Croydon’s new ground boost, Boland’s comeback trail, Icelandic duo’s success and Mabil inspires
A FIVE-time state soccer champion is inching closer to a new $9 million ground while an Adelaide United import hits the injury comeback trail and an ex-Red inspires an African club, all in this week’s 90 Minutes column.
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- Mabil inspires refugees to reach goals
- Reds look to bounce back in W-League
- Flores signs for Adelaide United
FIVE-time SA top flight champion Croydon Kings have taken an important step towards securing their long-term future at a proposed new $9 million ground.
The National Premier Leagues outfit was preparing to play its final season at Polonia Reserve, before its home of 69 years was partly swallowed up by the South Rd upgrade.
Plans to relocate to its junior base at nearby Regency Park Oval by 2020 hinged on securing funding to bring the venue up to Football Federation SA senior standards.
The club on Monday revealed its vision had received a boost, as Port Adelaide Enfield Council authorised a feasibility study into redeveloping the ground.
Kings chairman Angelo Colangelo said the investigation, which was due to begin in March, was essential to ensure the club remained viable.
Colangelo echoed his comments from last year, when the State Government announced the latest phase of the North South Corridor project.
“For the survival of this club, we obviously can’t stay where we are,” Colangelo said.
“We can’t have juniors and seniors away from one another. We have to integrate into one ground.
“If we don’t move or change, we die as a club. This is part of a 10, 20, 30-year plan for us.
“Once it’s approved, its for the next generation of players to come through.”
The State Government was due to begin work on the $354 million overhaul of South Rd between Regency Rd and Pym St later this year.
Widening of the road would cut through part of Croydon’s ground, which it had called home since 1950.
The Kings engaged a consultant three years ago to begin discussions with all levels of government about funding their relocation, 1km north of their present site.
Plans for the upgraded Regency facility include an artificial pitch, two training fields, clubrooms and a grandstand, which would allow the club’s junior numbers to grow.
Croydon would ground share with another NPL club in 2019, ahead of its proposed move.
Boland on the comeback trail
ADELAIDE United midfielder Mirko Boland has moved closer to an A-League comeback after playing 45 minutes for the Reds’ youth team.
The German import made it through the first half of United’s 2-1 National Youth League victory over Brisbane Roar at Marden Sports Complex on Saturday.
Boland had been sidelined since November after injuring his hamstring in the Reds’ round-four home loss to Perth Glory.
He had stepped up his involvement in training in recent weeks and had been named in Adelaide’s extended match-day squad for its past two A-League fixtures.
But United confirmed on Tuesday he had returned to his homeland for a personal matter, meaning he would not travel west for Wednesday night’s away clash with the Glory.
For the record, striker Carlo Armiento opened the scoring for the young Reds against the Roar, before fellow attacker Pacifique Niyongabire was sent off for a late tackle.
Brisbane equalised via a Louis D’Arrigo own goal, but Aladin Irabona scored the host’s winner 16 minutes from time.
Reds’ globetrotters win
ICELANDIC duo Gunnhildur Jonsdottir and Fanndis Fridriksdottir were sorely missed as Adelaide United suffered a shock 4-1 loss to W-League cellar-dweller Western Sydney.
But the off-season recruits fared better while on international duty for their country this week.
The pair, which had been crucial in the Reds’ transformation from wooden-spooner to finals contender, was called up for Iceland’s friendly against Scotland on Tuesday morning (SA time).
Their 16,000km journey paid dividends, as they helped their national team record a 2-1 success in La Manga, Spain.
Midfield enforcer Jonsdottir played 86 minutes of the match before being substituted, while forward Fridriksdottir featured for just over an hour.
Stelpurnar Okkar, or Our Girls as the Icelandic team is known, narrowly missed qualification for this year’s World Cup in France.
Thankfully for Adelaide, Jonsdottir and Fridriksdottir would be back in SA in time for the Reds’ penultimate match of the regular campaign against Newcastle Jets on Friday night.
Mabil inspires African club
SA-RAISED Socceroos winger Awer Mabil’s Asian Cup heroics are being celebrated far beyond his home state.
The ex-Adelaide United youngster had been a revelation in his first major tournament, scoring two goals in Australia’s march to the quarter-finals.
And his success was being tracked closely by the 185,000 residents in the Kenyan refugee camp he grew up in before moving to Adelaide with his family aged 10.
Former Reds board member Ian Smith, who helped establish the Barefoot to Boots charity with Mabil and his brother Awer Bul in 2015, visited Kakuma last week.
Smith checked up on the work of the non-profit organisation, which donates everything from football kits and boots to medical equipment and laptops to refugees in the camp.
The prominent SA businessman also presented signed Mabil shirts from his time with Adelaide and current Danish side FC Midtjylland to members of the Kakuma United club.
“He was playing in the Asian Cup while we were there, which was perfect,” said Smith, who was accompanied by his 14-year-old son, Conrad Stott Smith, on the trip.
“We gave them the Mabil shirts and they are not going to be used, they are going to be there for the Kakuma teams to look at as inspiration.
“What we’re seeing now in the Asian Cup is literally inspiring refugees to see what is possible.”
Kakuma United, which is made up of players from the refugee camp and host community, entered the Kenyan second division western zone for the first time last year.
City slickers sign on
ADELAIDE City’s fruitful off-season has continued with the signing of English defender Elliot Green.
The Black and Whites pulled off one of the recruiting coups of the summer when they acquired former Adelaide United playmaker Marco Flores last week.
City followed the Argentine’s arrival with the capture of Green, who previously played for League Two side Lincoln City.
The 190cm centre back spent last season with Alfreton Town in the English sixth-tier.
Green has also had spells with Ange IF, Solleftea GIF and Gallivare Malmbergets FF in Sweden, as well as Vancouver Whitecaps’ reserve team in the United Soccer League.
City will start the NPL SA campaign with a six-point penalty after being found guilty of three breaches of player registration regulations.
Cross-border clashes
A PAIR of northeastern Adelaide rivals have enjoyed mixed fortunes as they ramped up their pre-season campaigns against visiting Victorian club Bulleen Lions.
NPL SA side Para Hills hosted the second-tier Melbourne club for two friendlies at the Paddocks on the weekend.
The Knights went down 3-0 to the visitors, who boasted former Socceroo Simon Colosimo, on Saturday night.
But near neighbour Modbury Jets fared better the following day.
The State League One outfit secured a 1-0 triumph over the Lions thanks to Kur Kur’s strike.
A-League Golden Boots
Round 14: Western Sydney Wanderers 1 (Roly Bonevacia 49) Adelaide United 2 (Vince Lia 8, Craig Goodwin 66) at ANZ Stadium. Crowd: 7104
Votes:
Val Migliaccio: 3. Craig Goodwin, 2. Isaias, 1. Vince Lia
Rob Greenwood: 3. Craig Goodwin, 2. Scott Galloway, 1. Jordan Elsey
Amelia Mulcahy: 3. Craig Goodwin, 2. Scott Galloway, 1. Jordan Elsey
Leaders
48. Ben Halloran
47. Craig Goodwin
37. Isaias
18. Paul Izzo
17. Vince Lia
13. Michael Jakobsen
13. Scott Galloway
10. Nikola Mileusnic
9. Ryan Strain
9. Michael Marrone
8. Taylor Regan
5. Ken Ilso
4. Mirko Boland
4. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos
2. Jordan Elsey
1. Nathan Konstandopoulos
Goals
Craig Goodwin 7
Nikola Mileusnic 3
Ken Ilso 3
Ben Halloran 2
Vince Lia 1
Scott Galloway 1
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos 1
OG 1
W-League player of the year
Round 12: Adelaide United 1 (Veronica Latsko 41) Western Sydney Wanderers 4 (Rachel Lowe 2, Kylie Ledbrook 61, Erica Halloway 90, Elizabeth Addo 90+7) at Marden Sports Complex. Crowd: 937
Votes:
Val Migliaccio: 3. Sarah Willacy, 2. Amber Brooks, 1. Veronica Latsko
Rob Greenwood: 3. Sarah Willacy, 2. Amber Brooks, 1. Veronica Latsko
Leaders
27. Veronica Latsko
15. Michelle Heyman
15. Sarah Willacy
14. Amber Brooks
12. Gunnhildur Jonsdottir
10. Fanndis Fridriksdottir
9. Emma Checker
1. Charlotte Grant
1. Emily Hodgson
Goals
Veronica Latsko 9
Fanndis Fridriksdottir 1
Isabel Hodgson 1
Michelle Heyman 1
Emily Condon 1
Georgia Campagnale 1
OG 1
SA players abroad
Brandon Borrello — Freiburg (Bundesliga): Recovering from an ACL injury.
Alex Chidiac — Atletico Madrid (women’s Spanish Primera Division): No match due to Spanish national team’s friendly against USA.
Paris Duffield — Hamrun Spartans (Maltese Premier League): Not in the match day squad for the 1-1 home draw with Gzira United.
Ben Garuccio — Hearts (Scottish Premier League): Competition on a winter break.
Meni Haralampopoulos — Acharnaikos (Greek Gamma Ethniki): Played 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Diagoras Rhodes after being named his club’s captain.
Bradden Inman — Rochdale AFC (English League One): Came on as a stoppage time substitute in a 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town.
Awer Mabil — Midtylland (Danish Super League): Scored Australia’s opening goal in its 3-2 group stage win over Syria, before being subbed off in the 68th minute of the Socceroos’ round-of-16 penalty-shootout victory over Uzbekistan at the Asian Cup.
Andrew Marveggio — Macva Sabac (Serbian Superliga): Competition on a winter break.
Ryan McGowan — Bradford City (English League One): Played 90 minutes in a 4-0 home defeat to Southend United.
Dylan McGowan — Vendsyssel FF (Danish Superliga): Competition on a winter break.
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