90 Minutes: Argentinian stars’ vision to help SA’s next generation
Former Reds Marcelo Carrusca and Marcos Flores are coaching aspiring Adelaide youngsters the techniques they learned on South American streets. Plus, City’s W-League bid hits hurdle, where to next for Marco Kurz and more in this week’s wrap of SA soccer.
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MARCELO Carrusca and Marcos Flores thrilled Adelaide United supporters with their skill and flair during a combined 145 A-League games for the Reds.
Now the Argentinian duo has a clear vision to help the next generation of SA youngsters take their game to new heights.
Carrusca and Flores returned to the state earlier this year to sign for National Premier Leagues clubs West Adelaide and Adelaide City as they drew the curtain on their playing careers.
The creative pair was also using its time to coach aspiring youngsters the techniques it learned on South American streets and adapted to football’s world stage.
“Back in Argentina it’s a different culture,” Carrusca, 35, said.
“The kids finish school and play football, they finish training and keep playing football, and they go to school the next day and they play only football.
“Here the kids have many sports and do a lot of different things.
“But in saying that, I know a lot of kids love football here and a lot of kids have this passion.
“Since I’ve come here, I’ve tried to help the kids by giving them more time with the ball and you can only do this by training more time.
“The best way is to share this knowledge with them and to share with them everything we know.”
Carrusca, who won three trophies with the Reds from 2012-17, had continued running his academy for young players since moving back to SA.
Countryman Flores, 33, had been heavily involved in City’s junior program, mentoring up and coming talents at the former National Soccer League giant.
“In South America, we learn a lot of things in the street,” said Flores, who claimed the Johnny Warren Medal while playing for Adelaide United in 2011.
“A lot of that flavour comes from spending a lot of time with the ball.
“I’ve been saying since I arrived in Australia that I’ve seen a lot of youth development doing the things right.
“The joy of how we grew up playing the game and the energy, the Latin passion, is something that we should build to engage the community and engage fans.”
“It’s about making friends, helping youth development and giving without expecting things back.”
The duo, which did not play together for the Reds, faced off on Saturday as Carrusca’s West claimed its first triumph of the season in a 3-0 triumph over Flores’ City.
City’s slim W-League hopes
AFTER Adelaide City chief executive Tony Costa revealed the club had investigated whether it could enter a team in the W-League, the euphoria was extinguished four days after The Advertiser published the story.
A-league and W-League head Greg O’Rourke was asked by The Advertiser on Thursday whether City could add a new team to the women’s national competition.
O’Rourke responded on Monday.
Given Canberra United has a W-League team without having a club in the A-League, Costa put up a good argument.
“It is highly unlikely any W-League expansion would be decoupled from an existing or future A-League club,’’ O’Rourke said.
“The position the clubs hold in their blueprint is to give A-League clubs the opportunity for W-League clubs.”
Where is Kurz going?
RUMOURS of Marco Kurz heading home to Europe to take up a lucrative deal are getting stronger as his exit from Adelaide United in June gets closer.
The German mentor is understood to have been sounded out by A-League clubs Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix.
It’s understood Kurz was keen to stay in Adelaide despite having an offer worth three times more than what he earned in SA for the past two years before meeting Reds chairman Piet van der Pol before the club announced they would not re-engage the German past this season.
Negotiations to extend Kurz’s two-year contract never got off the ground as sources close to Roar and Phoenix revealed the German had been a serious point of interest.
A Phoenix source said the club had made an inquiry about the German but claims Kurz is likely to head to Europe before Wellington confirmed on Monday that current coach Mark Rudan will leave the Nix.
A Roar source said the club had not made a decision about who would be Brisbane’s next coach after John Aloisi quit in December.
Mabil appeals for boots
THE SA-based charity responsible for delivering more than 2000kg of soccer boots and kits, as well as vital medical and educational equipment, to people in need is looking for donations.
Barefoot to Boots was established by former Adelaide United winger Awer Mabil and his brother Awer Bul to give back to the Kenyan refugee camp they were raised in.
The organisation has grown from sending 20 soccer shirts to Kakuma in 2014 to providing hospital beds, ultrasound machines and laptops, while building learning centres for residents.
Socceroos star Mabil, who plays his club football for FC Midtjylland in Denmark, is a regular visitor to the camp along with other volunteers to check on the progress of the project.
Barefoot is sending another container to Kakuma in the near future and is appealing for help from the local soccer community to fill it with items which can benefit refugees.
Anyone with sporting equipment, medical supplies or educational tools they can give to the cause should email info@barefoottoboots.org to arrange a donation.
Clubs across SA have already provided gear to benefit players in the Kakuma Premier League and Kakuma United, a team based in the camp which plays in the Kenyan national league.
Ross the boss in demand
Adelaide United’s inaugural Premier’s Plate winning captain Ross Aloisi isn’t short on offers.
He is on gardening leave from Brisbane Roar.
Wellington Phoenix — a club where Aloisi was the inaugural captain in 2007 — is interested in landing the South Australian as a head coach, so too is new club Western United, as an assistant to Rudan.
It’s understood Aloisi has had recent talks with Phoenix officials.
And with Central Coast Mariners tipped to appoint former Matildas boss Alen Stajcic as permanent boss beyond his current interim stint, it’s understood Stajcic is keen to have Aloisi by his side.
Aloisi, 45, was Stajcic’s assistant during the Matildas 2015 FIFA women’s World Cup in Canada.
The now Brisbane-based former Socceroos midfielder was a popular figure among the Matildas where the Australians ended the tournament in a quarterfinal loss to finalist Japan 1-0 in Edmondton.
Galloway’s future unclear
WHEN Scott Galloway’s representatives lobbed in Adelaide from Europe mid-season it appeared the impressive defender had secured an extension to his one-year contract.
Galloway, 24, is without a doubt Adelaide’s most improved player after coach Marco Kurz offered the Perth-born left or right back a trial during pre-season before he won a contract.
However just when it looked like Galloway had done enough to secure a Reds extension it’s understood his representatives have gone cold on a deal tabled by the Reds.
Galloway will be another huge loss for the new coach if he leaves following the disbelief when Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, 20, was poached by Western United.
Armiento’s step back in time
ADELAIDE United’s 20-year-old dead ball specialist Carlo Armiento had a busy weekend and took a step back in time in doing so.
After he was unleashed off the bench late in Adelaide’s 0-0 draw with Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday, Armiento was on an early morning flight from Tullamarine Airport while his A-League teammates slept in before a recovery session.
Armiento landed in Adelaide in the morning and got himself prepared for a late afternoon Reds NPL clash against MetroStars at Angle Park, much like many players used to have it during the NSL.
Armiento scored Adelaide’s second goal in a 3-2 win, lasting 77 minutes before he took a rest.
A-League round 24
Melbourne City 0 Adelaide United 0 at AAMI Park
Votes:
Val Migliaccio: 3. Paul Izzo, 2. Michael Jakobsen, 1. Isaias
Rob Greenwood: 3. Paul Izzo, 2. Michael Jakobsen, 1. Scott Galloway
Amelia Mulcahy: 3. Paul Izzo, 2. Michael Jakobsen, 1. Isaias
Stats
Possession
Adelaide 49 per cent City 51 per cent
Shots on target
Adelaide 6 City 5
Keeper saves
Adelaide 5 City 3
Corners
Adelaide City 9 Phoenix 3
Golden Boots l eaders
83. Isaias
73. Craig Goodwin
62. Ben Halloran
36. Mirko Boland
28. Scott Galloway
28. Michael Jakobsen
27. Paul Izzo
21. Vince Lia
19. Ryan Strain
15. Michael Marrone
12. George Blackwood
10. Nikola Mileusnic
8. Taylor Regan
7. Ryan Kitto
5. Ken Ilso
4. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos
Goals
Craig Goodwin 9
Nikola Mileusnic 4
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos 3
Ken Ilso 3
Isaias 3
Ben Halloran 2
George Blackwood 2
Vince Lia 1
Scott Galloway 1
Ryan Kitto 1
Michael Marrone 1
OG 1
Tweet of the Week
BART WEG!!! After a lengthy stint the beard is gone. Looking like I could fill in for my younger brothers team 😂 #babyface pic.twitter.com/nr8ApsNHEz
— brandon borrello (@BrandonBorrello) April 11, 2019
SA players abroad
Brandon Borrello — Freiburg (Bundesliga): Reportedly injured
Alex Chidiac — Atletico Madrid (women’s Spanish Primera Division): Unused substitute in a 3-1 win over Sporting De Huelva away
Ben Garuccio — Hearts (Scottish Premier League): Recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury
Meni Haralampopoulos — Acharnaikos (Greek Gamma Ethniki): Played 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Varda FC
Bradden Inman — Rochdale AFC (English League One): Came on in the 76th minute in a 4-1 loss to Portsmouth away
Awer Mabil — Midtylland (Danish Super League): Unused substitute in a 2-0 home win over OB
Osama Malik — Al-Batin (Saudi Arabia League): Unused substitute in a 20-1 home loss to Al Shabab
Andrew Marveggio — Macva Sabac (Serbian Superliga): Not in the match day squad in a 2-0 home win over FK Dinamo Vranje
Ryan McGowan — Dundee (Scottish Premier League): No match on the weekend
Dylan McGowan — Vendsyssel FF (Danish Superliga): Not in the match day squad in a 1-0 home win over AAB
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