- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Adelaide coach Rini Coolen has urged his players to treat the remaining games of the season as mini finals in a bid to avoid United tumbling out of the top two on the A-League table.
United’s hold on second spot has weakened markedly in the past two weeks, with a 2-1 loss to the Heart and a 4-2 loss to Perth leaving them just four points clear of Central Coast and Gold Coast, who both have two games in hand.
Before Perth’s win over Adelaide on Wednesday night, Glory coach Ian Ferguson labelled it a “Cup final” for his side.
Coolen, with an eye towards Sunday’s crucial clash with the Mariners in Gosford, is now taking the same approach.
“It was a Cup final for them, we told our boys it was a Cup final for us as well,” Coolen said.
“Not only one game, we have to play a couple of Cup finals to stay in the position we are, keep away from the teams who are trying to take off our second position.
“So there will be tough weeks for us and we didn’t start well.
“We have to prepare for a couple of finals, starting Sunday.
With Brisbane now 10 points clear of Adelaide on top of the ladder, Coolen said the battle for second was his main priority.
“For us the focus is to find out if we can stay in position No.2.
“It will be a real hard job, a lot of teams are coming closer and closer to us.
“So we have to fight back.
“But that’s a positive, because if you have to play those sort of games it means you are in a good position on the ladder.
“But it’s not easy, losing players as well, suspended.
“All teams have that problem, we have to handle it, it’s not easy, but we have to go for it.”
Defender Robbie Cornthwaite will miss Sunday’s match against Central Coast after receiving a straight red for bringing down Mile Sterjovski in the box during the loss to Perth.
Midfielder Paul Reid is also in some doubt after receiving a heavy blow to the head.
Adelaide were locked at 2-2 against Perth before Glory marquee Robbie Fowler scored a second-half brace to secure victory.
Coolen was at a loss to explain his side’s poor showing against Perth.
“You are allowed to make mistakes, everybody can make mistakes, but I think at the start of the game we had a few players who didn’t feel well maybe, not asking for the ball,” he said.
“I would prefer to have a team on the pitch who feels free to play football, as we did the whole season, and we didn’t do that in the first half.”
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.