Adelaide United FC will be hoping to give the club’s supporters an early reason to cheer in the New Year.
Adelaide United FC will be hoping to give the club-s supporters an early reason to cheer in the New Year when the Reds tackle the Wellington Phoenix at Hindmarsh Stadium tomorrow night (Friday 30 December 2011).
In what will be United-s final game of 2011 and Coach John Kosmina-s first home match in charge since he was named coach, the Reds have a chance to lift themselves off the bottom of the table heading into the New Year.
Leading up to what is arguably a season defining period for the Reds with them scheduled to play six games in January, Kosmina has emphasised to his charges the importance of focusing on the process rather than the result if they are to start making inroads up the table.
While three points over a team they have beaten five out of seven times at Hindmarsh Stadium would be invaluable, Kosmina is confident that concentrating on the method would be what brings the rewards.
“If you get the process right and you get the application and the intention right, the points look after themselves, so if you want to go to the end then yes three points is what we want, but we-ve got to not look at the three points, we-ve got to look at actually what we need to do to get the three points and get that part of it right,” Kosmina said.
“You can focus on the outcome all you want but unless you actually focus on the way you get the outcome you want or how you get to that outcome, you don-t go anywhere.”
“If we can do what we-re good at consistently well and frequently then we-re going to get success.”
The Reds went a way to proving this with a hard fought draw in Sydney before Christmas and Kosmina stated his eagerness to start settling a United line up that has endured constant change this season for one reason or another.
Kosmina will stick with Nigel Boogaard and Daniel Mullen in the heart of defence despite Jon McKain returning from suspension, while striker Sergio van Dijk has proved his fitness with a strong showing at training this week and is set to come straight into the starting eleven. Furthermore, young defender Antony Golec is also expected to be given his first start for the club.
“At the moment we stick with what we-ve got and how it has been. People don-t get better by being in and out of the team,” Kosmina said.
“They get better by playing games and sometimes you-ve just got to grind things out to get better.”
Despite the fact that the Phoenix have yet to win on their travels in the opening 12 weeks, they began their festive season by putting five goals past the Newcastle Jets. Against a talented and largely experienced Wellington outfit, Kosmina says the Reds would need to be prepared for a good old fashioned tussle with the team from across the Tasman.
“You-ve got to compete. I can-t teach a bloke to get stuck in, I can encourage him to get stuck in and it comes back to what I said, it-s how they (the players) react to situations,” Kosmina said.
“Now if they-re going to get rattled because someone gets stuck into them, then they-re going to find it really tough. If they get an unfair challenge it-s a free kick, so you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start again.”
Ahead of his first game at Hindmarsh Stadium as Adelaide United Coach since he was at the helm for the club-s memorable penalty shootout win over Newcastle in the 2006/07 Preliminary Final, Kosmina is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the atmosphere and the Reds faithful.
“Every week is going to be a new beginning because it-s going to depend on your outcome, but it will be nice to come back here (to Hindmarsh) and hopefully the fans will all turn up and get behind the boys because they deserve some good support,” Kosmina said.
Kick-Off is at 7.30pm ACDT and tickets are available through Ticketek.
Hyundai A-League 2011/12 Season – Week 13
Adelaide United FC v Wellington Phoenix
Friday 30 December 2011, Hindmarsh Stadium
Kick-Off: 7.30pm ACDT
Referee: Chris Beath
Tickets: Available through Ticketek (call 132 849, online at www.ticketek.com.au)
TV: Live and exclusive on FOX Sports 1
Radio: ABC Radio (891 ABC Adelaide, ABC SA, Grandstand Digital and online)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adelutd_fc (hash tag #HALauwp)
Adelaide United squad: 1.Eugene Galekovic (gk) (c), 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard, 4.Jon McKain, 5.Daniel Mullen, 7.Zenon Caravella, 9.Sergio van Dijk, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 12.Antony Golec, 14.Cameron Watson, 16.Spase Dilevski, 18.Fabian Barbiero, 20.Mark Birighitti (gk), 21.Francisco Usucar, 22.Milan Susak
*one to be omitted*
In: Jon McKain (returns from suspension), Sergio van Dijk (returns from injury)
Out: Iain Ramsay (suspended – 1 match)
Unavailable: Cassio (ankle), Evgeniy Levchenko (groin)
Wellington Phoenix squad: 1.Mark Paston (GK), 2.Manny Muscat, 3.Tony Lochhead, 6.Tim Brown, 7.Leo Bertos, 9.Chris Greenacre, 11.Daniel, 12.Nicky Ward, 14.Mirjan Pavlovic, 17.Vince Lia, 18.Ben Sigmund, 19.Jimmy Downey, 20.Tony Warner (GK), 21.Dani Sanchez, 22.Andrew Durante (c)
In: Tony Lochhead (returns from injury), Nicky Ward (returns from injury)
Out: Alex Smith (omitted)
Unavailable: Lucas Pantelis (knee injury – indefinite), Paul Ifill (groin injury 1-2 weeks)
Adelaide United vs. Wellington Phoenix – Hyundai A-League HEAD TO HEAD Record
Played 14 – 6 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses
19-Nov-2011… D 1-1… 2011/12 Wk 7 (Eden Park, Auckland)
18-Feb-2011… W 1-0… 2010/11 Final Week 1 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
5-Feb-2011… L 0-1… 2010/11 Wk 26 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
5-Dec-2010… L 1-2… 2010/11 Wk 17 (AMI Stadium, Christchurch)
22-Oct-2010… W 3-0… 2010/11 Wk 11 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
30-Jan-2010… L 0-1… 2009/10 Rd 25 (AMI Stadium, Christchurch)
18-Dec-2009… D 1-1… 2009/10 Rd 20 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
4-Sep-2009… D 1-1… 2009/10 Rd 5 (Westpac Stadium)
18-Jan-2009… D 1-1… 2008/09 Rd 20 (Westpac Stadium)
5-Dec-2008… W 6-1… 2008/09 Rd 14 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
30-Aug-2008… W 3-0… 2008/09 Rd 3 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
30-Nov-2007… W 2-1… 2007/08 Rd 15 (Westpac Stadium)
28-Oct-2007… W 4-1… 2007/08 Rd 10 (Hindmarsh Stadium)
22-Sep-2007… D 2-2… 2007/08 Rd 5 (Westpac Stadium)
At Hindmarsh Stadium
Played 7; Adelaide United 5, Wellington Phoenix 1, Draws 1
Last time they met in the Hyundai A-League
19-Nov-2011 Week 7, Hyundai A-League 2011/12 Season at Eden Park
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Boogaard 83- (og))
Adelaide United FC 1 (Djite 44-)
Adelaide United last three results
Wk 12. 22-12-11… D 2-2… vs. Sydney FC (Sydney Football Stadium)
Wk 11. 16-12-2011… L 0-3… vs. Gold Coast United (Hindmarsh Stadium)
Wk 10. 10-12-2011… D 1-1… vs. Melbourne Victory (Etihad Stadium)
