Adelaide United suffered a 4-0 defeat against ladder leaders Sydney FC in Round 12 of the Hyundai A-League 2016/17 season at Coopers Stadium on Boxing Day.
A second-half brace from Alex Brosque as well as goals from Filip Holosko and Rhyan Grant ensured the Sky Blues claimed all three points.
Reds Head Coach, Guillermo Amor, fielded an unchanged line-up in an attempt to establish some continuity within the side.
And the identical XI from the previous week saw the hosts grab the ascendency during the opening stages of proceedings. The likes of Marcelo Carrusca and Sergi Guardiola played with an attacking intent, looking to exploit the Sydney back-line with a number of quick passing moves.
The visitors began to get into the match, keeping the Adelaide rearguard on their toes. Centre-backs Dylan McGowan and Iacopo La Rocca were forced to make a number of vital interceptions, thwarting the Sky Blues’ incursions into the area.
As Adelaide defended rather resolutely, the Reds should have opened the scoring on 22 minutes when a free Sergio Cirio struck a tame effort at goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, following Ben Garuccio’s marauding run.
Consequently, Amor’s men were made to rue that missed chance on 34 minutes, as Holosko latched on to Grant’s chipped ball to fire past Eugene Galekovic’s near post.
The second-half saw a ruthless Sydney net a flurry of goals within a 15 minute period. Brosque made it 2-0 from Milos Ninkovic’s cut back, before Grant extended the visitors’ lead to three after finishing his shot off the underside of the crossbar.
With the Reds pushing numbers forward, endeavouring to salvage something from the game, Brosque netted his second and Sydney’s fourth. Holosko had initially hit the post, but the striker subsequently steered the ball home on the rebound in the 66th minute.
Adelaide almost scored a consolation after substitute Nikola Mileusnic connected with Garuccio’s venomous delivery, but the former was unable to keep his effort down.
Following the match, Boss Amor, expressed his disappointment over the performance and lamented his side’s inability to score their chances.
“I think the game initially we started well, we played well,” Amor said. “But the result today is a bad result.
“I think the first-half they (Sydney) arrive one time and they score, first we arrive and we don’t score, but the missed chances aren’t an excuse.
“It’s true this situation is the same situation in the last game in Newcastle, in Brisbane, in Perth, it’s the same.
“We play well, we start well, we arrive and we don’t score and then we seem to be out of the game.”
Match details:
Monday, 26 December 2016
Hyundai A-League Round 12
Adelaide United 0
Sydney FC 4 (Holosko 34’ Brosque 53’ 66’ Grant 64’)
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Attendance: 11,805
