Why Ken Ilso is Adelaide United’s FFA Cup lucky charm
ADELAIDE United’s Dane Ken Ilso is looming to be the Reds lucky cup charm and be an important cog in coach Marco Kurz’s revamped systems for the new A-League season.
ADELAIDE United’s Dane Ken Ilso is looming to be the Reds lucky cup charm.
The 31-year-old just minutes after Adelaide beat Bentleigh Greens 2-0 in the FFA cup semi final to reach a third knockout final in five years on Twitter posted”
“On to the FFA Cup final. My third final in three years, can’t wait.”
And there is no chance Ilso will get stage fright at what is expected to be a 16,100 capacity FFA Cup final sellout at Hindmarsh Stadium on October 30.
His last cup final was played in front of 78,898 fans when his ex Malaysian club Kedah beat Penang — he played there briefly this year — 3-2 in 2017.
Ilso scored the opener and was credited with an assist in that clash.
Now he is excited about kicking this new A-League season off against Sydney FC at Hindmarsh on Friday night.
Ilso is more than glad this preseason is over — to him a record four months in his now 10-club career.
It has taken the Dane from his home country to the Netherlands, Germany, China, Singapore, Malaysia and now Australia.
“There’s going to be a good first crowd I think and we’re starting with three home games, first against Sydney then against Newcastle and then the FFA Cup final against Sydney,’’ Ilso said.
He is also aiming to be an important cog in coach Marco Kurz’s revamped systems which have been cleverly unveiled during preseason.
Kurz preferred a 4-4-2 formation against the Greens at Kingston Heath soccer complex which could be set in stone this season after the boss preferred a 4-3-3 last season.
That game plan had Ilso forming a closer partnership with Baba Diawara.
The Senegalese was leading the front lines with Ilso taking up positions close by which had Bentleigh second guessing the Reds next moves.
“It was a really one of our first games we had together (with Baba),’’ Ilso said.
“Of course we have been training together lately and a lot that partnership will get better and better.
“I have been playing that (second striker) position a lot before.
“We need someone who is very strong at the top.
“Baba is very strong, I run around him and we’ve got a good co-operation too.
“I feel we have more systems that we can play but at the moment it seems to be our team is best suited to play that (4-4-2) formation.
“The whole team is still pretty new in this formation as most of our games in the preseason we have been playing in a classic 4-3-3.
“So we need to keep on working on that formation and improving even more but I think it’s going in the right direction.”