Adelaide United
1
Match Complete
Melbourne Victory
0
| G. Blackwood |  | 81' | ||
| 33' |  | K. Honda | ||
| 10' | | T. Deng |
| 9 | Shots | 8 | ||
| 1 | On Target | 0 | ||
| 16 | Fouls | 23 | ||
| 7 | Corners | 3 | ||
| 1 | Offsides | 1 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
Adelaide United takes on Melbourne Victory with home finals on the line in Round 26 of the A-League at Coopers Stadium on Good Friday at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
With Sydney’s win on Thursday night against the already-crowned Perth Glory, Victory needs to win their final two games and hope for a Sydney loss to claim second spot.
They’re currently coasting in third, and if they can’t bridge the gap on Sydney then a home derby final against City looms.
Adelaide’s grip on fourth spot – and a home final – is a little more precarious. Sitting on 38 points, they have both the Phoenix and City breathing down their necks on 37.
A win at home tonight in the penultimate round would all but ensure fourth.
Victory is very gettable at the moment. They’ve had a poor 2019. Their recent league form is mixed (three wins and two losses in the last five), and their ACL run has been diabolical, losing their first three games.
Indeed, Kevin Muscat will have an eye on the home ACL tie on Tuesday against Guanghzou.
Muscat faces some compelling game theory challenges over the next five days. He’s in the awkward position of being unlikely – though mathematically possible – of finishing second in the league and progressing from their ACL group.
With no ACL points and all three opponents on six points, Victory realistically need to win all three remaining ACL games to progress.
Muscat may therefore decide to rest key players against Adelaide, and save them for Guangzhou. He’s named a strong squad – with Terry Antonis and Lawrence Thomas returning – but may choose to start Kenny Athiu and Elvis Kamsoba ahead of star imports Ola Toivonen and Keisuke Honda.
Adelaide have everything to play for, and have named their strongest possible line up. Centreback Jordan Elsey returns from injury, and 19-year-old striker Pacifique Niyongabire – who is Elvis Kamsoba’s younger brother – has been promoted into the first team.
It would be a fantastic story if the two brothers were able to share pitch time. Refugees from Burundi who are building professional careers in the A-League. It would be a nice secondary story to this game that will almost certainly shape the make-up of the finals.
Adelaide’s chances this season started so positively with the FFA Cup win and sparkling form of Craig Goodwin. But their form has fluctuated wildly since.
Ironically, their results have improved markedly since the announcement that manager Marco Kurz won’t continue with the team next season.
They promptly won their next two and got a point against final rivals City. They’ll be hoping this mini bounce can continue against Victory.
Prediction
Victory hasn’t really found its groove in this calendar year. On paper they should have enough midfield talent to dominate possession.
But Victory’s weakness is at fullback, and if Adelaide’s creative wide players like Goodwin, Ben Halloran and Nikola Mileusnic can get a foothold then they have the talent and speed to trouble Victory.
The proposition for Adelaide is clear – win this game and all-but ensure a home final. With the ACL playing on Kevin Muscat’s mind, Adelaide could cause a mini-upset.
Adelaide United 2 – Melbourne Victory 1
jbinnie
Guest
Wouldn't it be nice if referees could be asked the whys and wherefores of their decision making. The goal that wasn't. When the crossball was being struck,it was noticeable that a Victory player was actually standing on the goal line and began a run that took him right across the goalkeeper's vision. One was left to wonder if "offside" was perhaps the reason the ref blew his whistle, apparently before Donnachie connected with the ball. Cheers jb.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Ok that's all from me! I'm going to put the Sheffield United and Forest game on and let the long weekend roll over me. See you all real soon.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Muscat's said in his post-game interview that the referee should have let the foul on Marrone run and then check it with VAR... he makes a good point. But he was pretty emphatic about it being a foul! It would be hard to coach that level of certainty out of a field referee to let it run and then see what VAR says.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
I reckon Adelaide did ease back on the press at the end of the first half, but.. yeah... it was good deep running from the reds
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT. Adelaide get the points tonight in a scrappy game not for the purists. The solitary goal from the forehead of George Blackwood in the 81st minute was in fact he only shot on target of the night (for either team), and represented possibly the only moment of pure skill in the entire game. The Reds pressured and harried Victory from the kick-off, and forced the 3rd placed side to play off the backfoot and not settle into their usual clinical rhythm. Indeed the Adelaide press was on from the get-go, and Victory struggled to get the ball out of their half, especially in the first half. Neither side made many chances in the first half (or at all, to be fair), and the early exit of James Troisi after half an hour, coupled with an uncharacteristically poor game from Ola Toivonen, cruelled Victory’s attacking transitions all night. Troisi’s replacement Terry Antonis looked underdone, and while Keisuke Honda (who was unbelievably fortunate to escape a red card in this game for two clear yellows) and Elvis Kamsoba battled, Victory could not keep the ball in midfield like they’re used to, and looked too static and narrow to really threaten Adelaide. The stats show 54% possession to Victory, but a lot of that was in their own half and the ball spent precious little time in their forward third. Adelaide themselves weren’t exactly exciting spectators with free flowing football either. Halloran and Mileusnic were barely sighted, and while Goodwin played an important part as the outlet man, he didn’t tear into the Victory defence like he was doing earlier in the season. Ultimately this was a game for defenders and defensive tacticians, and not a spectacle of pass-and-move. The two moments that mattered, and the only two real talking points (not withstanding Honda’s staying on the park) were the Blackwood goal and the disallowed Donachie goal. Blackwood’s finish split the difference tonight and came after a battling game leading the line. It was also the culmination of a couple of excellent attacking minutes for the Reds who put two crosses in that were unconvincingly cleared or blocked from Victory, only to fall to Isaias wide on the right to deliver an inch perfect pass onto the forehead of Blackwood. With a striker so tall and agile on the shoulders of defenders that tactic is always going to be effective at a pinch, and it paid off spectacularly tonight. Blackwood might be the most beguiling player in the A-League. If he can put it together he could be something special. Alas he rarely does. Tonight, when it mattered he surely did when he towered over Donachie and Niedermeier to thunder it home. It was disappointment for Victory fans that began only minutes before with excitement as Donachie himself seemed to nod home from a Honda corner. When it was called back for a foul on Marrone (committed seemingly by Niedermeier) everyone in the stadium and at home was understandably confused. If Niedermeier did indeed make contact with Marrone – who seemed to the naked eye to trip over his teammate – then it was faint to say the least. However the referee was in the perfect position to make the call and, in fact, had a better view of it than the TV cameras. Even if that goal had stood Kevin Muscat won’t be particularly pleased with the performance tonight, and will have some tinkering to do before their ACL clash on Tuesday night. MAN OF THE MATCH has to be a defender. No forward or mid really left a mark on this game. Boland and Baena shuffled around and disrupted their opponents, and Goodwin was good without being great. So it goes to Michael Marrone by a nose to James Donachie. Marrone was strong all night, got forward a few times to shoot and generally made a nuisance of himself – which was exactly Adelaide’s plan A.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
A real tactical arm wrestle and I am surprised Adelaide could maintain that constant press for the entire match. MV had a definite goal disallowed, delivered by a player who definitely should not have still been on the pitch. Funny old game, football.
pete4
Guest
Lots of niggling fouls this one MV will obviously point to the disallowed goal (did look very harsh)
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
A moment of George Blackwood's height and leap, and an exquisite cross from Isaias, was the difference tonight. Victory and Kevin Muscat may be aggrevied about the disallowed goal, but they didn't really threaten tonight and looked off the pace. He needs to either re-tool or put a rocket up this team before Tuesdays ACL game against Guangzhou.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
That win has almost assured Adelaide fourth spot and the home final, while also costs Victory second place. That (pretty much) means the first week of the finals will be in both Melbourne and Victory
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
FULL TIME. Adelaide get the win tonight 1-0
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Seconds left in this one.... Adelaide desperate to waste time and keep the ball.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
93′ Halloran and Thomassen not on the same page there… Halloran breaks and gets onto the through-ball but his flick to the back post wasn’t what Thomassen was expecting, and Victory can clear [Adelaide 1-0]
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
91' - Again it's Honda with a poor FREE KICK that's way too close to Izzo, and he comes out to COLLECT. Honda's had his moments tonight but since dodging that red card he's looked shakey.. [Adelaide 1-0]
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
We reach the 90... we'll have 4 EXTRA MINUTES
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
90' - Izzo COLLECTS from Honda's long, floated FREE KICK. It's to the back post but too close to Izzo and he comes out confidently to take [Adelaide 1-0]
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
89' - Mileusnic is in some trouble now. He looks to be hobbling OFF.... and Vince Lia is ON
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
87' - Honda's SHOT BLOCKED by Jakobsen! It was Athiu's ball cut across the top of the box which found Honda on a long run but Jakobsen is there to slide in and block it. Athiu already amongst it there, making a smart run down the channels and getting onto a great pass over the top from Baena [Adelaide 1-0]
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
85' - Victory make a change as well.... Kenny Athiu is ON to throw the cat amongs the pidgeons for the last 5 minutes, for Kamsoba
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
85' - And Blackwood is hooked!! He's coming OFF (what might have been if the ball had gone out sooner!) and Thomassen comes ON for Adelaide.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
See, THAT'S the Blackwood we all picture in our Socceroos fantasies, jumping over defenders and thundering headers into the back of the net.... (even though he's not a fantastic header of the ball)