The Front Page Football NPL Wrap - RD16

After splitting the difference in a thrilling six-goal draw earlier in the year, MetroStars and Adelaide United faced each other for the second time in 2025 in Round 16 of the NPL SA season.

Big changes for a big game

Even at the best of times, Danny Graystone’s MetroStars are a formidable opposition for any team. After a high-scoring draw earlier in the year at ServiceFM Stadium, Adelaie United visited TK Shutter Reserve with an unsettled lineup, a fact that is less than ideal when taking on the runaway league leaders.

Captain Sotiri Phillis remained sidelined with injury, and three other regular starters joined him in the likes of Henry Lynch, Malual Nichola, and Joey Garuccio. While losing a big part of your starting lineup is challenging in any context, Airton Andrioli’s side was boosted by the returns of Ryan White and Harry Crawford.

Having A-League-calibre players return might be a bonus for Adelaide United in the NPL, but taking on a well-oiled machine like MetroStars means they must hit the ground running and re-integrate seamlessly. Unlike other years, though, those players did not need to return to boost a side struggling to compete but rather to bolster a team competing in the top part of the table, which is a credit to the development taking place within the club’s youth ranks.

Ryan White filled in as captain in his first game back due to Adelaide United’s absences (Image: Pagonis Photography)

Resilience claims a hard-earned point

In their last encounter with Adelaide United, MetroStars started in an uncharacteristically lethargic manner, falling two goals behind their hosts. While they rallied to claim a draw on the day, Danny Graystone’s side ensured that they would hit the ground running against the Young Reds in Round 16.

Following a phenomenal performance in the top-of-the-table clash against FK Beograd the previous week, MetroStars continued to play a strong brand of football. The hosts took the lead through former Young Red Noah McNamara in the aftermath of a set piece in the 20th minute.

MetroStars have run many teams off their feet after taking an early lead, but despite the situation this new-look Adelaide United side found itself in, they were able to continue playing their football, matching the league leaders. This attitude helped the Young Reds find the equaliser shortly after the hour mark when a Feyzo Kasumovic pass disarmed the MetroStars press and led to a foul on Frank Busasa that Brody Burkitt wasted no time in taking before spreading the ball wide to Harry Crawford, whose pinpoint delivery allowed Alex Battistella to score his side’s first.

Both sides had their moments in the last half hour, but the score remained unchanged. While a draw does not help the Young Reds get any closer to MetroStars on the table, it is a gutsy point that showed the character of a young team in a challenging situation.

Adelaide United showed character to fight back against the league leaders (Image: Pagonis Photography)

The end of an era and the start of another

Adelaide United’s visit to MetroStars marked Airton Andrioli’s last match in charge of the club’s youth team. Andrioli begins his stint as the Reds’ A-League coach as the team returns from its offseason break in July and begins its build-up for a clash with the Newcastle Jets in the Australia Cup.

Andrioli’s spell as Adelaide United’s Head of Youth Football is highlighted by the 2023 NPL SA title and the club elevating more players from its youth to its senior setup than at any other point in its history. His appointment will only strengthen that pathway.

In the meantime, against MetroStars, Javi Lopez made his first appearance after being announced as the club’s Transition and Individual Coach. Lopez will be assisting the interning coach, Elvis Markov, until the end of the season and will be a valuable asset for the players in the club’s program who hope to follow in his footsteps in the professional game.