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It’s all aboard the Red Rattlers once again. Just over 15 months since wowing the nation with a wonderful run all the way to the Asian Champions League final, Adelaide United were back to their continental best last night, dishing up a dazzling display in seeing off the defending ACL champs from South Korea.
There’s just something about the ACL that transforms the Reds from mere mortals domestically into Asian giant-killers, and it was on full display against the Pohang Steelers.
Last time around they were also doing it on the back of a terrible domestic season, and Aurelio Vidmar turned it around by building from the back through the likes of Sash Ognenovski.
This time around they finished bottom in the A-League, hardly the most convincing preparation.
But a closer inspection shows they were building for this just nicely, with some decent performances towards the end of the season and some of their kids and veterans making favourable impressions.
I’m talking about players like Mathew Leckie, Michael Marrone, Scott Jamieson, Lucas Pantelis and Travis Dodd, who all finished the season in decent form.
No doubt about it, they were a team on the rise, even if the results didn’t always confirm this.
Couple that with some very astute recruitment in Sergio Van Dijk, Marcos Flores and Adam Griffiths, and you actually have a squad, worthy of the word.
Indeed, any Australian team that can afford to start a game with Fabian Barbiero, a player I have admired since that wonderful ACL campaign, is one to be respected.
The reason Vidmar could afford to start Barbiero off the bench here is because, in Marrone and Flores, he has two out-and-out guns in midfield.
For the past couple of months I have been scratching my head, trying to work out what on earth prompted Adelaide to let Marrone disappear to North Queensland for next season.
Neat and purposeful on the ball, he has shown strength, positional awareness and drive, and sound distribution from the holding midfield role, and I am delighted Pim Verbeek recognised his recent contributions with a call-up for the Indonesian game.
As for Flores, what a find!
When I texted a friend, enamoured with Argentine football, expressing my delight at his 30 minute cameo on debut earlier this month, he wondering if Adelaide had finally found a replacement for Diego. ‘Spot on’, I replied.
While Barbiero has done the job on occasions, he is a different player to Flores, who is more a ball to feet man who can see a pass and pick it out early.
Barbiero is a slightly deeper player, who can get forward and get on the end of the things.
Flores is more a classic number 10, looking to get in the hole and link, and here he put on an exemplary performance. His ability to hit a target with a one-touch ball was a joy to watch, and long may it continue.
Long also may Leckie’s impact on football continue, all the way to South Africa, and beyond.
Ross Aloisi did his best to hose-down calls, led by this correspondent, for Leckie to be considered a South African bolter, but his display here only served to reinforce why I believe he is such a great option for Verbeek.
Undoubtedly unknown to the Steelers hierarchy, he was able to slip under the radar and have a massive influence on the outcome here.
His solo goal, demonstrating sharpness, cunning and awareness, was exactly the reason why I believe he would suit Verbeek’s want to counter attack, and as an unknown joker off the bench, he has a role to play.
Certainly, he works as hard and as smart as any attacker around, and if he can make an impact against Indonesia, and keep this level up throughout the group phase here, anything is possible.
As Vidmar keeps reminding us, “he isn’t afraid of playing against anyone”.
As for the two veterans, Pantelis and Dodd, they were full of mobility and desire here, and always posed a threat feeding off the leadership provided by van Dijk.
Whereas Ognenovski was the fulcrum of the last campaign, this time it is another big man from Brisbane, van Dijk, who is set to be the key.
While he didn’t really threaten to find the back of the net on this night, his general link up play and strength proved a hand-full and provided space for the likes of Leckie, Flores, Pantelis and Dodd.
Credit too to Vidmar, unlicensed, but pulling the strings. He had an offensive formation and attitude here, always looking to get men forward, around and beyond van Dijk. It worked a treat.
The Reds are back is Asia, back where they belong. Let’s hope the run is just as fun.
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