After a win and a loss to start off the season, Adelaide United hosted their first game at Service FM Stadium against FK Beograd in Round Three of the RAA NPLSA season.
Support arrives, but a substitute shines
After falling to their first loss in their last outing, reinforcements arrived for Adelaide United in Round Three of the NPL SA season. After missing the opening games due to A-League and national team commitments, Amlani Tatu, Fabian Talladira, and Luke Duzel slotted straight into Airton Andrioli’s starting lineup.
The introductions of the new faces meant that the Young Reds had some teething issues in the first half, and as a result, they entered the break a goal behind against the visiting FK Beograd. The trio grew into the game, and their quality was invaluable for Adelaide United, but it was a half-time substitute that decided the match in the second half.
After levelling the game through an early Joey Garrucio goal, the Young Reds had all the momentum after the break. Andrioli’s system-changing substitute, midfielder Vinko Stanisic making way for forward Brody Burkitt, obviously paid dividends. Just like with Mutsa Mupandawana in Round One, Andrioli’s trust in his bench was justified when Burkitt’s shot was aided over Dakota Ochsenham by a fortuitous deflection to decide the game.
Brody Burkitt celebrates his winner against FK Beograd (Image: Brock Pearson Photography)
A show of character in a fiery second half
Thursday night’s RAA NPLSA game was moved from Friday due to the forecasted heat, but the Young Reds felt the heat on the pitch early against their Round Three opponents. After an injury-time defeat in Round Two, Adelaide United seemed to be having another tough day at the office when FK Beograd got the lead through Jared Clark.
In a developmental side, progress is tracked through many intangible metrics outside of results. While the Young Reds eventually did fight back to claim the result, showing character to put recent misfortune and a disjointed first half behind them would be as pleasing for the coaching staff as the eventual three points.
Notably, FK Beograd began the match with eight former Adelaide United NPL players, who have first-hand experience of what can go wrong for a young side when confidence is low, and their opponents become physical. A big tick of approval for the Young Reds is that when the heat rose in Round Three, cool heads prevailed, and victory was their reward.
Adelaide United showed a physical side of their game in Round Three (Image: Brock Pearson Photography)
Tangible defensive improvement
One of the most interesting phenomena regarding Adelaide United’s NPL side is that results and trends of the tea as a whole directly reflect the development of players. In previous years, the free-scoring Young Reds featured the likes of Luka Jovanovic, Panashe Madanha, Ethan Alagich, Jonny Yull, and Giuseppe Bovalina, who all appeared regularly on scoresheets.
In 2025, the development of the club’s defenders is evident, with Sotiri Phillis having clearly developed into a leader and Feyzo Kasumovic and Malual Nichola looking confident and comfortable at an NPL level after their full debut seasons in 2024. This growth has had ripple effects on the Young Reds’ side, which, with an assured backline, looks confident in the way it wants to play its football.
There will be moments when the young defenders’ confidence is tested and even shaken, but the club’s goal is a long-term one, and it would be happy to see that its investments are on an upward trajectory in their football journey.
Sotiri Phillis (left) and Feyzo Kasumovic (right) celebrate after the game (Image: Brock Pearson Photography)
