Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, Australia
Friday 15th May, 9:35pm
Written by Jonno Ross
We’re now heading into the second leg of the semi-final, just one game away from making the promised land – the Grand Final. One more hurdle against Adelaide, and we’re there.
We head into this one all square, after drawing the first leg 1-1 last weekend, and we look to the away leg at Coopers Stadium on Friday night. It’s time for the club to go one step further than we did last season. Can we do it? We have everything crossed that we can.
MATCH RECAP
Wow, what a game last weekend. High octane, chances on goal for both sides, and clutch goalkeeping moments at both ends.
Let’s start with our number one goal. In the first ten minutes, Woud was called into action and did his job superbly, first pulling off a save from Jonny Yull that was destined for the top right corner of the goal. Moments later, a point-blank save on the goal line thwarted Anselmo. Woud was quick to his feet after Anselmo’s effort to face Luke Duzel’s effort, which was heading into the bottom corner, which he matched with another fine save, getting down to his right side and parrying away, keeping the score line at 0-0. Three huge saves, contributing to his player of the match.
A couple of saves by Josh Smitz in the Adelaide goal kept the score even early on, until Lachie Brook stepped up and fired home against his former side in the 24th minute, making it 1-0 with a salute to the crowd to follow.
Auckland turned the screws and looked to add to the score line, with chances falling to Cosgrove and Brook, but were unable to increase the lead. Guillermo May found the back of the net, only to see the goal chalked off for offside.
The second half couldn’t have got off to a worse start. Guillermo was subbed off after picking up an injury, and Howieson followed suit after catching a stray to the face. The midfield was stretched thin, and Adelaide started to take the ascendancy. Their pressure paid off, and they equalled in the 64th minute.
Adelaide were unlucky not to have taken the lead after a piledriver from Juan Muniz 35 yards out, which rattled the crossbar in the 91st minute. Honours even at the end of the first leg, 1-1, the score heading into the second leg.
MATCH PREVIEW
Once again, we head into this fixture against Adelaide with memories of action-packed drama. The game saw Auckland dominate in periods, and the same common trend was at play again – having plenty of chances but failing to capitalise.
The referee was kept busy, handing out ten yellow cards between the two sides, and should probably have dished out a red card for a ‘questionable’ tackle by Sakai. The Auckland FC goal of the season by Felipe Gallegos in the 48th minute saw Auckland equalise, which turned out to be the final goal of the match, seeing the fourth draw between the two sides.
19 goals between the two sides in five matches, yet there’s only been one side that has come away with the win – Auckland FC. Let’s hope we can do it again.
Should the score line remain even once again at the end of 90 minutes, we’ll see the game go into extra time, and if we’re deadlocked at the end of that, we’ll go to penalties yet again.
Felipe Gallegos could be set to make his return to the side, having not played since suffering a hamstring injury against Sydney FC at the end of April. If he passes his fitness tests, he will bolster the AFC midfield in a timely fashion.
Francis de Vries made his return off the bench last week, with the crowd giving a massive roar of delight when the stadium announcer belted his name out in the pre-match lineup announcement. After shaking off the cobwebs, he’ll be raring to go again in this semi-final decider.
Adelaide United will have their danger man, Luka Jovanovic, back in their starting eleven after serving his match suspension last weekend. The A League’s joint golden boot player would have been suffering last week, watching his side on television back home. He’ll be itching to play and make a difference in front of a sold-out crowd.
This game is the biggest in our history. We want to go one better than last year, and we’re so close. Coopers Stadium will be a cauldron of noise and intense atmosphere in full support of their home side.
Tune in to Sky Sport 2 to support our boys as we hunt down our first major title. Coverage begins at 9pm.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jesse Randall posed a constant threat against Adelaide last weekend, taking on his man down the left wing and creating chances for his teammates. He’ll do everything in his power to ensure he gets to play one last game before heading off to play for Dundee United next season.
Lachie Brook can expect the Adelaide crowd to be on his case as he returns to the ground he once called home. Hopefully, he can grab another goal to rub salt in the wounds in what will hopefully be a contributing factor in getting us through to the Grand Final.
Luka Jovanovic will look to improve on his home form come Friday night. Over half of his 11 goals have surprisingly come away from home, but we can’t write him off whatsoever… this man is quality, and poses a major threat to any defence.
