After coming away with a victory at ServiceFM Stadium in Round 11, Adelaide United returned to their NPL home to take on Adelaide Croatia Raiders for the second time this season.
Fixtures repeat in more ways than one
Round 12 of the NPL SA season signifies the beginning of the second half of the campaign. It is a point that cannot be ignored in the competition, with Football South Australia maintaining the same order of games as in the first half of the season, while reversing the venues.
This fixture quirk meant Adelaide United took on their Round One adversaries, Adelaide Croatia Raiders, at ServiceFM Stadium, just 500 metres away from the Croatian Sports Centre, the location of their match earlier in the season. While in previous years this encounter has promised goals, this clash mirrored the cagy affair from earlier in the season.
Similar to Adelaide United’s Round 11 opponents, Modbury Jets, Adelaide Croatia’s lowly position on the league table meant that the visitors played with an increased sense of urgency. The Young Reds and Croatia emulated their Round One clash, a tense encounter bookended by early and late action, only this time, one thing was missing.
Adelaide United and Adelaide Croatia Raiders played out another cagy match
A heated match with no winner
Round One’s match between Adelaide Croatia and Adelaide United was decided in the 78th minute by Mutsa Mupandawana’s first senior goal. Every minute that the reverse fixture remained goalless saw the Young Reds and Raiders become desperate to replicate that moment of brilliance in search of the three points.
With the stalemate remaining heading into the last minute of regulation, desperation led to multiple physical challenges, igniting a heated ending to the match. It all started when Paul Radice won the ball off Bailey O’Neil, while Joshua Zganec and Sotiri Phillis simultaneously contested the loose ball by sliding in. Moments later, the tension escalated when Feyzo Kasumovic, Adelaide United’s last defender, tackled Zganec, a challenge that referee Curtis Wordsworth deemed a foul and thus issued a red card.
In injury time, with the scores still locked and tempers flaring, the challenges only got more frequent. By the time the referee’s full-time whistle was blown, four more yellow cards had been dished out, and despite creating chances, neither team found the breakthrough they sought.
Referee Curtis Wordsworth had to intervene multiple times in the second half of a heated match
An imperfect clean sheet
Oscar Page and his backline can claim a silver lining out of their Round 12 match due to a second consecutive clean sheet. Matches are played on grass, not paper, though, and there is context behind the statistic.
The Raiders entered the second part of the season at the foot of the table, having lost a home game against Adelaide City at the death in their last outing. Their intent was clear from the beginning in Round 12, as they entered the match with all guns blazing. Vlado Blazeka’s side could have been multiple goals ahead inside the first 10 minutes due to a string of quality opportunities created.
Adelaide United escaped that period unscathed and overcame their slow start to solidify their position in the match, but once again faced the wrath of the Croatia attack towards the end of the game after being reduced to 10 players for a second consecutive week. The Young Reds will be happy that their defensive statistics look to be improving, but they are not without their issues. One issue Andrioli has to deal with is replacing the suspended Feyzo Kasumovic for the match against Adelaide Comets.
The Young Reds took a point out of Round 12, as well as a second consecutive clean sheet
