Adelaide United – within the timeframe of a month – have announced that eight of its 23-man senior squad will no longer be under contract with the team after this season.
There will be two retirements (Valkanis, Agostino), five releases (Diego, Costanzo, Salley, Spagnuolo, and Erdogan), and one transfer (Ognenovski). Half of these have caused heartache amongst the Reds’ fans, yet the others were more or less expected from the majority of supporters.
With only fifteen players of the team currently staying through to the next season – for now, at least – it is obvious that there will be a major overhaul within the Adelaide United roster, and it will be visible from day one of the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League season.
The question is: who fits the bill to play in Adelaide?
Adelaide’s Youth is proving to be a useful source for gold – having struck rich with 18-year-old midfielder Osama Malik taking the field, and even Yasuhito Endo, in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup – and are chasing a close-fought place in the finals in the inaugural National Youth League season.
17-year-old keeper Mark Birighitti has proven he is an upcoming star, boasting immense self-confidence and a great reflex instinct, and already finds himself a prominent figure on the senior bench (as well as actually being part of the senior 23-man squad).
A little more experience with the seniors could be all these young players need to blossom into the next stars of the Hyundai A-League.
Of course, there are also the other A-League teams, as well as the many teams in state leagues across the country. It will come as no surprise to anybody, if Adelaide United sign at least one more player from a South Australian state league team, as they typically have success from these selections (Costanzo earning his stripes from his illustrious career at Adelaide City, and Jason Spagnuolo coming from Adelaide Metro Stars in 2006, and becoming club champion and player’s player of the year in the same season).
Also, with the success – and global publicity – that Adelaide has had in the last twelve months, there are sure to be players chomping at the bit to play with the club in the next season, which could potentially lead to another AFC Champions League campaign in 2010.
However, the largest, though perhaps overlooked aspect of this reshuffle is the marquee status. Since signing his two-year deal in 2007, the now 33-year-old ex-Socceroo Paul Agostino has held the club’s marquee status, but has been since plagued by injuries and unable to live up to the status of marquee, as is the case with the majority of signings for some time.
With Agostino’s retirement come the end of the 2008/09 season, and Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar announcing the tough decision to not renew Diego Walsh’s contract, this leaves open the possibility for an international marquee signing that will both draw crowds and excitement to Hindmarsh Stadium.
We’ve seen an array of signings go awry in the Hyundai A-League: from Ecuadorian striker Edmundo Zura hitting the eject button on his contract with the Newcastle Jets, playing only nine games for the squad, to Sydney FC and their decision to discontinue with the success of Premier League and Trinidad & Tobago star striker Dwight Yorke, opting to accept a transfer bid from Sunderland A.F.C., instead.
Lately, however, there have been some exciting movements in the marquee field. With the new and exciting cashed-up team, Gold Coast United, confirming their success with a bid for Socceroos and PSV Eindhoven midfielder Jason Culina, and their fellow A-League starters North Queensland Fury F.C. currently in talks with former England and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, the 2009/10 season has the potential to be must-watch action.
Aurelio and gang need to look at these moves and, like a chess game, try to check his opponents.
Finding a quality signing with a big name to draw crowds is a feat for any team, though could prove to be tough for one that is not as cashed-up as several of their opponents.
I won’t claim to know how the winnings of both the AFC Champions League and their successful fifth-place finish in the FIFA Club World Cup are being spent by the club and their owner, Nick Bianco. But I would expect there should be some left in the ceramic piggy bank to provide an additional enticement for any potential signings. The natural trend for high profile marquee signings is to get players in their older years, where they will be more enticed to play for a “lesser” club, in comparison to European clubs, or the immense sums of money they can receive from other domestic leagues.
Of course, if the marquee status goes to another Australian, that leaves the last international spot open to an “unknown” player.
The club, in the last 12 months, has been linked with interests in Binh Duong F.C.’s South African striker Philani, as well as then-Urawa Red Diamonds (recently signed by fellow Japanese club Shimizu S-Pulse) striker Yuichiro Nagai on a guest signing.
With a lack of strikers available to the club – after Paul Agostino’s retirement, Adelaide will be left with only two senior strikers – Adelaide are likely to continue their search for another foreign striker, and will be hoping to achieve similar success to their signing of Christiano, who has recently placed 9th in goal of the year selection, for his winning goal in the 1-0 Club World Cup match against Egypt’s African club of the century, Al-Ahly.
With two new A-League clubs being introduced for the 2009/10 season, as well as heightened interest from foreign clubs, competition for player signings is becoming a heated battle on all fronts.
With the A-League constantly shifting, we are always witnessing new names and faces within squads.
This year, however – with large names leaving clubs – it is set to turn the entire league on its head.
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