Adelaide United are the champions of the 2015-16 A-League season after taking a 3-1 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers in the 2016 Grand Final.
More A-League Grand Final:
– Match report
– Talking points
– Player ratings
United went up 2-0 before half time before the Wanderers went on the attack in the second half but couldn’t find an equaliser.
A third goal in the 90th minute sealed the deal for Adelaide United, capping off a remarkable season.
Final score
Adelaide United 3
Western Sydney Wanderers 1
It’s Grand Final time! Adelaide United and the Western Sydney Wanderers will duke it out this afternoon in the season finale. Catch all the thrilling highlights and action coming out of Adelaide from 4pm (AEST) on The Roar.
Both sides have fallen short in multiple grand finals before today’s big match, most famously in Adelaide’s complete capitulation against the Melbourne Victory in the 2007 decider, losing by a mammoth six goals to zip.
Not to be outdone though, the Wanderers sensationally became the first team in A-League history to lose consecutive GFs in 2013 and ’14, losing the later in a heart-breaking extra-time thriller.
Adelaide are coming into the final with just one loss from their last 20 matches, an even more incredible feat considering they languished in last place on the ladder after going winless through the first eight games of the season.
Despite their near unstoppable roll coming into the fixture, Adelaide have struggled against the Wanderers this year, all three of their round games ended in draws, the last two finishing as scoreless affairs.
Western Sydney are coming in off the back of perhaps the greatest game in A-League history, fighting back from a three goal deficit to win 5-4 in extra time.
Adelaide on the other hand paced through their semi much more comfortably, dispatching of Melbourne City four goals to one in a performance that oozed confidence.
A bit of a talking point during the week has been the citing of Wanderers midfielder Mitch Nichols, who has been put under the spotlight by the FFA’s disciplinary panel for a hand gesture he made towards the Brisbane Roar crowd after last week’s win.
Nichols has been cleared to play despite the rumours of a suspension, but he will have to answer to the panel in the weeks following.
In team news, both coaches have come through the finals series pretty well unscathed in terms of injuries and suspensions.
Neither side is expected to vary too much, if at all, from their semi-final winning teams, however, the Wanderers and United have added two extra men to an extended squad that will be shortened on game day.
Former Spanish international and Barcelona veteran, United coach Guillermo Amor, has added Mark Ochieng and Mate Dugandzic to his side.
His opposite number, Western Sydney coach Tony Popovic, has brought in Jaushua Sotirio and Jake Pepper to round out the 18-man squad.
Prediction
Despite the free flowing, 14-goal scoring, nature of the semi-finals, this one should be much more of a grind if their previous encounters are anything to go by.
It’s hard to go past the Premiers Plate winners with a rabid home crowd behind them.
Adelaide to win 1-0, or 2-1 in extra time… they’re going to win by one in a low scorer.
Who will win their first ever A-League winners plate in the battle between 1st vs 2nd? And who will leave empty handed for the third time in their respective clubs history? Catch all the big moments and action from the 2015/16 A-League Grand Final, from 4pm (AEST) on The Roar.
Bob Brown
Roar Guru
Slight correction there, the match was played at Adelaide Oval, not Hindmarsh Stadium (as mention in the Live Scores summary box above). Hindmarsh would have a lot of safety issues holding 51,000 spectators. I hope they catch the idiots who let off those flares. Both sets of commentators from Fox and SBS, very professionally ignored the elephant in the room, rather than spoil a great sporting occasion like that. WSW will start A-League season 12 on minus 3 points and that won't help their cause of trying to finally win a GTS.
Bob Brown
Roar Guru
Congratulations Adelaide United, took your chances better than the Wanderers and finished it off well. As a neutral I wanted both teams to win, otherwise someone was going to be in 3 losing grand finals. Congratulations Adelaide United Football Club on one of the greatest season turnarounds in fortunes in Australian football history. Bottom of the table by round 8, then set off on an unbeaten run that's ends up as Premiers and Champions. Grown men lifting a Golden Toilet Seat above their hears and then proudly wearing it around their necks. These are great sporting moments.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Crazy scenes in Adelaide as the home side celebrate with the rabid home fans. Devastating scenes of Wanderers fans in tears in the stands. Popovic sounds relaxed in interviews but three grand final losses in four years must hurt a lot
dan ced
Guest
YEAHHHH! Couldn't afford to go to the match, but glad we kept calm and backed our teamwork.
Connor Bennett
Editor
ADELAIDE UNITED ARE THE 2015/16 A-LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Connor Bennett
Editor
FULLTIME The whistle blows and the proverbial roof is being blown off Adelaide Oval!! The Adelaide men are celebrating like there's no tomorrow in the middle of the park as the Wanderers players stand there looking dejected and speechless Adelaide - 3 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
90' +3 Wanderers making a last ditch effort to get something but Adelaide have parked the bus in defence and there's no way through Adelaide - 3 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
90' +2 SUBSTITUTION Kamua comes off for Mells and they just soak up the time, taking nearly three minutes between the goal and the kickoff Adelaide - 3 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
90' +3 minutes of stoppage time Adelaide - 3 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
90' GOAL ADELAIDE!!!! Pablo Sanchez scores off the bench!!! This super sub has done it again!!! The players are flying off into the crowd and that's surely the game with less than 30 seconds of regular time left in the game. The Wanderers were reckless at the back as they just tried to get the ball up the other end. Sanchez pounces on a bad pass at the top of the box and hammers it past the diving hands of Redmayne and into the left side of the net Adelaide - 3 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
89' Wanderers get the important turnover at the edge of their own box and send the ball flying straight up the other end of the field. Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
89' I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again, this crowd is insane, just chanting and screaming their heads off as their home side closes in on a maiden winners plate Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
88' United steal a throw in from the Wanderers defence. They need to keep the ball down this end of the pitch and hold on Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
87' Western Sydney have owned possession in this second half as they continue to hold onto the pill in the midfield. They can't keep playing patience for too long with time running out Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
86' SUBSTITUTION A change for both side, Shannon Cole comes on for Wanderers in place of Jamieson. And for Adelaide, Sanchez comes onto the park for Carrusca Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
85' Corner for the Wanderers. Can they hit back?? Toper-Stanley rises above the pack and gets his melon to it!! Just can't quite get the accuracy right and Galekovic makes a save to his right. Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
84' Baccus with some tight defence at the back to get his side out of trouble. Wanderers probing up the right wing now but nothing doing so it's crossed back into the midfield... searching for some space up front Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
83' Less than eight minutes to go, the crowd is going nuts, the atmosphere is intense and both sides are playing like their lives depend on it. How good is football!! Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
82' The ball is going all over the place here!! Foul called against United and they blow up about it. Wanderers give the ball back to them then force a turnover... it's pinball at the moment!! Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1
Connor Bennett
Editor
81' YELLOW CARD Dimas takes down Goodwin with a little shoulder nudge on the left wing. The tackle earned the foul but his absolute explosive reaction towards the foul is what earned him the banana. Reckless stuff Adelaide - 2 Wanderers - 1