Football (Round Ball) Thread...

[Cromulant]

There's little doubt that SA produces more young talent per capita than the other states and it was on show again.

Smits fantastic in goal too.

We are good enough..... but not for long enough. Aforementioned aside, nothing out of our imports again

 

[Eagleboy2011]

People are still turning up. A crowd of 13k. I recorded the match as I was out, but from the bits Ive seen, we made the most of our chances. WSW seemed to have the bulk ok the play.
Still, a win is great.

 

[Cromulant]

People are still turning up. A crowd of 13k. I recorded the match as I was out, but from the bits Ive seen, we made the most of our chances. WSW seemed to have the bulk ok the play.
Still, a win is great.

Statically it was the worst shots per goal side vs the best.

They were pretty one dimensional, played through the middle almost exclusively. We were a bit more clinical in front of goal.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

There's little doubt that SA produces more young talent per capita than the other states and it was on show again.

Smits fantastic in goal too.

We are good enough..... but not for long enough. Aforementioned aside, nothing out of our imports again

Smits is our only import that has made any impact, and is filling the void Gauci left nicely.

Speaking of Gauci, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the A-League soon. On loan at bottom-placed Port Vale in League One and was dropped to the bench after a string of sub-par performances. I really thought he had the ability to make it in Europe, but it's not looking good.

 

[Cromulant]

Smits is our only import that has made any impact, and is filling the void Gauci left nicely.

Speaking of Gauci, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the A-League soon. On loan at bottom-placed Port Vale in League One and was dropped to the bench after a string of sub-par performances. I really thought he had the ability to make it in Europe, but it's not looking good.

If I was him id have stayed here, keepers have so much time on their sides to make moves OS it just seemed a bit rushed.

Hopefully he does come back and reboots his career somewhere.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

3 out on international duties. Holy cow. Paper-thin squad now.


Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s Squad | Round 11 vs Central Coast Mariners

4.Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7.Ryan KITTO, 10.Juan MUÑIZ, 11.Craig GOODWIN, 12.Jonny YULL, 14.Jay BARNETT, 18.Jake NAJDOVSKI, 22.Joshua SMITS, 23.Luke DUZEL, 36.Panashe MADANHA, 40.Ethan COX, 42.Austin AYOUBI, 44.Ryan WHITE, 52.Sotiri PHILLIS, 58.Harry CRAWFORD, 62.Fabian TALLADIRA, 65.Joey GARUCCIO, 71.Vinko STANISIC, 74.Amlani TATU, 87.Anselmo de MORAES

In: 18.Jake NAJDOVSKI, 36.Panashe MADANHA, 65.Joey GARUCCIO

Out: 9.Luka JOVANOVIĆ (international duty), 19.Yaya DUKULY (international duty), 55.Ethan ALAGICH (international duty)

Unavailable: 3.Bart VRIENDS (hamstring), 9.Luka JOVANOVIĆ (international duty), 19.Yaya DUKULY (international duty), 55.Ethan ALAGICH (international duty), 20.Dylan PIERIAS (long term)

Match Details | Isuzu UTE A-League Round 11
Adelaide United v Central Coast Mariners
Sunday 4 January 2026
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 7:05pm ACDT

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Wiki has him at 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)

Adelaide United Secure Exciting Forward Ajak Riak

Adelaide United is pleased to announce the signing of striker Ajak Riak on a two-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at the Club until the end of the 2027/28 Isuzu UTE A-League season.

adelaideunited.com.au

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Wiki has him at 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)

Adelaide United Secure Exciting Forward Ajak Riak

Adelaide United is pleased to announce the signing of striker Ajak Riak on a two-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at the Club until the end of the 2027/28 Isuzu UTE A-League season.

adelaideunited.com.au

Need to be adding to our squad as there is no depth at all.

Another central defender too would be handy.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Need to be adding to our squad as there is no depth at all.

Another central defender too would be handy.

Only at AU where there is a lack of quality defenders we get a forward.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Only at AU where there is a lack of quality defenders we get a forward.

We don't like investing in defenders.

Just as well we found a decent goal keeper though!

 

[Interloperer]

The central defensive pairing is going about as well as you'd expect

 

[Eagleboy2011]

AU is getting blown out of the water atm. 2:0 down after 22 minutes.

 

[Crow_68]

Benny Hill music tonight - as has been the case for a decade, back four is holding this club back.

 

[spenze]

3 nil

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Benny Hill music tonight - as has been the case for a decade, back four is holding this club back.

If we only had a back 4. It looks

at the moment.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

3 nil

Everytime the coach talks up the opposition pregame, we lose.

 

[Crow_68]

In fairness to the back 4, the tracking back by the midfield (lack of) is embarrassing

 

[spenze]

back 4 concedes 4

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Make that four.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

AU's NPL team is now 4:0 down after 57 minutes to an AL team. Not sure when the senior team comes out.

 

[spenze]

AU's NPL team is now 4:0 down after 57 minutes to an AL team. Not sure when the senior team comes out.

They moved on the last one who did

 

[spenze]

We are doing well against the bottom side

 

[Eagleboy2011]

The commentator keeps saying AU still has time to turn the game around. Is he commenting from the bar?

 

[bigman]

We play a terrible brand of football. Boring indirect uncreative and indecisive. The coach is not up to it and the recruitment has been abysmal. This club is going nowhere but down the table

Johnny Yull the one positive. He has the class and football know how that few of his team mates possess

Goodwin disinterested tonight.

You can’t tell me foulani would not be a better striker than Abouyu who gave us nothing up forward

The fish rots from its head

 

[Cromulant]

We play a terrible brand of football. Boring indirect uncreative and indecisive. The coach is not up to it and the recruitment has been abysmal. This club is going nowhere but down the table

Johnny Yull the one positive. He has the class and football know how that few of his team mates possess

Goodwin disinterested tonight.

You can’t tell me foulani would not be a better striker than Abouyu who gave us nothing up forward

The fish rots from its head

Disagree on Folami, hes putrid.

But the rest is spot on, we were horrid, albeit short on troops.

Again nothing from the imports, nothing from Goody