Adelaide United’s Assistant Coach and Head of Youth Football, Airton Andrioli, was full of accolades for his young Reds after their 2-0 win away to Adelaide City.
United dethroned the reigning champions after they controlled majority of the game, with two second-half goals to decide the encounter.
The first was a solo effort from newly-contracted A-League winger, Musa Toure, who used his skill and pace to dribble two City defenders, before slotting home from the angle.
The second was a calm finish from Nathan Amanatidis for his maiden Seniors goals, after a high United press led to a turnover.
The win sees the Reds in first position, with their next opponents in Adelaide Olympic at the foot of the table from the first three rounds of the competition.
The Reserves were not so lucky as they fell to a 3-2 loss, yet goals from Luka Blazevic and Patrick McGregor highlighted an encouraging performance.
Stronger together:
Andrioli was pleased with the showing from a strong United side that was led by talented forward, Asad Kasumović, who has been featuring off the bench for the A-League team at times this season.
“I don’t decide the captains on the day, I leave that up to the boys and I actually don’t put a lot of emphasis on that and share the load of responsibility,” Andrioli outlined.
“More importantly I was happy the way Asad played as an example on the field and working hard for the team, and defensively we were brilliant.
“I said on day one that we would be looking to improve our backline and Bailey O’Neil had an incredibly solid game and he really didn’t let City play down the flanks as they like to do.
“The whole of the defence was excellent and we’re getting stronger through that line which is exactly what we are aiming to achieve.”
We are the Army:
Members of the Adelaide United family were in attendance at Oakden which led to a pulsating atmosphere for the local derby.
“It’s always great to have the Red Army come along to watch our Youth play and I made sure we showed our appreciation after the game,” Andrioli said.
“It’s part of the culture so they can see where the kids are coming from and support them at a younger age before they make it to the first team.
“They can see those players after at Coopers Stadium which strengthens the connection to the Club.
“Overall, it’s always a tough game and a tough place to go to so again credit to the boys the way they handled all that and got the result.”
Olympic challenge:
Andrioli is fully aware of the threats Adelaide Olympic can pose at the weekend, with the table not fully reflective of a potentially dangerous side.
“I’m actually a bit surprised with some of the last results from Olympic,” Andrioli admitted.
“They have recruited well in the off-season so I’m definitely expecting a tough game going into this one.”
Olympic have been bolstered by the signings of former Reds captain Michael Jakobsen, who is paired in defence with former Albanian international, Kristi Vangjeli.
“We know the challenge in front of us with those players and Michael especially is a plus, he is such an experienced player and almost like a coach on the pitch and will organise them well.
“It’s another challenge but even more important than the result, the hope is that we can continue performing well and getting better, and stronger as a whole unit.
“You’re only as good as your last game and we want to keep bringing the pressure and our style.”
United’s Reserves will first play on Sunday at 2:45pm at Service FM Stadium Pitch 2, followed by the Seniors on Pitch 1 at 5:00pm.
Upcoming match details:
2023 RAA NPL SA – Round 34
Adelaide United vs Adelaide Olympic
Sunday, 12 March 2023, Kick-off: 5:00pm (ACDT)
ServiceFM Stadium
