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So this is the end of an era for Brisbane Roar, right?
They’re lucky to even scrape into the A-League finals, only there because of Perth Glory’s salary cap cheating.
They’re beset by injuries and have made a whopping nine changes to their side for Friday night’s elimination final against Adelaide United.
So they’re ripe for the picking – right?
Wrong, according to both Roar coach Frans Thijssen and his Adelaide counterpart Josep Gombau.
Sure, Brisbane, champions in three of the past four seasons, have had their challenges – sacking a coach; finishing seventh, only to be elevated to the finals by Perth’s rorting; juggling an Asian Champions League campaign as well.
They also lost more A-League games (13) than they won (10).
But neither Thijssen or Gombau is willing to write off the defending champions.
“I still believe that we can go all the way … it’s only a couple of games and you’re there,” Thijssen told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.
Ask Adelaide’s Gombau about the Roar, and he’s wary.
The Spaniard knows the Roar will be missing three first-choice defenders – Jade North (appendix), Luke DeVere (thigh) and Shane Stefanutto (calf) – when the teams run out onto Adelaide Oval.
But Gombau, a former Barcelona youth coach, also knows a quality club when he sees it.
“They have players that they are missing but in the end, the players who come in will have a good feeling to play a final.
“When you are inside a team like Brisbane, the last champions, for sure you are a good player.”
Brisbane also carry a remarkable record into Adelaide: they haven’t lost in the city in their past eight visits, and have scored in each of those fixtures.
The Roar prevailed against United in two of three clashes this season, losing the other, while the Reds have managed a solitary clean sheet in their past 16 meetings with the reigning champs.
Gombau has cleared his Spanish playmaker Isaias of an ankle injury but will be without frontman Bruce Djite (groin) for the knockout bout.
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