Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli says his side will travel to Sydney with confidence but remain grounded and focused ahead of Monday night’s clash with Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
🎥 Vision courtesy of Seven News Adelaide
Coming off a strong 2-1 win over Sydney FC in Round One, Andrioli praised his side’s early-season progress but stressed the importance of maintaining momentum and focus heading into a demanding week that includes a second away trip to Auckland.
Andrioli on the validation from Round One:
“It’s important to start well, and we did that. Pre-season is such a long process, and we worked on a lot of things, so it was really encouraging to see those things coming through in the game. We’re happy with how we started, but now it’s about building from that.”
On Craig Goodwin’s central role:
“We’ve said before that we want a team that’s capable of adapting – to the opposition, the match, and the moment. It’s not a permanent move. We have different ways of doing things, and we take every match as it comes, making adjustments when needed.”
On focusing on Macarthur:
“At the moment, our focus is entirely on Macarthur. We’re not looking ahead to Auckland yet, because this game is the most important one. They’re a difficult team to play and hard to break down. We’ve worked on a few things this week that we hope will pay off, and we want to start well on Monday before we think about the next game.”
On managing two matches in a short window:
“We’ll reassess the group after the two matches. It’s about how players recover and how their bodies respond. We had a long pre-season and now two games close together, so we’ll manage that carefully.”
On experience and composure within the team:
“We train for those situations every day. We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience in the squad, and that balance helps in key moments. The experienced players bring composure, and the young boys are learning from that.”
On Luke Duzel’s emergence:
“I like a lot of things about Luke – his first touch, his vision, his passing. He spent two or three seasons playing under me in the NPL, and he’s always been a joy to watch. He’s one of those players who excites me. He’s been training very well, and my message to him – and everyone else – is simple: if you apply yourself and work hard, the rest will take care of itself.”
On Anselmo’s progress:
“Anselmo’s coming along really well. We’ve been careful with his return because he was out for a long time. We expect him to rejoin full training after the break following these two games. He’s an important player for us, and we want to make sure he’s 100% right before he plays.”
On Juan Muñiz’s readiness:
“Juan’s getting better every day and is now training fully with the group. He’s improving each week, and he’s a player we could use for longer minutes against Macarthur. If needed, he’s also someone we might look to start in the second match against Auckland.”
On the squad’s chemistry:
“We’ve done a couple of trips already – Melbourne, Mildura – and they’ve been great for building relationships and team chemistry. The mix of young and experienced boys is working really well. Training has been exciting to watch, but we know it has to translate into games. That’s the key – turning good training into winning football.”
On the importance of continued growth and confidence:
“In football, confidence comes from results. When you win games, it builds belief and momentum. We’re not overthinking it – the young boys are ready, and we treat this as business as usual. We want to go out there, perform well, and get a result on Monday night. Then we’ll switch our focus to Auckland.”
