Adelaide United and grand finals have not had the best relationship looking at past history.
Twice United has made it through to the big dance and twice come away empty handed.
Ongoing therapy has helped me forget about one certain 6-0 result. Time heals all wounds and I can now watch Archie Thompson play a game without curling into the foetal position.
This Sunday Adelaide United will host their first ever grand final. Winning the Championship and completing the double alongside the Premiers Plate would cap off the most successful A-League campaign in Adelaide United’s history.
Guilty as charged, I thought this was no possibly for Adelaide United earlier in the season. In fact I thought making finals was a pipe dream with United winless after eight matches.
One player in particular who sums up the rise of the Reds is striker Bruce Djite. Earlier in the year I was extremely critical of Bruce Djite and certainly wasn’t alone. Djite has always been considered a powerful and hardworking player, but a striker is measured on goals scored.
When Djite had failed to find the back of the net in over 20 games the blow torch was being applied to Djite by media and fans alike.
The best way to respond to criticism is to perform and Djite has certainly done that. Nine goals in ten games is a brilliant return and his brace last week against Melbourne City took Djite’s most recent tally to six goals in four matches. This is the form of a striker at the top of his game.
While a grand final triumph would be a great result for the whole club it would be a fitting result for Bruce Djite. While there are many players who have been at Adelaide long term, Djite is the only current Adelaide United player who was at the club when Adelaide United contested their first A-League grand final in 2007.
In the 2007 grand final Djite entered the game as a 59th minute sub with Adelaide United a man down and trailing 4-0 at the time. Not exactly the ideal introduction to a game and Adelaide United will be hoping for a slightly different outcome on Sunday.
So what stands between Adelaide United and victory on Sunday? The Western Sydney Wanderers along with a legion of 10,000 plus fans expected to make the journey to Adelaide.
Western Sydney are also chasing a maiden grand final victory, having lost the two grand finals they appeared in 2013 and 2014.
Both teams will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky in a grand final and to banish some past demons. The in-form Bruce Djite might be the man to lead Adelaide United to victory.
Almost ten years ago Bruce Djite was at one of United’s lowest points in a grand final, on Sunday he might just be present for their greatest moment.
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Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
It was not too long ago that it was no guarantee that the best youth talents from South Australia would make their A-League debuts…
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
A 10-man Macarthur FC have scored twice in the final 10 minutes and goalkeeper Filip Kurto saved an added-time penalty to defeat Adelaide United…
Clubs have cited regulations claiming players who decline national team call-ups ought to be prevented from featuring at a domestic level.
