Carl said it best: “Tough to watch, but we didn’t lose”.
No doubt the bar has been raised for this team. With goals flying in every week, we’ve all become used to and expect to see free-flowing, attacking football at all times. They’ve rarely failed to deliver, and although it might sound a little harsh, they fell short this time around.
I spoke last week about Sydney being desperate and they deserved everything they got from the match. Sydney deserves a lot of credit for their performance, especially in the second half. They made it hard for Adelaide and won the ball back in dangerous areas. That said, Adelaide did themselves no favours.
Carl spoke about the lack of bravery and the fact his side didn’t want to play through the midfield, and when they did, they turned it over many times. The by-product of this was a lack of confidence or desire, and players took the lesser option of going long. Adelaide lost the midfield battle, and while Jay Barnett and Louis D’Arrigo did well as a whole, the side needed the experience of Isaías in there to control the game.
The Reds can’t go away from what’s gotten them into this position. Play forwards, quickly, and be brave; teams already fear you.
With Finals just around the corner, the performance isn’t a major concern. It was a slightly off day, but nothing that would worry me in terms of bouncing back quickly. The game coming early on Easter Friday also allows for a decent break now, and the boys should be fresh and ready to go come Sunday afternoon.
Things can change quickly in football, and while Adelaide had been hoping for Melbourne City’s downfall in recent weeks, that’ll change when the league leaders face the 3rd-place Mariners this weekend.
Adelaide needs to take care of its own business and now worry about other results, but a City win would guarantee a four-point gap with two games to play regardless of what happens at Coopers on Sunday.
With a trip to Perth and a home game against CCM to round off the season, anything can still happen, so Sunday’s game feels like a must-win.
There are so many scenarios that can still play out, but a City win, and a Reds win would lock up the second spot. What an incredible achievement that would be! With new investment expected, Carl locked in, and a new Chair in place, the Club is in a healthy place.
Western United will be desperate like Sydney was, and Adelaide will have to be at their very best if they want all three points. They are the better team, and I fully expect them to win, but there are no easy games in this league.
Don’t take your foot off the pedal.
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