Veart – “Focus Wasn’t There, We Didn’t Take Our Chances”

Reds Head Coach Carl Veart shared his thoughts after Adelaide United’s first away loss of the season, going down 4-1 to Sydney FC on Saturday night. Veart reflected on the team’s performance, missed opportunities, and the challenges ahead. Here’s what Veart had to say:

Veart on the team’s overall performance…

“I just don’t think our focus was fully there today. We had some really good opportunities to score goals, but the quality in our final delivery or shot just wasn’t there. We didn’t make the most of the good chances we got. The focus wasn’t quite there, and our work rate off the ball just wasn’t where it has been all season.”

Veart on the early second-half goal…

“It just goes to show that our focus wasn’t there. It was a loose ball in the middle of the park that we didn’t react to. Sydney have some really good quality players in the attacking half, and if you give them space and time, they’re going to hurt you. And that’s what we did far too often today.”

Veart on potential reasons for the loss…

“It’s been 10 days since we last played, and maybe that had something to do with it. It’s something we’ll look at as a group now, analyse the game, and dig deep into what we need to do for success. We’ve had a really good start to the season, but today we had too many players who just weren’t at the level they needed to be at.”

Veart on the team’s mentality and competition at the top of the table…

“Yeah, it’s difficult when you’re at the top and you’re being hunted, rather than doing the hunting. Today, we just didn’t deal with that pressure. I’m not 100% sure if that’s what it was, but it’s something we’ll discuss. We need to improve on this, and hopefully, it’s just a little hiccup. We’ve got a tough match next week at home against Melbourne City, so it’s important we bounce back strongly.”

Veart on the positives from the game…

“When we look back at the game, we weren’t at our best, but we created three or four great chances that we should have taken. In the first half, we should have been 2 or 3-nil up before they scored. If we take those chances, the game is different. In the second half, we had a great chance to make it two-all. Those are the chances you have to take in games like these.”

Veart on losing younger players and squad depth…

“It’s going to be difficult to lose the four young boys, but I believe we’ve got enough depth in the squad to cover. It’s an opportunity for the players who haven’t been playing to come in and show what they can do.”