Carl Veart and his Reds departed Adelaide for New South Wales this morning for a pre-season training camp ahead of the fast-approaching A-League 2020/21 season.
Prior to their return on Thursday evening, the squad will face both Western Sydney Wanderers and, newest addition to the A-League, Macarthur.
The two fixtures will be just the fourth and fifth matches, respectively, of United’s pre-season to-date, following two 2-0 wins over South Australian National Premier League (NPL) sides, Adelaide Blue Eagles and Para Hills Knights, and an 8-0 win over Adelaide Comets last Thursday.
Traditionally, the Club’s squads have had the opportunity to make multiple interstate trips throughout pre-season to play A-League opposition, also hosting other professional sides at Coopers Stadium.
However, the current COVID-19 pandemic has continued to cause a multitude of problems that have made it difficult for the Reds to lock-in games, even the cancelling of the FFA Cup, which often proved a good source for competitive fixtures.
Speaking about the trip, Veart said: “As with any year, it is crucial for the team’s preparation ahead of a new season to play as many matches as possible, especially considering the length of pre-season in Australia.
“I know in the past the Club has had the option to play other A-League sides in friendly matches and even some competitive matches in the FFA Cup depending on how well the team performs.
“Obviously that’s just not been an option for us this year and we’ve been forced to find other solutions and make do with what we can control.
“Since the start of pre-season, we’ve only played three friendly matches but, while we’re very grateful to the NPL sides that have given us games, it’s important to test ourselves against other A-League opposition and this trip gives us that opportunity.
“It’s a very important week for us with the two games and it’s going to show us where we’re at leading into the new season.
“It’s also a good chance for us to get away as a group and spend some quality time together, which I’m sure a lot of the boys are looking forward to.”
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