Adelaide United captain Craig Goodwin believes the Reds have the quality and belief to compete at the top this season, as they prepare to face Sydney FC away in Matchweek Two this weekend.
United enters its A-League Men campaign with confidence following a strong start in the AFC Champions League Two, with Goodwin challenging the squad to carry those performances into domestic competition.
Speaking ahead of the trip to Sydney, Goodwin discussed the demands of a busy schedule, the standards driving United’s young squad and his own determination to deliver a big season.
On the challenge awaiting in Sydney…
“Obviously excited. I think the best thing for us is we made Asia this year, so it’s broken up the pre-season, giving us some competitive games at the start.
“No one in the league likes how long the pre-season is, so it’s always nice when the season gets going.”
Goodwin believes Sydney’s opening-round derby against Western Sydney offers only a limited guide to this weekend’s opposition.
“There’s probably not a great deal we can take away from that game in terms of analysis. We have to look at some other previous games.”
On taking confidence from Asia…
“Not only the wins but the performances as well are giving us a lot of confidence.
“I think the games in the A-League are going to be very different to what we play in Asia. But it’s also a great learning curve for the players and gives us more to our game.
“We have to be good in possession in the A-League. We have to be controlled, and then when the pressure is there, be able to play through.
“The game can be more transitional in the A-League, can be more end-to-end, can be a lot more running and high intensity. It’s about us being smart.”
On managing a demanding schedule…
“We’ve taken a lot of detail into the preparation and managing travel and extra things that we can do this year.
“To begin the season, we’ve got a very busy schedule, games every three or four days. We’re doing everything we can from the recovery side.
“It tests the depth of the squad. I think we’ve put ourselves in a decent position now, and we’ve got mostly everybody fit and ready to go at the right time.
“We have this game, and then midweek, and then Perth away, and then Singapore away. That’s going to be when we have to make sure everyone is at their best mentally, to be prepared to play as many minutes as possible.”
On United’s ambitions…
“I think we’ve got a squad that can compete at the top.
“We’re used to being tagged as the underdog and flying under the radar, but internally we have high expectations for ourselves, and we want to win every game that we go out and play.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good position for the start of the Asian Champions League. We want to progress past the group, we want to go deep into that competition, and we want to finish as high up as possible on the table.
“We relish the opportunity to compete. We believe in ourselves.”
On challenging the next generation…
“We know what the ambition is here with the Club in promoting youth and bringing those players forward. I think we have a strong team and the potential to go far this year.
“We want to win something. We want to be able to challenge and compete.
“Our standard is high. We try to drag the young boys up as well, and they deliver in training. The work ethic, the intensity, the effort has been excellent.
“We’re doing well in Asia, but we have to translate that into the A-League now as well.”
On his own form and role…
“I’m happy with the way I’ve started. Out of four competitive games, I’ve got three goals already.
“Those have come from playing on the wing. It is my most comfortable position. Potentially, you could see me playing more out there this year.
“If there are games where I have to play in the middle, I’m happy to play in the middle. But definitely, my best football has come out wide.
“For myself individually, I’m feeling very fit, very strong, very capable, and ready to have a big season and contribute as much as I possibly can.”
