘I can’t understand that the referee thinks it was abusing me (him)’, that’s not allowed that’s … you can’t do that.
“Even if the referee makes mistakes, I think the referee makes less mistakes than we do on the pitch.”
Facing City would be the Reds last friendly opponent before the season starts.
Adelaide plays its FFA Cup semi final away against Central Coast Mariners on October 2 before hosting Sydney FC in round one nine days later.
Verbeek also said he was on the hunt for two fresh players.
“We’re still searching for a one or two players to join the team in the short term I don’t know if we will succeed,’’ Verbeek said.