Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli hailed a “special” night for the Reds after a dramatic 2-1 win over Melbourne City secured second place and a home semi-final, with Luka Jovanović’s late double sealing the result in unforgettable fashion.
Andrioli praised the group’s mentality, the impact of Craig Goodwin off the bench, and the togetherness across the entire club as Adelaide pushed for the win right until the final moment.
Andrioli on the emotion of the finish and the performance…
“I guess that’s why we all love football, isn’t it? Football’s got some tough moments, but moments like this happen. You just can’t describe it. I’m extremely happy for everything that happened tonight, and extremely proud of the whole club, the coaching staff, the players, and especially the way we came here today. We came here, we just took the game to them, and in the end of the day, I think the best team got the result.”
Andrioli on Craig Goodwin’s impact off the bench…
“That’s why we’ve got players of that calibre. Also Mũniz – the pass he played in the counter, he was facing the opposite way and we on the bench were saying, ‘Can you see him?’ He played the ball to Goody and the goal came from there. He’s a player that has experience and a lot of attributes, so it was good to see him coming back. We’re extremely proud of this moment.”
Andrioli on Jovanović’s rollercoaster night…
“He is a little bit disappointed, and we are also disappointed [with the red card], but I’ll take that any day of the week – coming on and scoring the two goals. Credit to him. He was a bit disappointed because he wasn’t playing. Obviously we chose Anselmo above him because Anselmo has got different characteristics. It’s nothing to do with the player – it’s about what’s best for the team and the opposition we play. I said to him before the match, ‘Don’t drop your head. Stay positive. Play the game together with the team on the bench, and if you have an opportunity to come on, do what you do best,’ and credit to him for doing that.”
Andrioli on finishing second, qualifying for Asia and the journey so far…
“It’s such an incredible feeling when you work together. I’ve known some of these boys from the age of 10 and always worked closely with them, seeing them growing up. It’s a great feeling. I believe in God and I believe God’s got his own time. I spent a lot of time waiting for an opportunity to be at this level. It’s a step in the right direction. A lot has happened – second place, Asia, a week off now. I like that because we are a team that when we have time to prepare, we normally prepare well. I’m over the moon, proud of every moment.”
Andrioli on being underestimated and the environment built at the club…
“I want to thank all the people that did not believe in us, because that was a great advantage for us. Nobody talking about us, but we did behind closed doors. We believed in what we were building. Eventually things started clicking, the players were buying into that belief, gelling together, and we are such a close group. Not just the players, but all the coaching staff. I’ll challenge anyone to find a better environment in Australia to come to training. We want to be there, we don’t want to leave, we want to continue to do the work.”
Andrioli on earning a home semi-final at Coopers Stadium…
“Nobody wins the game before it starts. It’s still something you have to earn. But we’re so happy that we can play in front of our fans, in front of our supporters. That will be something very special. I can’t wait to see a full house at Coopers.”
Andrioli on belief, focus and embracing the break…
“If you can’t be focused knowing what’s ahead of you, then you shouldn’t be in this game. I don’t think we need to worry about keeping the boys focused. I see this as an adventure. I believe in the work you do, having time on the training ground to prepare certain things, to tweak and change, and making sure that we’ve got the ‘what ifs’ and alternatives. That’s something that we’ve done well before.”
