Adelaide United FC has bowed out of the Hyundai A-League championship race after going down 2-1 to Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium tonight.
Adelaide United FC has bowed out of the Hyundai A-League championship race after going down 2-1 to Brisbane Roar at Hindmarsh Stadium tonight.
Despite a frantic final five minutes in which the home side threatened to force the contest into extra time when Dario Vidosic pegged a goal back late on, the Reds missed the chance to book a semi final date with the Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday night as the Roar held on to keep their hopes of a third successive championship.
Brisbane looked to have had the game in the bag when they led 2-0 thanks to a first Hyundai A-League goal from Luke Brattan and Ivan Franjic-s strike on the stroke of half time, but when Vidosic struck it created a pulsating period of injury time as the Reds surged forward but they could not find the equaliser.
Being a knockout clash with no tomorrow for the loser, the opening goal was always going to be crucial and after a lively opening 10 minutes with action at both ends, United-s Argentine playmaker Marcelo Carrusca, who was returning after missing last weekend-s game in Perth, missed a good chance in the 15th minute when he blazed a right footed shot well off target with just Michael Theo to beat.
But after a promising period for the Reds, it was the Roar that began to turn up the pressure and after a strong of corners, the visitors made one count with a well executed set piece.
With all of the activity going on in the penalty area, Thomas Broich delivered the cross to an unmarked Brattan five metres outside the box who hit a well timed volley that Cassio, stationed on the goal line, could not clear as the ball found the back of the net.
Vidosic and Carrusca were trying their best to instigate a fight back but having managed to contain the Reds- period of dominance leading up to the break, the Roar struck another blow.
Fine work from Mitch Nichols on the left allowed the midfielder time and space to measure a cross and Franjic ghosted in behind Cassio at the far post to shin the ball home.
A two goal deficit left the Reds with everything to do, Fabio Ferreira injected into the fold at the start of the second half to try and stretch the Roar out wide.
But it was Jeronimo Neumann who almost restored the Reds- belief as he linked up with Bruce Djite and Vidosic only to narrowly shoot wide.
Tomi Juric replaced Neumann with just over 20 minutes to go as the Reds- case started to become increasingly desperate, and their intent to stream forward nearly saw them go three down, Stef Nijland and Besart Berisha unable to capitalise, in part due to some fine goalkeeping from Eugene Galekovic.
Vidosic then breathed life into the game as he made the most of a searching diagonal Carrusca ball, smashing his shot past Theo, and suddenly the thought of taking the game into extra time was on.
Only the outstretched glove of Theo denied Juric from levelling the scores in injury time before the Adelaide United striker had one last chance to cut a ball across the goal face in the dying seconds, but it was blocked by an under siege Brisbane defence to leave the Reds reflecting on what might have been.
Match Details
Adelaide United FC 1 (Vidosic 89-)
Brisbane Roar 2 (Brattan 28-, Franjic 45+2-)
Referee: Chris Beath
Crowd: 10,234 @ Hindmarsh Stadium
Adelaide United starting line-up: 1.Eugene Galekovic (c), 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard (19.Jake Barker-Daish 75-), 4.Jon McKain, 5.Iain Fyfe, 6.Cassio, 8.Marcelo Carrusca, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 17.Iain Ramsay (22.Fabio Ferreira 46-), 21.Jeronimo Neumann (25.Tomi Juric 67-)
Substitutes not used: 12.Antony Golec, 20.Paul Izzo (gk)
Yellow Cards: Neumann 33-, Fyfe 57-, Ferreira 73-, Carrusca 78-, Juric 86-
Red Cards: Nil
Brisbane Roar starting line-up: 1.Michael Theo (gk), 3.Shane Stefanutto, 5.Ivan Franjic, 7.Besart Berisha, 13.Jade North, 14.Steven Lustica, 15.James Donachie, 17.Mitch Nichols, 18.Luke Brattan (8.Massimo Murdocca 90-), 19.Jack Hingert (9.Stef Nijland 67-), 22.Thomas Broich (c) (11.Ben Halloran 46-)
Substitutes not used: 20.Matt Acton (gk), 29.Kwame Yeboah
Yellow Cards: Brattan 39-, Lustica 61-, Nijland 76-
Red Cards: Nil
