A point on the road in Adelaide eased some of the pressure on David Zdrilic, but the heat is still on with the Glory’s winless run in the league now standing at 16 games.
This week, they return to AAMI Park for the first time since that devastating 8-0 loss to Melbourne City at the end of last season.
Victory are the opponents this time around; a side brimming with confidence under new boss Patrick Kisnorbo.
Before the Glory go for a drought-breaking win and their sixth against the Victory at AAMI Park, a few of the talking points.
Will the ball retention improve?
Adam Taggart’s potency in front of goal helped direct the spotlight away from a glaring issue last Friday night, the Glory’s inability to maintain possession for sustained periods of play.
Just 28% possession is far too low, and the reason for it is obvious – 160 accurate passes at 63%, 92 of which were in Adelaide’s half.
Of those 92, about 10 came in the first minute. The fact we were able to score twice and get 14 shots from such few passes is something of an achievement.
The midfield pairing share the bulk of responsibility for that. Nicholas Pennington and Taras Gomulka managed 64.4% from 45 passes, compared to the Adelaide pairing of Ethan Alagich and Jay Barnett who went at 94% from 150 passes.
Pennington was heavily involved in the setup for both goals and has been one of the Glory’s best this season, while Gomulka has played the full 90 in five out of the six matches but hasn’t lived up to expectations.
In fairness to Gomulka, his defensive work in the draw was admirable. He made six clearances and had three interceptions.
It appears they will be the chosen pairing moving forward. If it is to stay that way, their work on the ball has to be better than last time out. They’re more than capable; we just need to see it more consistently.
How does Caicedo react?
The thoughts and opinions regarding Cristian Caicedo’s reaction to being substituted in additional time has been mixed.
Some have panned the way he expressed his frustration and anger; others have criticised the coach for doing it to a young player still getting acclimatised in a new country.
I understand the tactical reason for it and also understand the frustration. Caicedo could have handled himself better, but I liked the fact he showed a bit of passion.
Now for the real test – what will he bring to the table if he is called upon to make a difference against the Victory?
All we’ve seen thus far from the Colombian is glimpses; it’s time for him to start having a bigger impact in matches, first off the bench and eventually starting, which is what he should be aiming to do.
Sunday is the perfect opportunity to make a real stand. Bring the excitement factor, send a message to the coach and the fans of what you can bring to the table.
Predicted lineup
Taggart
Ngo – Bugarija – Ostler
Pennington – Gomulka
Hamzaoui – Barr – Canga – Risdon
Cook
And for the women…
Can the SKFC be turned into a fortress?
They’ve called Dorrien Gardens and Macedonia Park home in recent years, and now the Glory women will add the Sam Kerr Football Centre to that list.
The Queens Park venue cost $50 million and was opened two years ago prior to the Women’s World Cup. On Sunday, it gets its first serving of A-Leagues action.
The girls will be hoping to repeat their efforts from their previous home fixture, a 3-2 victory at HBF Park.
They were held to a 1-1 draw against Canberra in Unite Round, in a game where they had chances to extend the lead in the first half but failed to capitalise.
The return of Kelli Brown up front is a big positive, as is the increasing match fitness of international recruits Onyinyechi Zogg and Megan Wynne.
Victory will be a tough nut to crack, but there is added incentive to get a win with Casey Dumont set to play her 150th match in the ALW against her former side.
With three out of four games this month at home and most of the squad fit, December provides a great platform to Stephen Peters to build momentum, get some wins and bring in more fans to watch the ALW at a very good facility.
All images courtesy of Tom McCarthy.
