Melbourne Victory 1 Adelaide United 1
Roy Hay
Melbourne Vicotry and Adelaide United renewed their long running rivalry for the Muscat-Kosmina Cup in addition to the A-League points.
Victory's grim reaper threatens Adelaide United
Jim Magilton put out his first Melbourne Victory side against Adelaide United on Friday night. It was on the usual lines, apart from Jean Carlos Solorzano, Diogo Ferreira and Petar Franjic all of whom started on the bench.
Adelaide United was also a settled side.
Melbourne Victory went off like a house on fire, scoring after only six minutes and having several chance to bury Adelaide United in the first fifteen, but as happened against Melbourne Heart recently, the visitors got back into the game and equalised early in the second half.
Thereafter Victory gradually ran out of legs and ideas and United could have taken all three points in the closing stages, with Victory resorting to long hopeful balls to its front runners.
Overall though it was a good quality game and both coaches praised their teams for their character and effort, while John Kosmina also mentioned the discipline his squad showed.
After 6 minutes Harry Kewell beat two men out on the left and fired the ball low across goal where Archie Thompson and Antony Golec slid in and the ball flew past Eugene Galekovic.
Thompson appeared to get the decisive touch and celebrated accordingly.
A minute previously Thompson had got clear and only a finger-tip by Galekovic and the post kept the ball out.
Cameron Watson crossed for Sergio van Dijk to beat Covic with a header but the ball went over the bar.
Harry Kewell put Danny Allsopp clear but the big man drove his shot into the side netting.
It was a high quality game with lots of good passing movments on both sides and several openings none of which were taken.
Fabio is upended
Neither side made changes in personnel at half-time but Adelaide survived an early Victory break when Harry Kewell crossed and Alsopp’s diving header went just wide of the post.
In 53 minutes a corner from Dario Vidosic was driven against the Victory bar by Nigel Boogard and Sergio van Dijk knocked the rebound back in to bring United level.
Adelaide fan sets off a flare after van Dijk's goal
Jean Carlos Solorzano came on for Allsopp in 64 minutes and looked full of running.
Kewell skinned Dario Vidosic in the 69th minute and then hit the post with a rocket which beat Galekovic.
Solorzano rounded Nigel Boogaard and put a tempting ball across the goal but Thompson just could not reach it.
Thereafter Victory seemed to run out of ideas with too many players lacking movement on and off the ball.
Adelaide played out the game more strongly in the last fifteen minutes and van Dijk, Bruce Djite and Nigel Boogaard all had chances to win the game.
Match details
Friday 13 January 2012
Melbourne Victory 1 (Archie Thompson 6’) Adelaide United 1 (Sergio van Dijk 53’)
Venue: AAMI Park
Local kick-off: 8:00pm
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Assistant referees: Luke Brennan and George Lakrindis
Fourth official: Lucien Laverdure
Attendance: 20,959
Melbourne Victory
21. Ante Covic, 2. Matthew Foschini, 3. Fabio, 6. Leigh Broxham, 8. Grant Brebner (4. Petar Franjic 87’), 10. Archie Thompson, 12. Rodrigo Vargas, 16.Carlos Hernandez (13. Diogo Ferreira 71’), 18. Danny Allsopp (9. Jean Carlos Solorzano 64’), 22. Harry Kewell, 23. Adrian Leijer
Unused substitutes: 20. Lawrence Thomas
Yellow cards: Grant Brebner 44’, Fabio 82’
Red cards: nil
Adelaide United
1.Eugene Galekovic, 2.Osama Malik, 3.Nigel Boogaard, 5.Daniel Mullen, 7.Zenon Caravella, 9.Sergio van Dijk, 10.Dario Vidosic, 11.Bruce Djite, 12.Antony Golec, 14.Cameron Watson, 18.Fabian Barbiero (15.Jacob Melling 75’),
Unused substitutes: 20.Mark Birighitti, 21.Francisco Usucar, 17.Iain Ramsay.
Yellow cards: Nigel Boogaard 66’
Red cards: Nil