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Sydney FC vs Adelaide United: A-League live scores, blog

1st March, 2019
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Sydney FC

2

Match Complete

Adelaide United

0

97
SFC2 : 0ADE

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Roar Guru
1st March, 2019
103

Sydney FC

2

Match Complete

Adelaide United

0

C. Devlin94'
67'M. Marrone
R. Ghoochannejhad15'

11
Shots
14
5
On Target
1
14
Fouls
9
3
Corners
5
0
Offsides
0
0
Red Cards
0
0
Yellow Cards
1

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It’s a top four clash in Round 21 of the A-League as Sydney FC take on Adelaide United at Leichhardt Oval at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.

The Sky Blues find themselves in second spot on the table after Victory dropped points in the derby last week.

They haven’t been in great form of late, winning only three of the last six including an embarrassing loss to Brisbane and a clumsy draw to Central Coast.

But last week’s tight “away” victory over Wellington should have a stabilising effect.

Adelaide continues to be this season’s dark-horse, alternatively flashing moments of brilliance and mediocrity, all dependant on the form of Craig Goodwin and whichever striker shows up with him.

They sit in fourth, a win ahead of a spluttering Melbourne City and the unpredictable Phoenix.

From here Adelaide should be booking in a home final against one of those two, and if the season continues to form they should really be eyeing off a semi-final berth.

But they’ll need to continue to pick up points to do that, and after last week’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle, Adelaide are acutely aware that they need to find goals to do that.

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Goals have been Adelaide’s Achilles heel this year, with George Blackwood, Ken Ilso and Ben Halloran all spending time up front to cover the loss of Baba Diawara.

But these false or out-of-form 9s haven’t worked for Adelaide, and too much is needed from Craig Goodwin’s prolific left foot (9 goals this season) to make things happen.

To that end new loan signing from De Graafschap, striker Jordy Thomassen, should get the start this week in his 4th appearance and will be hoping to break his duck.

What Adelaide wouldn’t give for a forward as effective as Adam Le Fondre. The Sydney front-man has banged in 14 goals this season, and is now two clear in the race for Golden Boot.

Throw in their new January striker Reza Ghoochannejhad, and Sydney have more than enough firepower to compete with the best defences in the A-League.

Sydney’s problems this season have come more from their midfield, where the slickness and tempo of the Graham Arnold years have at times been absent. At worst, they have looked fearful against the press.

Too much is expected from Milos Ninkovic to pull the strings, but when the ball enters their final third they look dangerous. The challenge is getting it there.

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In Round 1 and the FFA Cup final, when Adelaide’s confidence was sky high, their front press of Craig Goodwin, Ryan Strain and Ben Halloran (who is injured for this game and won’t play) really unsettled the Sydney defenders and double pivot.

Marco Kurz will have taken note and will be tempted to go with the 4-3-3 in this game, and likely leave George Blackwood on the bench.

The flipside applies for Sydney, who should bring a lot of energy and tempo to the Adelaide game despite having an Asian Champions League tie midweek.

With Sydney at home on Wednesday (and spared a long flight to Ulsan), they should go into this match with a full strength team and go for it.

Prediction
It’s tempting to tip a draw in this game between these two teams, but picking draws is weak punditry! Sydney should be holding onto second spot for grim death, and Steve Corica might still be kicking himself for letting second spot drop three weeks ago against Brisbane. Sydney by a whisker in a close one.

Sydney FC 1 – Adelaide United 0

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