Western United vs Adelaide United
KO: (UK time)
So here we have the Australian A-League opener. It wasn’t supposed to be this game that was the opener. No, the Australian FA wanted to show off its newest team, namely Macarthur FC, by making them play in a derby against Western Sydney Wanderers. However, Covid-19 restrictions in Sydney led to the postponement of that game, and thus this one in Melbourne became the opener.
I actually rather fancy Adelaide United to do well this season. It’ll take a bit of time for them to get going, given the changes made, but they’re in a better position than most after a number of A-League stars fled to India’s I-League. The Reds waved farewell to reliable shot stopper Izzo, target man Blackwood, seasoned creator Troisi, rapid wide man Mileusnic, reborn youngster Brook, and the star of the show, McGree – for the second time. However, when you break things down, they’ve done alright, Adelaide United. They’ll miss McGree the most; he’s a brilliant match-winner. Mileusnic had his moments but spent a lot of time injured. Brook played a lot last season but almost never prior because of injuries. Troisi is a class act but isn’t getting any younger. Blackwood was regressing. Izzo is another big loss though; finding a safe pair of gloves at this level is tough.
Still, Adelaide United have kept their defence intact, kept important midfielders Mauk and Halloran, as well as somehow holding onto wonderkid brothers the Toures, which is really surprising as they both looked good last season. Importantly, they made good signings in the right areas too. My opinion is that new striker Tomi Juric is the best target man they’ve had since Bruce Djite, and a team that sees as much of the ball as Adelaide United do need that outlet, which they’ve barely had since the big man hung up his boots. They made another very good signing in ex-Sydney FC defender Timotheou, who had been at Schalke 04 and Zulte-Waregem before returning to Australia. Honestly, they’re only a dominant central midfielder and a proven goalkeeper away from having a complete squad, in my opinion. Yes, they do lack depth, and the goalkeeping position is a big worry for me as they’ve signed another kid (Delianov – from Western United) presumably with the intent of him being the number one. Time will tell if that’s shrewd or not. But yeah – I like what they’ve done, all things considered.
When it comes to facing Western United away today though, I am a bit uneasy for The Reds. Part of that stems from the concerns I raised above, and part of it stems from integrating newbies into their squad. The big one, though, is that their hosts have barely made any changes pre-season, which is quite unusual in the A-League. Being able to keep their best players and only add quality to their squad bodes ominously for the rest of the division, especially with a talented boss like Rudan at the helm. Sanchez should be a good signing, helping them control games, which they’ve missed since Kone left. The signings of Majok and Wales are not going to raise many eyebrows but I think it affords Western United a counterattacking threat that they simply didn’t have last season. Those two are fast; not especially good, but annoying to deal with. With that option, it stops Western United getting hemmed in as easily as they were at times last season.
Bluntly put, Western United made very shrewd signings to address their weak spots. Now, they don’t really have a weak spot. They’ve got a good level of depth, lots of experience, brilliant wing-backs to support attacks, and the most experienced battering ram that a team at this level could wish for. Hand on heart – I’m a bit disappointed they’ve not found another more team-orientated player than Diamanti as their star creator. I know the Italian has a phenomenal shot on him but he literally shoots every time, and it ruins so many good attacking moves that Western United put together. Still, he is a class act, and he has his uses. I want to see more of Pasquali this season though. He left Australia at a very young age, brimming with potential, and has returned to Melbourne a bit like he’s got his tail tucked between his legs. He’s a gifted creator; it’s time he started showing it.
The potential is there though, and with a solid core containing the remarkably fit Durante, Hamill, and Calver with Kurto behind them should not give much away. They’ve now got the capacity to control games, defend competently, play on the front foot, and even counterattack properly now they’ve made the necessary additions. Honestly, this is one of the most complete teams in the division right now, and they’ll require one of the least integration periods. Therefore, I rather fancy them to get the best of Adelaide United today with the visitors still needing to iron out a few things.
Therefore, I’m on the home win.
Verdict: Western United to win at evens.