Adelaide United Head Coach Airton Andrioli praised his side’s performance after a composed 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.
Second half Goals from Luka Jovanović and Craig Goodwin secured all three points for the Reds – their second victory of the season – and the first clean sheet under Andrioli’s tenure.
Andrioli on securing the win…
“We spoke before the game and said we’ve been playing well, but tonight was about getting the result. That’s what builds confidence and belief in what you’re doing. The boys needed to reward themselves and make sure good performances translate into winning a game – and I think we did that well tonight.”
Andrioli on Juan Muñiz’s first impressive start…
“That’s why we brought him in. He’s a very clever player, good on the ball, finds space, and has that final pass. He needed time to build match fitness, but he’s improving every week. We felt he was ready to start, and he showed his quality tonight.”
Andrioli on Luka Jovanović’s opener…
“Very happy for Luka. We spoke about staying calm around the box and using his attributes – he’s a natural finisher. He wasn’t heavily involved early, but I had a feeling that if one of those balls dropped to him, he’d score. He took his chance well and then set up another. I’m really pleased for him.”
Andrioli on turning performances into results…
“It’s always a balance. You want to play well, but you also need to win – because that’s what builds belief. The players executed the plan, took their chances, and defended well. Most importantly, we didn’t concede.”
Andrioli on Craig Goodwin’s impact…
“Goody is such an important player for us. The Wanderers made it tough – they defended deep – but he only needs one or two moments to open things up. He was involved in the first goal and scored the second. We hope he keeps that form and comes back strong after the international window.”
Andrioli on the clean sheet…
“Not conceding gives belief to the whole group. It’s not just about defenders – it’s about everyone defending as a unit. The players will take confidence from that because it shows what we can do when we execute properly.”
Andrioli on squad depth and competition…
“It’s great to see players like Jonny Yull and Juan both making an impact. Even those not starting are showing great desire in training. That’s what we want – competition for spots and everyone pushing to contribute.”
Andrioli on a Dylan Pierias complete performance…
“He had one of his best games in a long time. Everyone knows how good he is going forward, but defensively he was excellent. He didn’t give anything away, and I told him after the match – that was a complete performance.”
Andrioli on building momentum…
“We’ll give the boys a short break — they’ve worked hard. Then we refocus on another home game at Coopers. We love playing here, the crowd was fantastic tonight, and we want to keep that momentum going when we face Melbourne City.”
