Sitting third on the table with three wins, Adelaide United welcomed league leaders MetroStars to ServiceFM Stadium for Round Five of the RAA NPLSA season.
Pressing a quality team to costly mistakes
MetroStars do not need any introduction for anyone who has followed the NPL SA for the past few seasons. Since Danny Graystone took the reins of the club as head coach, Metro have been one of the highest-performing teams in the competition while playing some good football.
MetroStars’ sustained excellence made Adelaide United’s start to the game that bit more impressive. 10 minutes in, after being pressed by Henry Lynch and Vinko Stanisic, Hamish Gow made an uncharacteristically errant pass back to his goalkeeper, which Brody Burkitt intercepted before making no mistake to open the scoring.
Just like the hosts stuck to their pressing game, the visitors remained adamant on their football and once again got caught playing the ball at the back under pressure when Cody Oestreich passed the ball to Arbi Mollas, who was under the pressure of Henry Lynch. A heavy touch led to Burkitt dispossessing the MetroStars midfielder before winning a penalty, which he converted.
Being able to press a quality side into uncharacteristic efforts is a big endorsement of the style of football Airton Andrioli is instilling in the next generation of Adelaide United players.
Brody Burkitt won and converted a penalty after a forced MetroStars error (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Another lead squandered
The warning signs were there in Round Four against Croydon. After taking a commanding two-goal lead in the first half, Adelaide United were pegged back by two quick-fire Croydon goals courtesy of Pasia John before Brody Burkitt sealed all three points.
A similar script unfolded against MetroStars in Round Five, with the Young Red entering the half time break two goals to the good before MetroStars import Cam Woodfin brought the scores level with his own brace. Despite another seemingly comfortable lead vanishing, Adelaide United seemed like they would get out of jail again, this week courtesy of a masterful Fabian Talladira free kick.
It wasn’t to be though, with Woodfin being picked out in the box by Scott Nagel deep into injury time, ensuring his team got something out of the game while sealing his hat trick. While there have been some positive signs in the 2025 NPL SA season for the Young Reds, squandering leads is becoming a worrying habit.
Cam Woodfin punished the Young Reds’ complacency with a second-half hat trick (Image: Pagonis Photography)
An opportunistic edge
When facing a team like MetroStars, the reality is that while trying to repel their attacking talent, you also have your work cut out for you trying to create chances. It is of paramount importance that you take them when they come.
Adelaide United did just that on Friday night. Their proactive pressing created their first two chances before they were both clinically converted. On the other hand, MetroStars pushed and came close, with Hamish Gow hitting the post and the crossbar in the first half but did not have anything to show for it on the scoreboard.
Eventually, the goals came for the visitors, and with the score level and quality chances hard to come by, it seemed like the Young Reds were facing an uphill battle. That was until the 75th minute when Brody Burkitt earned a free kick for his side on the edge of MetroStars’ area.
With only his side’s third shot on target of the game, Fabian Talladira put his team ahead. While it didn’t prove to be the winner, it was a vital goal that saw his side make the most of what it got to earn a point on the night.
Fabian Talladira celebrates scoring a free kick against MetroStars (Image: Pagonis Photography)
Full time
Adelaide United 3 (Burkitt ×2, Talladira)
MetroStars 3 (Woodfin ×3)
