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  • Another Grand Final Defeat, In Adelaide

    mack

    By mack

    Adelaide United have lifted the A-League Championship after a 3-1 win at Adelaide Oval tonight.

     

    The Western Sydney Wanderers never looked like winning, handing the initiative to the home side from early in the contest, with a brief flurry of activity in the second half not enough to even draw level.

     

    Bruce Kamau opened the scoring in front of 50,000 spectators, taking advantage of seriously inept defending from Scott Jamieson to turn in Marcelo Carrusca's cross unmarked. it got worse for the visitors after half an hour, as Nikolai Topor-Stanley gave away a silly foul just outside the box. Isaias stepped up to the dead ball and curled it over the wall, and into the top left corner of Andrew Redmayne's goal, a striker that no keeper in the world would have stopped.

     

    The most unlikely of sources gave the Wanderers a sniff, on the hour mark Santalab combined with Castelen, the striker laying the ball with a flick into the path of Scott Neville, who unleashed a stunning outside of the foot half-volley that flew into the back of the net.

     

    While the Wanderers huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser, it was Adelaide who eventually blew the house down, substitute Pablo Sanchez taking advantage of a horrible error by Kearyn Baccus, gifting the ball to Sanchez inside the box, his shot was past Redmayne and his poor attempted save, clinching the Championship on the stroke of 90 minutes.

     

    After coming from 3 behind last week against the Roar, Tony Popovic was outcoached, and his team outplayed, as Adelaide swarmed the Wanderers midfield, giving Dimas & Andreu no time on the ball. The Wanderers attack went silent once again, as Castelen reverted to his usual 5 touches then lose the ball ways, Mark Bridge might as well have been wearing a cloaking device, and Mitch Nichols could easily have been yanked off the pitch before half-time, and even though he got through to the break, only lasted 10 minutes after it.

     

    The off season promises yet another clear out. It is time to let Mark Bridge & Topor-Stanley go after their Asian pay cheques, forigeners Alberto Aguilar, Andreu, Castelen & Piovaccari are all set to leave the club in the weeks to come, U21 players Liam Youlley, Shayne D'Cunha & Daniel Alessi are also up on the chopping block, short term signings Matt Sim & Liam Reddy have not done much to expect a full season renewal, and Golgol Mebrahtu will be cut after making no mark on the A-League after 3 seasons.

     

    The Wanderers will play next season at Sydney Olympic Park, as Parramatta Stadium is demolished for a 3+ year new build. Despite the Grand Final loss the club will play a 3rd Asian Champions League campaign.

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    wsw2154

    We lost this when we failed to beat them in the normal season rounds and secure the extra points to be able to clinch the plate and host the final. Adelaide have been a very good side for a few seasons now and its paid off they took their chances and have some stellar players. Congratulations to them fully deserved. Our second half was alot better but the quality up front lacked all season and sadly was the same tonight. Team deserve a wrap for turning it around from second last to grandfinalist also. Next season will be good.

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    Horus

    Would've loved to win just to force Harper to say something nice about us...

     

    ..doesn't really matter now about who and why but from 9th to a grand final, congrats to popa and the boys!

     

     

    ....new home ground(s) and an ACL campaign awaits

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    Wanderer747

    Better team won but they had all the advantages.....

     

    I still think we over achieved this year. We dont have a striker, our defence all year has been a weakness. Not sure how we will go next year to be honest....

    In the end, you have to finish first to win both of the titles.......we threw away the Premiers Plate and that was the difference

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    WestSyd

    Tough to take. But the Brisbane grand final is the one I felt we should have won, so that hurts more. Good to have a bit of time to reflect now, and hopefully Popa searches for the answers next season to make us even better.

     

    I always thought Adelaide were easily the most all round solid team this season. All the other teams had far too many defensive deficiencies. So deserved champions in the end.

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    tuco

    proud of the spirit of the team.

    some players didn't turn up today and execution was poor.

     

    but even with all that we still had decent chances to level the game.

     

    and for all the fouls and delaying tactics by adelaide did the ref give them one yellow?

    nope.

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    Jukes01

    Lets face it, over the full course of 90 mins they were the better team than us. After those two first half goals it was always going to be difficult. It still hurts but not as much as it did against Brisbane. F*ck it next year we go for the double. 

    Edited by Jukes01
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    KGee

    Mack

     

    Grand Final?

     

    Post season cup final surely?

     

    Anyway rounds off a pretty miserable weekend for me. Oldest son's team threw away a lead to lose, I snapped my just fixed big toe again to end my season and we only turn up today for 35 minutes in the second half. Don't mind losing as long as you give it your all for all of the 90 minutes.

     

    Hey ho. Roll on next season and the all important rumours thread. I hear Ronaldinho is looking for a cut price deal in the sun.

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    Nel

    I'm hurting but still so proud of this team. When their backs were against the wall they didn't give up, they actually upped the tempo.

     

    We should have had the premiers plate this year. Our lack of a striker, particularly early on in the season cost us that chance and a home GF.

     

    Chin up, it's going to be an awesone year next year. The 5 month off season is what sucks though.

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    wsw2154

    They were great.

     

    Chip up lads, big season in 16/17. Third GF in four seasons + an ACL title is a monumental effort.

    The roar gf is hard to take as we lead that with 10mins to play and lost the plot from there. If we had a berisha type striker up front all season who knows what would have happened...

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    FCWanderers

    proud of the spirit of the team.

    some players didn't turn up today and execution was poor.

     

    but even with all that we still had decent chances to level the game.

     

    and for all the fouls and delaying tactics by adelaide did the ref give them one yellow?

    nope.

    That's the advantage of hosting the final, the referee is swayed by the crowd, subconsciously, even though he doesn't mean to be.

    11 Aleague grand finals, 10 wins by home side and an ET draw, won on penalties by the away side.

     

    It tells you hosting the final is crucial.

    Edited by FCWanderers
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    Swifty

     

    Oh well , we lose another knockout tournament...kinda know what the Dutch feel like ! :P Congrats Barossalona....chunts

    I AM dutch.

     

     

    Ffs.

    Me too - urgh this was just so bad

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