Adelaide United Head Coach, Carl Veart, has challenged his side to bring full focus to their first Australia Cup match against NPL Victoria 2 side, Northcote City away on Monday night.
The most successful team in the Australia Cup will be looking to extend their run deep into the coveted Cup competition, in which they are three-time winners.
But they won’t be taking anything for granted considering the fierce nature of these ‘David vs Goliath’ Cup battles.
“We know that Northcote are quite a competitive side who definitely won’t be making it easy for us on the night,” Veart explained.
“They’ve got some good players and a couple of good foreigners as well so we’re expecting a tough battle.
“It’s important that the players go into the game with focus and a good attitude, and we come away with the win so we can stay in the Cup and keep playing these competitive games ahead of the Isuzu Ute A-League season.”
Squad taking shape:
United’s list continues to grow ahead of the first transfer deadline in October, near the start of the season.
With Luka Jovanović and Jonny Yull recently locked in for the long haul, United can feel boosted that these young stars of the future, and now, are willing to continue their development at home.
Reds fans will of course be excited at the chance to again watch Nestory Irankunda and the work he’s been putting in this off-season, which has already featured a trademark screamer against Cove in United’s 8-1 pre-season friendly win.
Yet the Coach remained tight-lipped on the exact makeup of his side, with every one of his charges a chance to feature in some capacity in the Cup affair.
“We’ve got a well-established squad that has been together for its second or third season, so players are very comfortable with how we want to play and with each other,” Veart explained.
“It’s a great chance for us to dip into our whole squad with some youngsters playing great football in the NPL and in our trial games.
“That’s the magic of the Cup and we’ve seen how great it’s been in recent years and for local Clubs to be drawn against fully professional outfits, it’s fantastic.”
Re-signed:
Javi López, Josh Cavallo, Ethan Alagich, Luke Duzel, Ethan Cox, Luka Jovanović and Jonny Yull.
Interrupted transmission:
Veart acknowledges that the beginning of pre-season threw a curve ball in the mix for his side and Young Reds competing in the local NPL.
“(The start of pre-season) was a little bit disruptive because we weren’t at our normal training base in Playford for quite a while there,” Veart admitted.
“But for the last week and a half we’ve been back out there which has been great in that regard to return to what we’ve been used to, and we’ve played some solid friendlies throughout.
“We can’t wait to get out there on Monday night and play our first game of the new season with something on the line.
“It can help set us up for the A-League season ahead also, and any time you can have a shot at silverware is why you play the game.”
Northcote City FC:
Northcote progressed to the Round of 32 following a thrilling encounter against Victorian State League 2 team, Clifton Hill.
The match went the distance and they’d be better for their climactic progression via the cruel nature of a penalty shootout.
United will be weary of Northcote striker, Joshua Knight whose eight goals for the season have helped his team to fifth in the competition standings.
Another one to watch is former Melbourne Knights midfielder, Steve Sokol, who is a tricky midfielder with an eye for goal.
Northcote’s most recent result was a 1-1 draw with NPL 2 league leaders, Western United, which will give them some confidence heading into Monday’s match.
Match details:
Australia Cup 2023 – Round of 32
Northcote City FC vs Adelaide United
Monday, 14 August 2023, Kick-off: 7:00pm ACST
John Cain Memorial Park
