Craig Goodwin tips Adelaide United to deliver in ‘hostile’ Gosford environment
Adelaide United need to find form in a hurry if they are reach the A-League grand final.
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Adelaide United captain Craig Goodwin admits the Reds will need to produce “something special” in Gosford on Saturday night to reach the A-League grand final.
The Reds’ season hangs by a thread after there were beaten 2-1 last Saturday by the Central Coast Mariners in the first-leg of their A-League semi-final.
The defeat continued Adelaide’s recent ordinary run of form.
After taking the competition by storm during an unbeaten run on 12 matches, the Reds seem to have fallen into a hole when it matters most.
They have won just one of their past five games in a concerning spell that has included two losses to the Mariners, who have clearly worked out Adelaide’s defensive deficiencies.
In three games against the Reds this season, the Mariners have scored 10 goals, and conceded just two in return.
Everything, therefore, points to a comfortable second-leg win and a berth in the grand final for Central Coast.
However. Goodwin was adamant his side could spoil the Mariners’ party at Industree Group Stadium.
“We’re obviously disappointed to be down (2-1), but we have full confidence going into this next game,” the Socceroos star said.
“Especially in the second half, we could have turned that (first-leg) around.
“The goals that we conceded … one (was) an amazing goal from outside the box and one that definitely we can affect and change with our positioning and with our set-up and defence.
“It’s a do-or-die game. These are the games you want to play in your career and the ones that you remember, so we’ve got the chance to do something special here.”
Goodwin tipped the Reds to lift in a “hostile” Gosford environment.
“It’s nothing different to what they would have faced here at Coopers Stadium,” he said.
“We want to play in these games where it’s a big crowd and it’s only going to give us a good atmosphere and we have to use that energy to feed off, even if it’s negative towards us.”
Goodwin was also confident the Reds had the depth to overcome the loss of Japanese striker Hiroshi Ibusuki, who is sidelined with a calf injury.
“It’s a really big game, and to have someone like Hiroshi out is disappointing, but we’ve got the depth in the side and we have to move on and focus on the match,” he said.
“We’ll change a little bit of the style (of our play) because of what Hiroshi brings to the squad, but it won’t change the way that we play.
“We are true to the football that we believe in. We’ve stuck with that all year and it’s worked with us and helped us get to this point.
“We believe in the way that we play, and we’re going there to get the win.”
Originally published as Craig Goodwin tips Adelaide United to deliver in ‘hostile’ Gosford environment
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